| Bill Wever's Springs [message #311272] |
Mon, 05 December 2016 13:38  |
Atom Ant
Messages: 170
Registered: October 2016
Location: Austin, TX
Karma: 0
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I came across a pic of Bill Wever's f 350 springs instead of airbags. this idea is intriguing to me, because KISS.
The link to how it was done no longer works. Anyone have ideas or input?
I know it's not stock. I'm okay with veering off the purist path if it's in the name of simplicity and one less thing to worry about.
1976 Palm Beach
Austin, TX
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| Re: Bill Wever's Springs [message #311279 is a reply to message #311272] |
Mon, 05 December 2016 15:10  |
lqqkatjon
Messages: 2324
Registered: October 2010
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Karma: 5
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my idea and input is either Run what you have, or if your air bags are rotted to the core, ask around for some good used bags and use air valves right on the bag. a good bag will hold the height, and drive just as well down the road. However I know that most campsites I go to, I use the up/down/side to side to get the coach level. There are plenty of times If the rear is high, it is so simple to drop the air in the bag to level the coach, rather then try to drive the front on blocks. usually gravel and grass campsites, can make climbing up on blocks of more then an inch or two a bit of a task. My onboard air system does work now, but for many years it did not, I just had a portable compressor I would hook up to the bags to inflate them, or if I did not have to drop them far, I would just hit the truck stop and air the bags back to travel height manually.
Lots of people are switching from OEM to an aftermarket airbag system such as sully and Alex F, so it seems like there are getting to be enough used bags with some life left in them to go around.
otherwise get a sully or Alex F air bag system and be done with it.
not sure about that link, I thought it was mostly on facebook. Good for him, but I would think that would be my last choice to put metal coil springs in place of the airbags, and if someone was shopping for a coach, and looked at a coach with truck springs, that would be a huge deterrent in purchase/sale value.
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
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| Re: Bill Wever's Springs [message #311282 is a reply to message #311279] |
Mon, 05 December 2016 15:30 |
tphipps
Messages: 3005
Registered: August 2004
Location: Spanish Fort, AL
Karma: 9
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Senior Member |
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I saw a coach with this arrangement in Vicksburg, MS. Very bouncy and never stopped reacting to walking inside the coach. No telling what it must be like on the road. I suspect that the rear suspension would start driving the front end, and you would have to constantly correct steering input. Maybe with the addition of sway bars, it may stiffen up.
GMC designed a good system with the air bags, no reason to re-invent the wheel.
Tom, MS II
2012 Phoenix Cruiser model 2552
KA4CSG
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| Re: Bill Wever's Springs [message #311286 is a reply to message #311272] |
Mon, 05 December 2016 17:22 |
Atom Ant
Messages: 170
Registered: October 2016
Location: Austin, TX
Karma: 0
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thanks for the input, guys.
my coach came with a set of extra bags,
http://https://www.amazon.com/Connect-Air-Springs-W01-358-6897-556238325/dp/B00W1WXJIA
otherwise, my system seems to work fine. there was a crack in the airpump hose, fixed easily enough by cutting out the offending part.
when we went on our ill fated trip, I started up the coach, got out to do something, and turned around to see the coach sitting on the tires.
came back to see it that way and panicked.
My two year old has an obsession with buttons. She had pushed the right toggle and dropped the system.
1976 Palm Beach
Austin, TX
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| Re: Bill Wever's Springs [message #311287 is a reply to message #311272] |
Mon, 05 December 2016 17:36 |
bwevers
Messages: 597
Registered: October 2010
Location: San Jose
Karma: 5
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I never intended to use springs as a permanent fix.
I didn't have $2000 to spend on new hardware.
If you have spare parts use them.
Bill Wevers GMC49ers, GMC Western States
1975 Glenbrook - Manny Powerdrive, OneTon
455 F Block, G heads
San Jose
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| Re: Bill Wever's Springs [message #311288 is a reply to message #311272] |
Mon, 05 December 2016 18:36 |
Atom Ant
Messages: 170
Registered: October 2016
Location: Austin, TX
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Thanks, Bill.
I was mostly curious as it was something I had not seen before. I appreciate the creativity in the solution.
1976 Palm Beach
Austin, TX
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