THE BLUE BIRD BOUNCE

[Ms. Bee]

(02-18-2013 23:33)davidmbrady Wrote:  

(02-18-2013 22:06)Ms. Bee Wrote:  Well if it was a cup of coffee, it might not spill all the way across the country, but would it not get cold???

And if it were a glass of wine, would there be anything left to test his premise, after the first few miles?

It was most definitely a cup of water. Anything else would mess up my standing wave calculations! yuck, yuck, yuck!

Yes Ms. Bee, you got it, (proceed to the head of your class ). I'd add that Wanderlodge didn't seem to have any rhyme or reason for whatever sway bar they chose. I've seen 1.75" and 2.125" diameter bars scattered throughout the LX/LXi production. Removing either bar is a huge improvement. I'd say, and so do others who have done it, that getting rid of either bar relieves probably 60% or so of the bounce. You can gain another 10% improvement thru careful Koni shock adjustment (with Koni FSD's on the tag and drive), tire pressure settings, and tag axle air pressure setting. The last 30 percent is still up for grabs! Ditching the bar has been corroborated with Ridewell. Bill Mattocks, long time Ridewell engineer, ordains the change saying that the suspension wasn't shipped with an anti-sway bar and doesn't require one.

The other thing I think that is worth noting, while I'm being an all out brown noser, is that the earlier LXi s (99's and 2000) were much weightier than the later LXi's, such as yours, David, a 2003, especially on the steer axle.

I remember as a newbie speaking with you, David, for advice, when we were getting new Michelins tires put on, as to what our tire pressures should be. You told me to get the coach weighed, and how to weigh each axle separately, which we did, on a Cat Scale, and then use the Michelin chart for what tire pressure should be.

When I told you what I thought our tire pressure was supposed be according the chart, just to be able to check with you that my figures were correct, you were really surprised until I told you how much our coach weighed.

Our coach empty, new to us, no clothes or dishes or food or other stuff etc stored in it, just us and the dogs, topped 50k, and I think you told me yours weighed somewhere around or closer to 47K or 48K loaded?

I believe on the later models, BB made a concentrated effort to lighten the load, especially on the steer axle, as it was too heavy on the earlier LXi's, I'm pretty sure that there was a recall on the steer axle. On later models after beefing up the steer and they also then decreased the size of the fuel and holding tanks to help make the coach weigh less.

So Al, if he hasn't already, he should really have his coach weighed to check to see if his tire pressure is correct as you have suggested, since he has the same year as ours, one of the heavy, heavier models.