Messages in Safarifriends group. Page 15 of 23.

Group: Safarifriends Message: 32251 From: Keith Bowers Date: 2/27/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32253 From: Jason Ellis Date: 2/27/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32254 From: Jason Ellis Date: 2/27/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32255 From: Mr. G. Date: 2/27/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32256 From: Duane Buck Date: 2/27/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32257 From: Gary Smith Date: 2/28/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32258 From: James Exler Date: 2/28/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32492 From: TD Date: 3/16/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32499 From: Dog Date: 3/16/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32503 From: TD Date: 3/16/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32520 From: Dog Date: 3/18/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32521 From: TD Date: 3/18/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32522 From: nanandpete@q.com Date: 3/18/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32562 From: Dog Date: 3/20/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32569 From: TD Date: 3/20/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32573 From: Dog Date: 3/21/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32579 From: Dog Date: 3/21/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32581 From: TD Date: 3/21/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32583 From: Dog Date: 3/21/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32826 From: nancie_usa Date: 4/24/2017
Subject: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32827 From: Gary Smith Date: 4/24/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32828 From: TD Date: 4/24/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32834 From: Rob Lunday Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32835 From: Ld_Lirones@yahoo.com Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32836 From: Nancie Price Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32837 From: TD Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32839 From: Bill Edwards Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32843 From: Bill Edwards Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32851 From: nanandpete@q.com Date: 4/26/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32871 From: Pete Judd Date: 4/27/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32872 From: Pete Judd Date: 4/27/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32877 From: TD Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Bilstein shocks, [was] Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32878 From: TD Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32882 From: Pete Judd Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32902 From: Bill Edwards Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32904 From: Danny Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32905 From: TD Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32906 From: Duane Buck Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32907 From: TD Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32908 From: Gerry Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32911 From: mel96safari Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32912 From: TD Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32913 From: TD Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32914 From: Dan Sample Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32918 From: Bill Edwards Date: 4/30/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32939 From: Danny Date: 5/1/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32948 From: Pete Judd Date: 5/2/2017
Subject: wandering
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32949 From: TD Date: 5/2/2017
Subject: Re: VelvetRide Alignment Specs. [was] wandering
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32950 From: Pete Judd Date: 5/2/2017
Subject: Re: VelvetRide Alignment Specs. [was] wandering
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32951 From: Dan Sample Date: 5/2/2017
Subject: Thanks for - Re: [Safarifriends] VelvetRide Alignment Specs. [was] w



Group: Safarifriends Message: 32251 From: Keith Bowers Date: 2/27/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
I successfully added almost 1000# to the front end of my 30' SAHARA using 1/2' steel plate. I made a paper pattern of the floor inside the coach--using only clear space. I then cut (had cut) sections of plate to fit under the carpet.  You cannot notice the additional thickness and the difference in handling is substantial.   If doing again I would use thicker plate if it was lower cost.  1" plate is sometimes available from demolition of old storage tanks. USED plate is what you want of course.

On Sun, Feb 26, 2017 at 10:05 PM, Jason Ellis jason@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

I'm hoping some of you safari owners out there can chime in.

I just had my 30ft 97 Sahara 3044 (eliptiride) weighed.  The good news is I have a lot of capacity left, the bad news is my front axle is way too light.  I'm at 5200 on the front with about 400 more on the driver's side. The gawr for the front is 8200.  I'm not going to invest in the time and expense to relocate the generator or house batteries.  Since I have 2800lbs or so before I hit the gvwr I figure bolting 1000lbs to the frame would improve the driveability quite a bit.  I've heard of people doing this to these coaches before, but I'm looking for more detail.  Anybody out there had weight bolted to the frame?  Where, what type of materials were used, what kind of shop can do the work etc.  Pics would be awesome.  

As it is the coach drives OK as long as it's a good road and not too windy.  Getting passed by semis on the interstate can be interesting...  The previous owner installed a steering stabilizer and Koni shocks, I bet this rig was a hand full before that!

I've adjusted the tire pressure to the load according to goodyear they were 5 lbs short of max up front. I haven't driven the coach since then, it may be good to go now, I'll find out this weekend.

Thanks!
Jason




--
We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.
 
-Winston Churchill-
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32253 From: Jason Ellis Date: 2/27/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
That's great, I was hoping to see someone with a bolt on ballast solution there.  Thanks Gary!



From: "Gary Smith trekker01@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2017 9:51 AM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Adding weight to front axle

 
Jason,
At the Florida on Safari rally you registered for in a couple weeks there will be two virtually identical 1998 30' Sahara's with the Velvet Ride.  One has added steel in the front.  Mine has not.  At this point I see no reason to do so, but I do have JimX's drawings with photos, just in case I change my mind.  Previous owner of my Sahara ran 100 psi in all tires for 18 years, and never had it weighed to determine proper pressure.  Mine has not yet been weighed, but I have lowered the pressure to 90, based on GAWR of the coach.  I suspect that is still high.  Hope to get 4-corner weights this summer and will adjust pressure accordingly.

See you in a couple weeks.

Gary
'98 Sahara 3006 300 CAT

On Mon, Feb 27, 2017 at 9:38 AM, James Exler jimxexler@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:
 

Jason,

The 30' coaches are special and handling is an issue. As you have found out, they are light in the front and particularly the right front.

As suggested, move weight to the right front in the compartments first and keep the fuel tank as full as practical.

