| Author |
Message |
Dave Roy (216.227.178.127)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 8:38 am: | |
If there is a front sway bar on the front of my 4905 should there be one on the back ?
Dose this make for better handling?. |
John Jewett (Jayjay) (152.163.197.72)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 10:56 pm: | |
No. not with a solid rear axle. You could have one fabricated and installed, but with only minuscle gains. Swaybars are at their best on independently sprung axles,i.e. front ends or independent rear suspensions. They improve handling by limiting adverse roll caused patially by the polar moment of inertia difference between left/right steering tire angles, which is in turn caused (in part) by the castor/camber change in a full lock (and usually high-speed) turns. This is a rather simplistic explanation, especially since there are enough variables involved to fill a good sized book. Don't waste your money/time. Cheers...JJ |
Peter Broadribb (Madbrit) (216.67.199.107)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 11:15 pm: | |
My Apollo motorhome has sway-bars front and rear, along with leaf springs front and rear. The factory installed a weird set-up of two hydraulic cylinders near the rear shocks, linked by two hoses, this set-up was meant to assist in curtailing body roll. I spoke to a guy who dealt with Apollos all his life and he said, "Throw it as far as you can, as it was never any use from the day it was new!!". His suggestion, which I followed, was to install a GOOD set of shocks all round, such as Bilsteins. I found a tremendous improvement, especially at that moment when you enter a gas station over the gulley. I assume that a GOOD set of shocks on a bus will have similar results. |
RJ Long (24.130.101.25)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2001 - 2:46 am: | |
Gotta jump in here w/ M2CW:
The 4106 has been called by several people "the sports car of buses" because of its power/weight ratio and handling capabilities - especially during the era of it's commercial service.
The 4905 series also has sweet handling characteristics, and is a joy to drive in the mountains. They won't keep up with an '06 or an Eagle in the twisties, but will easily out-distance an MC-8 or 9. (BTDT)
Both the MCI models mentioned, and the GMCs, all have air suspension: 10 bellows on an MCI, 8 on the two-axle GMs. Yet the MCI's "corner on the rub rails", listing way over to port or starboard when cornering. It's frightening to watch one of them at freeway speeds heeling over into a turn!
What's the difference?
Sway bars. Or anti-roll bars, if you prefer.
The GMCs have them, the MCIs don't. My '06 has one on the rear, the 4905s have them front and rear.
JJ's right, sway bars are most effective on independent suspensions, especially in automotive applications.
But with an air suspension coach, when you load that deck up with 45 bodies eight feet off the ground, you raise the center of gravity, making the coach more "top-heavy" if you will.
GM reduced this increased tendency to roll or list when loaded by using the time-honored suspension tuning trick of adding sway bars.
MCI finally figured this out also, starting with the 96 and 102A3 models in the mid-80's, adding a sway bar to the rear axle. There is a marked difference in the mountain handling between a 7/8/9 and the later production models, and this sway bar plays a key role.
JJ's also correct in saying don't waste your money or time on adding one to your coach, unless, for some reason, the OEM bar is missing and you want to reinstall it.
On the 7/8/9 model MCIs, there is no mounting point for the rear bars - that was engineered into the chassis starting with the "A" models - making installation of a rear bar an expensive undertaking for minimal gain.
But we're not supposed to drive them like sports cars, are we?? 8^)
HTH,
RJ
rjlong@mediaone.net |
Mike Eades (Mike4905) (207.190.10.250)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 26, 2001 - 6:29 pm: | |
I am having my suspension rebuilt next week in Orlando. I have all new bushions installed on the sway bars front and rear. I am having new air bags in the front , the rears are new. I am having new king pins put in and all new air valves for leveling. I think it will help a lot. Iw as having a rock and roll ride. No more I hope. I have 4905 and with the ride fixed I will be a very happy bus nut. Mike 4905 |
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