will gas shocks solve my problem

[bubble]

Hi there..
Just completed a 12 month resto on 1979 late bay. Added a fair bit of weight with interior etc. I decided to take her out for the day and soon realised there is a problem with the tyres rubbbing on the arches above when cornering at moderate speed and also when driving on uneven roads! I also drove it on some uneven grass and it swayed from side to side like a ship in choppy water. I presume thats called body roll?
The van is not lowered or narrowed but i have increased the tyre size to 195/75/14 slightly bigger than previous, but did'nt encounter this problem. I think its the weight as its sat a little lower.
Heres the question!
Will stiffer gas shocks sort the srcraping and swaying?
anti roll bar stop the swaying left to right?
Or should i put smaller tyres on? ( would rather avoid this option as i really like the white walls )
Thanks very much

 

[ZedBed]

Something funny going on if it's not lowered and the tyres are rubbing. My Westy continental, 17st wife, two 6'3" strappers,awning and everything stuffed to the gunnels never scraped - and that was lowered 2 1/2".

That tyre size should be fine. Do you have bump stops on the front axle? Do you have shock-absorbers at all? :lol: Maybe just your shocks have had it in which case any will be better. Commonly sold Gas-Adjust shocks are really about the same damping as standard oil filled shocks (I've experimented). Then there are, again commonly sold GR2 shocks which are as hard as nails.

You can remove a shock and test it by simply compressing it - it should be slow as the oil gets forced through a narrow gap. It's the cause of your excessive handling probs it'll be obvious.

 

[ozziedog]

Echo what Zed said :lol: Grab a hold of your bus and give it a rock from side to side by pulling down on the gutter above the cab doors, does it keep bouncing ? Try it both sides. And just have a look at the beam, does it have an adjuster in the middle ?? What do your shocks look like ? Does it have the bar connected across the bottom of the suspension ? is it still in one piece ?? And do you have different rims from standard, if so, what`s the ET ??

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,, Have a look at exactly what is hitting and where (look for marks) :mrgreen:

 

[bubble]

Thanks everyone for the quick response.. Ill try a few of these suggestions and see what develops... I may need to loose a few pounds! Ill post my results for reference...

 

[bubble]

Will the GR2 shocks which are as hard as nails spoil a comfortable ride? I dont fancy farmer Jiles !

 

[ZedBed]

Will the GR2 shocks which are as hard as nails spoil a comfortable ride? I dont fancy farmer Jiles !

Yes, but your handling will improve - there's always a trade off. As your bus isn't lowered, I would advise against them and suggest that standard shocks as designed for the bus is what you want IMO. They've been fine for 40 years...