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What Setting For Rear Adjustable Koni Shocks

Yahoo Message Number: 92323
I have a 2002 42' Country Coach Affinity 42' with 114,000 miles on it. The front Koni shocks work exactly as they should. When I go over a large drag bump in an RV park they compress when coming off the bump and 1/2 a stroke up. Thats it. No bouncing at all. These are original and have 114,000 miles on them.

Last January I was informed by my regular service folks that one of the back ones leaks and that the rear two should be replaced. I did so with new Koni shocks like the originals. When I go over the same RV park drag bump the rear compresses when I move off the bump (at approx 2 mph - slow) and the rear compresses, and then cycles twice before settling down. Meaning the rears have two tops to the cycle before resting. The old fronts no tops.

Is this normal? Are the rears supposed to be looser than the fronts? My guess is no. So my next question is, what should the rear adjustable Koni's be set at. I think there are three settings.

Bob & Barbara

2002 Country Coach Affinity 42' tag

Re: What Setting For Rear Adjustable Koni Shocks

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 92343
Hi Bob,

Your coach will weight in at more then our Allure 40'. But I'll share some opinions:)!
-The rear shocks really don't seem to do too much. Reading on this board I recall older posts from owners that had driven for several thousand miles not knowing that their rear shocks, or single shock, was broken (from over extending usually). They said they never detected any change in handling.
-The era of yours, and ours coach, had the Koni Adjustable SP1 generation (Your coach being bigger and heavier could have a different model number then our Allure. Ours was way undersized for the job, and Koni tried to tell then National CC that it was not up the job of controlling the IFS. Even on setting 5, our SP1 would not control the Allure's front end.). Our OEM Koni's were the same exact model I had installed on our F53 18K Chassis, to give you and idea of the target for that model Koni.
-Your newer Koni's should be SP3 (third generation). According to Koni, these are more robust.
If I were setting the SP3 generation Koni Adjustable on rear drive and tag axles, I'd set them at setting 3. Though I doubt you'd feel a difference between 1 to 3 or even 5, as I feel the air bag's handle most of the rear duties.
I did add the Motion Control Unites from Super Steer. Front and rear, and they did help the coaches handling. It 'sets' faster when going thru side to side road/weight shifts, like on S curves.
And, you may have seen earlier posts that I also went with Road Kings all around, but that was because I got a good price, and had the seller picking up the tab for a set of Koni Adjustable as part of our purchase agreement. The SP2 Adjustable were what was available then, and it is where Justin from Koni told me about the upcoming SP3. IMO, the Koni Adjustable SP3 on the rear and tag, on setting 3 , along with the Road Kings on the IFS front, and Motion Control Units rear and front - would be the way to go if I was doing this today without a good size credit helping subsidize the costs.
Good luck, and let us know what you end up with on the settings, and if you can sense/feel the difference.
Smitty

04 Allure 31017

(And Bob, a quick follow up on the Big Cat vs Big Cummins. I did not communicate well on that post and you responded. I do like and respect CAT. No question about that. And I was glad you set the record straight that getting CAT coverage was not a problem (I had based my comment from a few other boards where CAT owners had had CAT service places not too excited to work on their RV's. Must have been isolated cases.). I also did try to point out the false perception of CAT abandoning OTR, and feel that it did provide a bargaining ploy. May have not worked, but never hurts to try. Do not feel it means CAT coaches should be less then Cummins in general. But just as some people try to get a discount on orphan coaches, it is understandable to try and negotiate the lowest purchase price you can - and all is fair in this dance!
My apology to you, and other CAT owners if that post came across as a slam to CAT - sure was not intended...
Best again - Smitty)
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)
 

Re: What Setting For Rear Adjustable Koni Shocks

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 92356
Smitty I always enjoy talking to you as we have done in the past. Sorry about the CAT thing. I would suspect the CAT dealers reluctant to work on a diesel pusher has more to do with difficult access compared to an OTR truck. Many of my friends have Cummins powered rigs. I just got back from a week of sitting around the campfire with about 12 other close RV friends in our local club. Since you are in this area you might want to consider going to one of our rallys. But over the campfire it seemed to me that both Cummings and CAT people have about the same positive and negative things about dealers. My last experience with CAT of Bakersfield was very good so I say so. My closest RV friend has a Cummins. He has some real issues with Cummins of Cody WY in the past few months. Needed to be fixed by Cummins of El Cajon. But I still go back to my original statement that if you have a CAT or Cummins both very good motors. But some models of each makers are better than the other.

As far as handling thank you for your comments of rear shocks. My coach handles well. Just drove it 400 miles yesterday. I cannot detect any bouncing in the rear when driving. Of course the whole coach bounces a bit through rough roads and the mountains from Phoenix to San Diego. The only time I can tell the shocks in the rear are not doing what they are supposed to do is when I go over RV Park speed bumps. The old front Koni's are doing exactly what they are supposed to and the new rears way off the mark. The repair place you and I discussed in private put them in last Jan. So I am wondering if they adjusted them right or put in the right ones. I know they ordered the shocks so I cannot believe they would put in the wrong ones. I will be going to the CC factory again next year so if issue is not resolved I will have them look at them and adjust or replace as needed. I am old enough to have gone to high school auto shop so I actually know how shocks are supposed to operate. I guess that dates me.
Happy travels to you. We do have a blog for our little RV club and a FB page.
Bob & Barbara 2002 CC Affinity 42'.