Bongo Fury

Only had the bongo a few weeks and really pleased with it so far, but I've noticed that when driving over certain speed bumps at anything more than walking pace, the rear end bottoms out (that's when unladen). Ride is good, handling also, it just seems to bottom out a bit easily from time to time.

I was wondering....
1. if that's nomal?
2. what the distace should be between the top of the axle and the bump-stop on a regular, healthy bongo.

Any advice appreciated

Phil

Don't know how healthy mine is but there's about 75cm between the axle and stops unladen. I'm fitting a set of airbags before the summer trip, not so much for speed bumps but it'll bottom out on switchback A roads at speed.

Hi ex25er
Quite OK...sounds normal...mine's a reasonable height, but load it up , and it bottoms. Like Dandy, I'm going to fit air assist, as I've got Grayston spring assisters now, but they do more harm than good in the long term.
If you could find a good firm, it is also feasible to have the springs re-tempered, but there are not many places doing this these days....it's a throw-away society.
Cheers
Helen

Cheers for the replies guys. I'm a bit worried now though, cos the gap on mine's nowhere near 75cm, more like 75mm!!

Might get some of those spring assistors though, before I cram it full of our camping gear and head off to France this summer.

Hi there,

I have exactly the same thing, rear is very soft and when laden easily bottoms out. Just come back tonight from Norfolk and had a mountain bike on the back, that on it's own caused it to bottom over some speed bumps and I was going slowly.

Spring assistors can be bought from towsure http://www.towsure.com/product/401-Spri ... _26mm-39mm

The air suspension is supposed to be tons better, there is a fact sheet on fitting on this forum and they can be bought from:

http://www.marcleleisure.co.uk/store/fi ... l?cPath=58

How many people are after these out of interest? Maybe we could see if they would do a group buy? I'm happy to ask and arrange.

My Coil-Rite Air Spring Assisters from Marcel Leisure have packed up after only 14 months in use. Took Bongo back to the local garage that fitted them who said that I must have over inflated them which is nonsense as they only had 181bs in them and the max is 351bs. Still trying to find out what went wrong before I contact Marcel Leisure about replacement on the 2 year or 24,000miles warranty. It is a long way down to Herfordshire from the Scottish Borders if they insist on inspecting them on the Bongo before agreeing to replace them.

It would be helpful if I could get member Allan Naysmith who lives in nearby Midlothian and wrote the club fact sheet on these assisters to have a look at them but do not know how to contact him. PM'd dandywarhol who said that he did not know Allan and was surprised to hear that he lived close to him. Anyone else had problems with their air spring assisters?

Interesting the observations made on the Bongo rear springs, i have a 95 tin top MPV 4x4 (standard wheels & springs) & use it for my band.
As you can imagine that would involve carrying some reasonably heavy kit & i do...

Now, i used to have a commercial before & on some occasions i had to put up with the "sit up & beg possibly over laded feeling with with it but (especially with other band members kit as well) i haven't with the bongo...

... not yet anyway.

ex25er wrote:Cheers for the replies guys. I'm a bit worried now though, cos the gap on mine's nowhere near 75cm, more like 75mm!!

Might get some of those spring assistors though, before I cram it full of our camping gear and head off to France this summer.

Me too, progessively increasing bottom out, now does it when lightly laden. Since the springs seem to ride at normal height, guess the shockers have given up. I will be carrying a few more heavy loads in the future, so this W/E I'll be fitting HD 4X4 shocks and air assist bladders. Why are suspension bits these days gaudy yellow/pink/blue, doesn't anyone love practical/subdued black anymore