JonMac46 Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I am convinced the shock absorbers on our van need to be replaced. However, after reading several comments from people who raved about the improvements from fitting "air bags," I have decided to fit them. The question is - should I replace the shocks as well or will the air bags alone suffice? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberrat Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Have the shocks been tested (NOT KwikFit!) and deemed servicable? if so fit airbags only (They make a huge difference and worth the £500 or so (Manual fill) If an inspection is in any way suspicious of the condition of the shocks, then change them. After tyres, shocks are the one thing that will kill you (or someone else) if things go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 JonMac46 - 2014-01-12 7:38 AM I am convinced the shock absorbers on our van need to be replaced. However, after reading several comments from people who raved about the improvements from fitting "air bags," I have decided to fit them. The question is - should I replace the shocks as well or will the air bags alone suffice? Thanks. If your motorhome's shock absorbers are knackered, they need to be replaced. That's the priority task. Air-assistance ('air-bags') augments a vehicle's rear springs. It stiffens the rear suspension, addressing handling unpleasantnesses (eg. excessive roll on corners) and/or weakened rear springs. Its effect is similar to that produced by fitting stronger rear springs, but air-assistance allows the 'stiffness' of the rear springing to be adjusted according to load and, say, to raise a motorhome's rear end temporarily to gain extra clearance when boarding/leaving a ferry. Your motorhome is quite compact but, because of its short wheebase, has a significant rear overhang. It's quite possible it would benefit from air-assistance. However, I suggest you fit new shock absorbers first and drive your motorhome for a while afterwards to assess the effect. The reason motorcaravanners choose to fit air-assistance is not to improve a motorhome's already adequate road behaviour, it's to address an inadequacy. If a motorhome's rear springing is so weak that the vehicle wallows about like a drunken hippopotamus, then fitting air-assistance may well make a near-miraculous difference. But, if a motorhome's road behaviour is OK to begin with and there are no indications that its rear springs are unduly soft (like a sagging derriere), adding air-bags may make little noticeable improvement. Fitting air-assistance won't turn your 1999 Dethleffs into a 2014 Ferrari and, as it already has twin-leaf rear springs, you might find stiffening the rear suspension further by adding air-bags will result in an unduly harsh ride-quality. If, after replacing the shock absorbers, you do decide to take the air-bag route, the Dunlop product gets good reviews. This advert shows the kit relevant to your motorhome http://www.marcleleisure.co.uk/store/dunlop-suspension-fiat-ducato-x230-1994-2002-p-1960.html and there's an Installation Manual document should you plan to DIY the job. http://www.marcleleisure.co.uk/store/pdf/dunlop/L.D94.C.M.en.DUN.pdf (Don't overlook the need to adjust the brake load-sensing valve.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 The air bags are more sophisticated springs they are not shock absorbers, so replace the shocks by all means but the van will probably still crash and bang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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