Air Leak - Suspension system and Bilstein Shocks (more info please)

[mark grady]

Waldo --

Suspension leaks:

Start us out with what type of suspension you have:

A) Original knob style
B) Electro level I
C) Electro level II

Some leak finding techniques are the same, but you'll get a better answer if
you start your inquiry with the right system.

Drain for wet tank, (assuming by 'wet' you mean the air storage tank) same
thing: Can't answer much about the original, or EL II, but I'm a serious
student of the EL I.

Shocks:

I use Caspro shocks, they have a lifetime warranty. They are old (single
tube) design, but I don't drive in the Indy 500, (at least not every day) so
overheating them isn't a problem. They work great, they're really heavy duty
and well made. I'd have to look up what I paid, but the '99 Caspro catalog
prices them at $415 + 31.25 S&H. (800-877-1911) If you're all original, you
will probably also need new mounting bolts as one of them will likely twist
off when you try to take it out. That's a NAPA item.

When you change your shocks, thats a good time to think about when your rear
wheel bearings were services (or changed) and what shape your real brake
shoes, drums (and cylinders) are in. Ditto for your air bags themselves. Are
they cracked looking? Do they have plastic cones? If so that's where you'll
want to start solving any rear suspension leaks.

"Good unit":

They're all good units, especially when you compare them to SOB of the same
year. They just need maintenance. How, and how often you use your coach, how
safe you want to be and the depth of your pocketbook is really what
determines how good it is.

Mark Grady
'77 Kingsley
North Webster, IN
mgrady

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-gmcmotorhome
> [mailtowner-gmcmotorhome]On Behalf Of Waldo Love
> Sent: Saturday, November 14, 1998 12:48 PM
> To: gmcmotorhome
> Subject: GMC: Air Leak - Suspension system and Bilstein Shocks

{snip}

 

[chuck will]

Very interesting Rick. Now, How do we know if the shock mount is bent or
otherwise not in the original place. I have hit some pretty bad chuck holes on
American's "Dream" Highways. Jim (original owner) probably did not have this
problem as the highways in the late 70's and early 80's were so much better than
they are now. I don't know where all the tax money goes that we were ripped off
to pay on gas back when it all started in the 50's. They sure are not using it
for road repairs. Did anybody notice since we in California voted out the oil
rigs in the Santa Barbara Channel that our freeways and roads in general have
gotten worse. Anyway back to the original question: How do I know or what do I
do now to ensure the correct attachment points for my shocks.? I crawled beneath
the Eleganza yesterday and my KYB's look ok they are a little dirty and have signs
of rust at various intervals on them. Chuck, Lompoc.

> All,
> As we all know, a shock absorber's job is to damp the motion of the
> suspension and wheels. It does not carry any significant load, it only stops
> bouncing of wheels or of coach. In the days of buggy springs (multi-leaf
> springs) shocks (if any) had an easy job, as the internal friction between
> leaves damped the oscillations. Our GMCs, OTOH, have torsion bars in front,
> with minimal friction, and air-suspended leading/trailing arms on greased
> bronze bushings in the rear, with virtually NO friction. To top off, our
> shocks function as bump and/or rebound stops! So we need GOOD shocks.
> It seems we have 3 options for good shocks on our GMCs. Caspro makes (or
> has made) a very high quality reinforced conventional shock absorber, with an
> internal cylinder surrounded be a concentric reservoir, running at little/no
> pressure above ambient. These are (IMHO) a heavy-duty version of the original
> GM shocks. They MAY be the physically strongest (in terms of mountings, etc)
> of all, and I would consider them if choosing shocks.
> KYB makes the "affordable" mono-tube gas pressurized shock. I sold these
> for a number of years, (for foreign cars), with generally happy customers,
> although NOT without the occasional failure. I have a set on my '88 4-Runner,
> installed at ~105,000 mile, now have 153,000 miles. I don't slow down for
> bumps. They're shot. Though I commend KYB for making "gas shocks" affordable
> for the masses, I would hesitate to install them on my GMC. If I did, I would
> definitely save all receipts and warrantee forms!
> Finally, there is Bilstein, the perfector of the mono-tube gas-pressure
> shock. Their GMC shock is made specifically for the GMC. Their reputation is
> without par, and they work really well. I have a set on my GMC, and I'm glad
> I do. For further details and general sales pitch, see Cinnabar's "GMC
> Motorhome News", March 1998, pp. 1-2, 10.
> Though I'm still sorting out ride height, front end bushings, alignment,
> etc., the ride is great. The only caveat is that if your shock mounts are
> misaligned/bent (common in front), it may not be worth buying expensive shocks
> only to have their mounts chewed up by misalignment.
> M .02.
>
> Rick Staples,
> '75 Eleganza, Louisville, CO

 

[chuck will]

Thanks, looked at mine they seem ok, the rubber seems kind of worn out and
cracked. Is this replaceable or do you replace the entire shock? Is this
part of the KYB guarantee? cHUCK

>
> > How do we know if the shock mount is bent or
> > otherwise not in the original place.
>
> Chuck,
> The mounts should be parallel with one another and at 90 degrees to the
> shock. The mounting eye should be more or less centered on the mount.
> Otherwise the bushings get chewed up and/or the shock falls off/and or the
> mounting eye breaks off the shock, or so I hear.
>
> Rick Staples
> '75 Eleganza
> Louisville, CO