Shock Absorbers

JohnEd · February 04, 2009, 08:18:57 PM

Lin,

How is this for a plan: Install Gabs on the front and look for that "extreme improvement. If not, put those shocks on the rear and put Konis on the front only. Keep adding shocks to the rear till you think it is OK. Applies if your front and rear shocks are the same.

Just a thought, now

John

Lin · February 04, 2009, 10:01:52 PM

John,

I have come to a similar plan. I think that I will go with Koni on the front and see about the back. If the front ones that I remove are okay, I can use them to replace any bad ones on the back. But if I do change the backs, they'll all be the same. So far Mohawk is the best source. They have Koni for about $148. That's $40. less than anywhere else I have checked so far. There are two options, but the one that Koni's tech says would be great for the front are 1 inch shorter in full extension than OEM. They are the same compressed. As the bus sits though, that would still allow 4-5 inches of extension. They recommend a different one for the rear. The OEM are the same back and front. By the way, MCI 5 -9 all use the same shock. The Koni recommendations are based on the valving and not merely the size. It does sound like they know what they are talking about. Also, Mohawk recommends the same one for the front.

Monroe has a non-adjustable gas shock that would fit. They're somewhere around $50 -$60 each. The Gabriel situation is confusing. Gabriel has a hydraulic shock, but say they do not have a gas one. Mohawk has a shock that they said is made by Arvin/Gabriel that they also say is gas. This would have to be clarified if I decided to use those for the rear.

Although the Koni are expensive, it seems to me that, if I get the improvement I am hoping for, i will be well worth the $200. Actually, it may turn out to be about one of the most cost effective upgrades one can do.

WEC4104 · February 05, 2009, 05:11:29 AM

I checked my records. I bought my Konis on line from www.shox.com I paid $130 each, but that was eight years ago.

VanTare · February 05, 2009, 06:45:46 AM

lin I do not know much about buses but if you have a independent suspenson on the front and not a axle they require a dual action shock found this out the hard way.

David

Lin · February 05, 2009, 07:08:21 AM

WEC,

When I checked with shox.com, they wanted about $190/each. I will be going away for a week or so and will buy them when I come back. Although I will continue to look, I have doubts that I will do better than Mohawk's $148.

JohnEd · February 05, 2009, 07:17:44 AM

Lin,

Excellent!!!!!

Did you get a chance to eyeball the steering components as I recommended?

Good to hear that you are now in the implementation mode.

John

Lin · February 05, 2009, 07:35:14 AM

John,

I have had the front end all checked and it seems to be fine. I also have played with adjusting the steering box a bit. I want to be clear that the bus steering is within a range that I consider acceptable. I just think it could be even better without installing integral power. You hear of people complaining of handling with power assist a lot, and others telling them that is just the way power assist is. I am not sure that that is absolutely true. It could be that a lot of other problems are just glossed over by blaming the power assist's natural limitations. I still could probably fine tune the steering box adjustment, but it is not unlikely that the box is worn and can not be perfectly balanced between bind and play, and you have to choose play over bind when it comes to down to it.

JohnEd · February 05, 2009, 08:03:01 AM

Lin,

You can access the wear by turning it to lock and adjusting for zero clearance. Then turn to center and see how much you have to screw it in till it touches. Don't forget to back it off.

John

Shock Absorbers

VanTare