Rear suspension

[trs1]

I have recently (saturday) picked up my new Bongo with a rear kitchen conversion and been driving it to and from work inpreparation for its maiden camping voyage next week. Its really in stonking condition rust free and incredibly low warrented milage, so far no problems in its first 100 miles. Here's the but, when I am tralling round town and go over speed humps with the more aggressive angle it feels like the rear suspension is bouncing on to the stops. Its doesnt seem like the rear shocks are gone as the vehicle does the obligatory 1 1/2 bouces when you rock it so I was wondering if this is a 'Bongo' trait and i just need to drive more slowly?
Advice would be greatly appreciated!

[helen&tony]

Hi
Dependent on the year (earlier more prone), they do bang on the bump stops...I recommend, as do many others, Airlift airbags...available for both lowered and standard Bongos from Matt Savage http://www.mattsavage.com/acatalog/copy ... rings.html
Check with your insurers first, as some of them won't accept them...if they don't, I'd recommend a change of insurers!
Cheers
Helen

[trs1]

Once again Helen you have been incredibly helpful so thank you very much!

Cheers
Tristan!

[tcflinty]

Hi Tristan, I had the same problem when loaded up and what I did was to buy two Greyston spring assisters , £14 each off the net .
They are easy to fit .Remove reat wheels (obviously) clean the springs with wire brush , then rub them down with emery cloth to make them nice and smooth.
Take the rubber assisters and put them in a large pot on the stove and boil them till they are plyable (this helps get them around the spring) then put lots of fairy liquid over the spring and the Greyston then feed them while still hot into the spring , clean off surplus washing up liquid .
Job done
I am happy with mine and I do have a full convertion and carry loads of stuff under the bed..

I measured the height from my tow hitch to the ground before and after fitting and there was a difference and I get no knocking on the stops now.

Hope this is of some help to you .

Flinty

[helen&tony]

Hi
When I was in the UK, I couldn't get the air-bags easily, so I fitted a couple of the rubbery coil spring spacers....VERY MUCH against any advice I'd give, as they rather act to disable a portion of the spring, leaving the rest of the spring to take the load, which, of course, it's not designed to do, and it will MOST definitely lead to spring failure over time...it may be acceptable to fit them for a trip abroad and take them out, but there are countless cases of spring fracture caused by using spacers on coil springs. An airbag is the best fix without doing the job properly...namely having up-rated springs and shock-absorbers, but then you'd be a bit stiff with no load, whereas the airbag can inflate a bit more for extra load...You can add an on-board compressor and gauge to do this from the driver's seat, but most of us just use a tyre pump occasionally!
Cheers
Helen

[splitpin]

there are countless cases of spring fracture caused by using spacers on coil springs.

Had my spacers on for over 5 years, no broken springs here... yet.

[helen&tony]

Hi
The plain fact is that there are verified problems with spacers documented in motoring journals and caravanning books since the '70s...you were lucky...but the sheer logic suggests failure or damage if you disable a section of spring, and expect to let the rest of the spring take the load...my set stayed in for half a dozen years, and I fully expected to need another set of springs, and the suspension still bottomed with the monthly shop on board down some roads...an air bag doesn't. Monthly shop weighs around 500 pounds (large amount of drinking water) plus our weight...8 people and luggage in a Bongo weighs more or less the same...so the airbags definitely work!
Cheers
Helen

[tcflinty]

Hi , I am not saying air bags dont work , they are very good probably the best solution .Cost and time to a lot of people is the problem (£28 ) two hours work and I think as long as you treat your rear with repect and dont drive at traffic calming bump's like a idiot they will be fine.
Flinty

[splitpin]

Agreed flinty, for those who don't want to fit air bags or can't afford them spacers are a cheap alternative which work. I also had them on the rear of a few cars when I used to tow caravans with no problems, come to think about it the only broken springs I've had were on front suspension where spacers are not fitted.

[Jim the Box]

Just a thought you may not have standard springs, a simple check is also measure from the ground to your rear wheel arch, mine was fitted with lowering springs in Japan, I had to buy new springs as I could only drive along a couple of roads to get out of town due to speed bumps, not only did I have the same symptoms as yourself my engine cover made contact with some of them. When the new springs were fitted, measurement from the ground to the arches increased by 2" prior to inflation of my assistors. I also fitted the air assistors as the springs had been removed anyway, as Helen says you won't regret fitting them. I went out to check the height on my bongo to give you an idea what height you should be looking at but Iv'e fitted 18" wheels, so you may have to post a request for the normal arch to ground gap.

[Gixermark]

Got air bags on my side converted Bongo ....completely changed the ride for the better and would highly recommend to anyone! I run 19 psi near side & 29 off side ( to compensate for the extra weight re the conversion ) and all is good.....