Riding nose high

[ray fischer]

I ride a couple inches highr in front. Does the equailizer compensate for this on the axles? My Ram 4x4 sits high. I can't lower hitch because I don't have enough clearance on the rails as it is. I want to get the wet bolt shackles and a better equailizer put on anyway. Is there a way to raise the suspension as I'm doing this. Is a couple inches high OK? My 2005 Mountaineer came stock with 5200lb axles. My axle weight on the cat scales was 9100lbs loaded. I have Tacomas LT235-85R16. I never though to weigh each axle and I'm in storeage now. Any suggestions appreciated?

[jwedell]

By having the front of the rig higher than the back may put more weight on the back axle. I may be wrong but it is something to think about. Good luck.

[Art-n-Marge]

2 inches might not be enough to worry about but I agree with John that it just might put more weight on the rear axle or worse yet, the weight could be added to the pin. The suspension allows for some uneven travel and still maintain an even weight ratio but I don't know what the maximum difference would be.

You mention that the CAT scales read 9100lbs and if you divided that amongst four wheels it's only 2550 per axle, but you should weigh the front and rear axles of the rig separately just to be sure there is no significant difference and that the weight is also well within the axle's rating. If it's pretty even then you shouldn't have to worry about it. I would worry more that with the front axle being higher that it should put extra weight is on the pin which is carried on the rear axle of the TV.

I checked the website and the shipping weight is not listed for any model of that year. But there is a plate on the driver's side front of your rig that should show axle weight and gross weight to compare against. As long as you are well within those weights you are in good shape.

If you want to be more proactive and you mention you are getting some suspension work on the RV done, the easiest thing to do is modify the rig to gain the 2" you need either by adding spacers, replacing existing spacers or doing some bracket modifications. A good RV shop will know exactly what to do. If you are doing the work yourself, then you'll need to do some investigation on the best option for your particular suspension.

Don't forget to maintain at least 6" of gap between the truck bed rail and the overhang of the RV.

[kerry]

You can lower the Dodge rear end. Not sure what truck you have, but I lowered my 3500 by taking the 3 spacers between the springs and the axle, and moved them to the top of the springs. Kerry

[ray fischer]

Art, my dry weight is 10,250. I was 9100 0n the axles and 2600 on the pin fully loaded but empty tanks on cat scales. Tires are wearing even well on all 4 trl tires. Kerry, thanks for the tip on lowering truck. I had the extra leaf put in the pack to equal the Ram 3500 SRW suspension. That may have raised me too high. I'll go to the spring shop tomorrow and check on the spacers. Thanks, Ray

[Art-n-Marge]

So if your rig weighed 11,700, that's very good with your Dodge. I also have empty tanks (maybe 10 gallons fresh and some propane, but that's it) and my rig weighed about 10,500lbs with about 2,500 lbs at the pin (13,000 lb GTW).

Since then I have added a extra leaf, spacer and brackets to make my F-250 match an F-350, but it didn't add any height because of where the new hardware sits. My TV has a 2" spacer and I haven't even looked at the Rig to see what it has for spacers, but I will go by the scales. It's been a while since I re-weighed and I do need to update my actual weight numbers.

Another reason I haven't worried about the angle, is that I've read and have been told many times that if you can't get level, an upward angle is way better than a downward angle, because the downward angle definitely puts more stress on the RV front axle than an upward angle puts on the rear axles of the RV. If I think about this enough it kinda makes sense, which is why I haven't worried about it. I just don't know how much of an up-angle is okay until it affects the RV's rear axle.

There's always something to think about, eh? Let us know what you find, thanks.

[ray fischer]

Kerry, what effect did moving the spacers have on ride, etc, besides lowering the back mof truck? Are there any negatives to doing this? Thanks, Ray

[kerry]

No negatives at all. took mine to a spring and radiator shop where they have all the good tools, charged me an hour labor and I was on my way. Not hard to do, there's a link on one of the Dodge forums that has pics. If you want I can try and find it. In my case time is money in selling season. Kerry

[ray fischer]

I'm going to go to the spring shop tomorrow that added my extra leaf. I'll let you know what happens. Thank, Ray

[Carl n Susan]

quote:Originally posted by Art-n-Marge



You mention that the CAT scales read 9100lbs and if you divided that amongst four wheels it's only 2550 per axle, .....

Huh?? Last I looked there are two axles, so 9100 / 2 = 4550 Lbs. each (v. a capacity of 5200). If you meant to compute the weight (on average) of each wheel, then it would be 2275 Lbs. not 2550.

[kerry]

Ray, here's the scoop. http://www.klenger.net/dodge/lowerin...d/slide01.html Hope this helps, Kerry

[ray fischer]

Kerry, thanks, I'm glad I checked my email again before leaving for the spring shop. Heading there now, I printed the mods to take with me. I'll let you know. God Bless, Ray

[ray fischer]

The spring shop wants $165.00 to remove the spacers, so I'm waiting for a price from my dealer. He's trying to find the TSB. Thanks again, Ray

[Art-n-Marge]

Carl (n Susan),

Thanks for catching my BIG math and semantics mistake!!

Now it's even better at only 2275 versus 2550 per WHEEL, or 4550 per axle assuming that the load is the same on all wheels. But, it sounds like weight is a secondary topic since removing the spacers on their TV's is the solution in this case.

[ray fischer]

Dodge Serv Mgr checked with Dodge engineering. They do not recommend removal of spacers and can't find a TSB, so the dealer won't do the work. When I take it to RV dealer next week to replace trailer equalizer with dexter EZ plus wet bolt shackler I'll review issue with dealer. My tires are in excellent shape with even wear all around. I may be able to get by with less air in air bags. Since I added the extra leaf in the spring pack I don't sag as much, so I may be raising too high with air bags. The RV repair shop I'm going to has a perfect level cement pad for hitch setup.

[richfaa]

I can tell you that Mor Ryde considered the rig being level critical when installing the Mor Ryde IS suspension system. They measured high point to ground, back to front, distance to ground from the botttom of camper, etc with the camper on the truck. They took a lot of time with the rig out in the street securing these measurements then went over them with me so that I understood them and approved them. This rig rides........level.....

[kerry]

Ray, when I had mine done, the Dodge dealer here said no problem. He said with the spacers where they are, the truck would be level with a max load in the bed. Taking them out or moving them to the top would just lower the rear of the truck. $165 for an hour or less work sounds a little high. best of luck, Kerry

[ray fischer]

Problem solved. I put less air in the air bags, now I'm close to level. After I added the extra leaf to the spring pack, I continued using the same amount of air in the bags. It was no longer setup. Rv repair shop checked setup and gave me their blessing. Also they inspected my tires when putting on the wet bolt/equailizer kit and the wear was even and Tocomas still in good shape. Thanks, Ray

[HamRad]

Ray,
Thanks for posting your solution. Glad it worked out relatively easily for you.

Happy and Safe Travels,
Dennis