Day Runined & lucky escape - please read

[dubscum]

sick camber dude 8) ...... no wait :?

on a serious note, i'm so happy no one was hurt!

i always run (on long trips) with a full family loaded inside, i'm the most laid back person in the world, i go with the "it'll be ok" attitude to almost everything, for the first time ever, coming back for vivaskeg, it was pissing down wippers could not cope with it, vision was poor, there was alot of surface water. The a46 is a fast windey road with no run off and wagons flying around and the bus was aquaplanning a little in corners. My heavly pregnent wife and our little boy where both fast asleep in the back. I was very worried while drive for the first time :? i must be getting old, i was very pleased to pull on the drive!

i think i check and maintain my bus very well, but sometimes running a 40+ year old bus in this day and age is a battle (touch wood) that i have always won. But things like this are always an eye opener!

thank you for sharing this with us Just.
peace
Ash

 

[61 stu]

Jeez glad you're all safe, definate eye opener to double checking things.

 

[cunning plan]

Creation - any good buddy:

LOWERED BUMP STOPS

When you have cut off the bump stops to lower your ride. We offer our own replacement for that extra peace of mind. (Bay window beams only)
£47.50
http://www.red9design.co.uk/type2.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They also do:

We are now having these made! Precision Grub Screw complete with locknut.

This is a vital part holding the suspension together. The fit and quality of others available on the market is very poor. Click on the picture to see how bad they are!
£5.75

 

[cunning plan]

I wonder if using a tiny bit of lock-tight on that essential screw is a good idea? :|

 

[mattd1984]

I got the new bump stops but when i cut my old ones off i think i must have cut too much away as the bump stops just kind of wobble back and forth? any idea's what I can do?

 

[cunning plan]

I got the new bump stops but when i cut my old ones off i think i must have cut too much away as the bump stops just kind of wobble back and forth? any idea's what I can do?

Not sure? :?

Stick a weld on it or bolt? :|

 

[creationblue]

Creation - any good buddy:

LOWERED BUMP STOPS

When you have cut off the bump stops to lower your ride. We offer our own replacement for that extra peace of mind. (Bay window beams only)
£47.50
http://www.red9design.co.uk/type2.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They also do:

We are now having these made! Precision Grub Screw complete with locknut.

This is a vital part holding the suspension together. The fit and quality of others available on the market is very poor. Click on the picture to see how bad they are!
£5.75

Hi, thanks for all your input & concerns

On the subject of bumpstops i really dont feel they are needed, once the grubscrews are correctly :roll: fitted, then it really is unlikely that a grub screw will come loose or snap causing the trailing arm to come loose, even if one did then as my experiance shows the other trailing arm will hold everything together, and the chances of loosing 2 trailing arms on the same side must be pretty high ide say.

Just

 

[mattd1984]

Just

Im glad everyone was ok, and no damage to the van.

This weekend ill get some pictures up of mine, Im not sure if it is all pushed in far enough. It felt like the grub screws were located correctly, both at the centre of the beam and also each side but the cover bit didnt seam to go in as far as it originally was. When i greased the beam it started to come out of this gap?

 

[creationblue]

Just

Im glad everyone was ok, and no damage to the van.

This weekend ill get some pictures up of mine, Im not sure if it is all pushed in far enough. It felt like the grub screws were located correctly, both at the centre of the beam and also each side but the cover bit didnt seam to go in as far as it originally was. When i greased the beam it started to come out of this gap?

Hi Matt

The best way to check the grub screws are to peer down the hole of the bottom arm, you can see clearly that the groove is lined up ok. The tops are more difficult unless you use a mirror. But if the bottoms are located properly then you will feel the difference in the trailing arm to beam gap.

As for beam greasing, i didnt bother and im not sure its needed as the tie-bar is not carrying out the job of the torsion leaves, this is now done by the springs. If your unsure feel free to call me. PM me for my number.

Just

 

[mattd1984]

Just

Cheers dude, will have a look at the weekend and let you know.

 

[lhu128l]

not that i have a red 9 kit but these grub screw should not be done up so that they interfere with the rotation of the red 9 kit bar as there was that case were someone had the grub screw so tight that no movement was possible and it sheared the end of the red 9 bar ,again causing the arm to come out ......

 

[Hilly_70]

Glad to hear your all ok mate ..

Im running the Red9 kit ( although van is not on the road yet! )

and it will certainly inspire me to check mine, BUT it doesn't deter me from using this kit ..

If you think about it, the problem exibited was no different to having stock torsion leaves in.. if it wasn't seated right the exact same would have happened.

Im not sure about not overtightening the grub screws as the groove on the rod sits on a spinning collar to allow for movement independantly .. Mine are as tight as I could get them with the appropriate allen key .. And as the end sleeve moves on the bar, I ensured there was plenty of grease in there to help..

Hilly

 

[creationblue]

Glad to hear your all ok mate ..

Im running the Red9 kit ( although van is not on the road yet! )

and it will certainly inspire me to check mine, BUT it doesn't deter me from using this kit ..

If you think about it, the problem exibited was no different to having stock torsion leaves in.. if it wasn't seated right the exact same would have happened.

Im not sure about not overtightening the grub screws as the groove on the rod sits on a spinning collar to allow for movement independantly .. Mine are as tight as I could get them with the appropriate allen key .. And as the end sleeve moves on the bar, I ensured there was plenty of grease in there to help..

Hilly

Quite right Hilly, the ends do spin independanly of the Tie-bar and can be tightened sufficiantly.

And like I have stated before dont let my inabillity put anyone off of using such a conversion, just be aware that fitting it correctly is paramount.

Just

 

[lhu128l]

they must now be a different design to the picture below