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[GMCnet] Caspro rear sway bars [message #275712] Sun, 12 April 2015 19:53 Go to next message
glwgmc is currently offline  glwgmc   United States
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Registered: June 2004
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Senior Member
Anyone still running the humongous Caspro rear sway bars? Two bars, each about 1 1/4” in diameter, weigh around 50# each. If you are, check to make sure they are not influencing rear ride height side to side. When I put in the wireless air controller on the Clasco the side to side setting for level was 10 psi difference which I thought seemed high. I removed those sway bars and the side to side difference for level is now 3 psi. I did not investigate the exact reason why but I suspect one bar was stiffer than the other or the bent ends were no longer parallel or some such. Anyway, those bars made it more difficult to level the coach side to side anyway. As you raise one side, the other side came up as well. So, by, by rear sway bars.

Those bars were quite expensive in their day. They did make the coach drive more like a car with less of the single air bag mushing, especially since I added air bag risers to lower the operating pressure to provide more head room for the wireless air max limit of 100 psi. I have the same set up on the Royale other than it has the one ton front end and newer shocks. I don’t really notice the mushing after driving for a half hour or so.

The Clasco also has the large Caspro front sway bar which I will leave in place. It had the largest steering damper you ever saw, Caspro again. I did take that off as it came too close to the 3:21 final drive. Unfortunately, to originally install that monster steering damper they cut off the original steering damper mount so I am running without any steering damper. I suppose that could account for some of the mushing, but it has not been an issue to date.

BTW, the Clasco is proper ride height with 68 passenger side and 71 drivers side pressure in the bags. The Royale is proper ride height with 75 in each bag.

Jerry
Jerry & Sharon Work
Kerby, OR
glwork@mac.com
http://jerrywork.com

78 Royale
77/94 Clasco

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Jerry & Sharon Work
78 Royale
Kerby, OR
Re: [GMCnet] Caspro rear sway bars [message #275729 is a reply to message #275712] Sun, 12 April 2015 22:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bob de Kruyff   United States
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
Senior Member
glwgmc wrote on Sun, 12 April 2015 18:53
Anyone still running the humongous Caspro rear sway bars? Two bars, each about 1 1/4" in diameter, weigh around 50# each. If you are, check to make sure they are not influencing rear ride height side to side. When I put in the wireless air controller on the Clasco the side to side setting for level was 10 psi difference which I thought seemed high. I removed those sway bars and the side to side difference for level is now 3 psi. I did not investigate the exact reason why but I suspect one bar was stiffer than the other or the bent ends were no longer parallel or some such. Anyway, those bars made it more difficult to level the coach side to side anyway. As you raise one side, the other side came up as well. So, by, by rear sway bars.

Those bars were quite expensive in their day. They did make the coach drive more like a car with less of the single air bag mushing, especially since I added air bag risers to lower the operating pressure to provide more head room for the wireless air max limit of 100 psi. I have the same set up on the Royale other than it has the one ton front end and newer shocks. I don't really notice the mushing after driving for a half hour or so.

The Clasco also has the large Caspro front sway bar which I will leave in place. It had the largest steering damper you ever saw, Caspro again. I did take that off as it came too close to the 3:21 final drive. Unfortunately, to originally install that monster steering damper they cut off the original steering damper mount so I am running without any steering damper. I suppose that could account for some of the mushing, but it has not been an issue to date.

BTW, the Clasco is proper ride height with 68 passenger side and 71 drivers side pressure in the bags. The Royale is proper ride height with 75 in each bag.

Jerry
Jerry & Sharon Work
Kerby, OR
glwork@mac.com
http://jerrywork.com

78 Royale
77/94 Clasco

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By design, sway bars, roll bars or whatever you want to call them try to reduce roll of the coach when driving and can really help how the coach handles.. When boon docking, they will fight any attempt to level the coach when the ground is not level. That's why the GMC never came with rear roll bars even though it needs them from a dynamic standpoint. To make matters worse, the open loop wireless leveling system can't handle side to side forces that the roll bars impart. I would keep the roll bars and ditch the open loop wireless system.


Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
Re: [GMCnet] Caspro rear sway bars [message #275732 is a reply to message #275729] Sun, 12 April 2015 23:07 Go to previous messageGo to next message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Senior Member
Bob,

I got a Caspro rear roll bar from Jim Galbavy but have not gotten round to installing it mainly because of what you noted below
regarding leveling the coach.

I was trying to figger out how you could separate them into two individual bars when trying to level the rear end when stopped.

So far NADA!

Regards,
Rob M.

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob de Kruyff

By design, sway bars, roll bars or whatever you want to call them try to reduce roll of the coach when driving and can really help
how the coach handles.. When boon docking, they will fight any attempt to level the coach when the ground is not level. That's why
the GMC never came with rear roll bars even though it needs them from a dynamic standpoint. To make matters worse, the open loop
wireless leveling system can't handle side to side forces that the roll bars impart. I would keep the roll bars and ditch the open
loop wireless system.
--
Bob

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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
Re: [GMCnet] Caspro rear sway bars [message #275735 is a reply to message #275732] Sun, 12 April 2015 23:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
GMC.LES is currently offline  GMC.LES   United States
Messages: 505
Registered: April 2014
Karma: -2
Senior Member
IIRC,
This was discussed a while back when the production reaction arm system was re-designed to incorporate rear sway bars. Here is what I recall as a reasonable suggestion that was made.

Cut the bars in the middle, add a support sleeve that spans the joint. Weld that sleeve to one side, leaving the other bar to pivot inside the tubular sleeve. Attach two short levers, one to each half bar so that they are parallel and up against each other. Drill a precision hole through both. To lock the anti sway bars so they function as one, install a pin in the hole. For levelling, pull the pin.

A spring loaded pin (loaded to the engaged position) could be disengaged by a remote pull cable. This could easily be operated from a wheel well, or the driver's seat. Re-engaging the spring loaded pin would occur automatically just by driving over uneven ground or zigzagging to rock the coach slightly from side to side.

The lever length and pin size would need to be calculated to provide best results, but the implementation shouldn't be beyond the abilities of many of us.

Apparently JimK was cutting and sleeving swaybars for those who wanted to retain optimal levelling abilities.

Les Burt
Montreal
'75 Eleganza 26'
The EWIP (Eternal Work In Progress)


> On Apr 13, 2015, at 12:07 AM, Robert Mueller wrote:
>
> Bob,
>
> I got a Caspro rear roll bar from Jim Galbavy but have not gotten round to installing it mainly because of what you noted below
> regarding leveling the coach.
>
> I was trying to figger out how you could separate them into two individual bars when trying to level the rear end when stopped.
>
> So far NADA!
>
> Regards,
> Rob M.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob de Kruyff
>
> By design, sway bars, roll bars or whatever you want to call them try to reduce roll of the coach when driving and can really help
> how the coach handles.. When boon docking, they will fight any attempt to level the coach when the ground is not level. That's why
> the GMC never came with rear roll bars even though it needs them from a dynamic standpoint. To make matters worse, the open loop
> wireless leveling system can't handle side to side forces that the roll bars impart. I would keep the roll bars and ditch the open
> loop wireless system.
> --
> Bob
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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Re: [GMCnet] Caspro rear sway bars [message #275736 is a reply to message #275735] Sun, 12 April 2015 23:57 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Broham is currently offline  Broham   United States
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Registered: March 2013
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Karma: 0
Senior Member
they make quick release roll bar links for the 4x4 community. her is a like to get you started to find something that may work.
http://www.4wheelparts.com/Lift-Kits-Suspensions-Shocks/Sway-Bar-Link-Disconnect.aspx?t_c=1&t_s=101&t_pt=4309

i can't remember whitch one but one of the OEMs has a remote controlled disconnect

Todd


Todd Owner of a 1976 Eleganza II 26’ other toys: 93 Vette 84 Goldwing and gone but not forgotten 72 CB750 Chopper 96 Caprice Classic 34 Ford roadster 94 Fleetwood
Re: [GMCnet] Caspro rear sway bars [message #275776 is a reply to message #275736] Mon, 13 April 2015 11:01 Go to previous message
GMC.LES is currently offline  GMC.LES   United States
Messages: 505
Registered: April 2014
Karma: -2
Senior Member
Jeep Wrangler was one that had disconnects as an option.

Googling the subject produces a variety of options.

Here is a link to a remote operated system for a jeep.

http://m.quadratec.com/products/product.php?pid=52446+112+07

Les Burt
Montreal
'75 Eleganza 26'
The EWIP (Eternal Work In Progress)


> On Apr 13, 2015, at 12:57 AM, Todd Perkins wrote:
>
> they make quick release roll bar links for the 4x4 community. her is a like to get you started to find something that may work.
> http://www.4wheelparts.com/Lift-Kits-Suspensions-Shocks/Sway-Bar-Link-Disconnect.aspx?t_c=1&t_s=101&t_pt=4309
>
> i can't remember whitch one but one of the OEMs has a remote controlled disconnect
>
> Todd
> --
> Todd
>
> Owner of a 1976 Eleganza II 26’
> other toys:
> 93 Vette
> 84 Goldwing
>
> and gone but not forgotten
> 72 CB750 Chopper
> 96 Caprice Classic
> 34 Ford roadster
> 94 Fleetwood
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
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