In 99, the factory added 3 1"x30" steel plates to the front cross member to help with the weight balance. I built a front bumper reinforcement for my 98 instead. Check in 'Files' under my 98 Safari Sahara for "Safari Bumper". This would be a great time to include this and will add about 130# of weight forward.

Another critical item is tire pressure. Under Files I have an article on tire contact patch along with my spreadsheet to calculate tire pressures based on axle weight. On my 98, I ran 55# in the front tires and the handling was much better.

I had a leaf spring suspension; the velvet ride has some additional enhancements available to help with the ride.

I will be glad to discuss any of this with you.

Jim Exler, Nampa, ID



On 2/26/2017 9:05 PM, Jason Ellis jason@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
 
I'm hoping some of you safari owners out there can chime in.

I just had my 30ft 97 Sahara 3044 (eliptiride) weighed.  The good news is I have a lot of capacity left, the bad news is my front axle is way too light.  I'm at 5200 on the front with about 400 more on the driver's side. The gawr for the front is 8200.  I'm not going to invest in the time and expense to relocate the generator or house batteries.  Since I have 2800lbs or so before I hit the gvwr I figure bolting 1000lbs to the frame would improve the driveability quite a bit.  I've heard of people doing this to these coaches before, but I'm looking for more detail.  Anybody out there had weight bolted to the frame?  Where, what type of materials were used, what kind of shop can do the work etc.  Pics would be awesome.  

As it is the coach drives OK as long as it's a good road and not too windy.  Getting passed by semis on the interstate can be interesting...  The previous owner installed a steering stabilizer and Koni shocks, I bet this rig was a hand full before that!

I've adjusted the tire pressure to the load according to goodyear they were 5 lbs short of max up front. I haven't driven the coach since then, it may be good to go now, I'll find out this weekend.

Thanks!
Jason





--
Gary Smith


Group: Safarifriends Message: 32254 From: Jason Ellis Date: 2/27/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
Hi Jim, I've seen the design for your front bumper and that's quite impressive.  I'd consider doing it depending on the cost to have it done.  Welding is beyond my skill set unfortunately.  Know any good fabricators in the Tampa area?




From: "James Exler jimxexler@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2017 9:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Adding weight to front axle

 

Jason,

The 30' coaches are special and handling is an issue. As you have found out, they are light in the front and particularly the right front.

As suggested, move weight to the right front in the compartments first and keep the fuel tank as full as practical.

In 99, the factory added 3 1"x30" steel plates to the front cross member to help with the weight balance. I built a front bumper reinforcement for my 98 instead. Check in 'Files' under my 98 Safari Sahara for "Safari Bumper". This would be a great time to include this and will add about 130# of weight forward.

Another critical item is tire pressure. Under Files I have an article on tire contact patch along with my spreadsheet to calculate tire pressures based on axle weight. On my 98, I ran 55# in the front tires and the handling was much better.

I had a leaf spring suspension; the velvet ride has some additional enhancements available to help with the ride.

I will be glad to discuss any of this with you.

Jim Exler, Nampa, ID



On 2/26/2017 9:05 PM, Jason Ellis jason@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
 
I'm hoping some of you safari owners out there can chime in.

I just had my 30ft 97 Sahara 3044 (eliptiride) weighed.  The good news is I have a lot of capacity left, the bad news is my front axle is way too light.  I'm at 5200 on the front with about 400 more on the driver's side. The gawr for the front is 8200.  I'm not going to invest in the time and expense to relocate the generator or house batteries.  Since I have 2800lbs or so before I hit the gvwr I figure bolting 1000lbs to the frame would improve the driveability quite a bit.  I've heard of people doing this to these coaches before, but I'm looking for more detail.  Anybody out there had weight bolted to the frame?  Where, what type of materials were used, what kind of shop can do the work etc.  Pics would be awesome.  

As it is the coach drives OK as long as it's a good road and not too windy.  Getting passed by semis on the interstate can be interesting...  The previous owner installed a steering stabilizer and Koni shocks, I bet this rig was a hand full before that!

I've adjusted the tire pressure to the load according to goodyear they were 5 lbs short of max up front. I haven't driven the coach since then, it may be good to go now, I'll find out this weekend.

Thanks!
Jason




Group: Safarifriends Message: 32255 From: Mr. G. Date: 2/27/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle

Check out what the moderator did to his front bumper with the addition of a large storage box. The photo of my coach is on the main page of our groups page. This has two purposes, first, to protect the front cap from possible damage, and the second was to add weight, via carrying all my tools, and miscellaneous heavy items up front. I've criss crossed this great Country a dozen times and never had an issue. It works great on my 1998, 30' Sahara.

RG




From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> on behalf of Jason Ellis jason@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2017 11:05 PM
To: Safarifriends
Subject: [Safarifriends] Adding weight to front axle
 


I'm hoping some of you safari owners out there can chime in.

I just had my 30ft 97 Sahara 3044 (eliptiride) weighed.  The good news is I have a lot of capacity left, the bad news is my front axle is way too light.  I'm at 5200 on the front with about 400 more on the driver's side. The gawr for the front is 8200.  I'm not going to invest in the time and expense to relocate the generator or house batteries.  Since I have 2800lbs or so before I hit the gvwr I figure bolting 1000lbs to the frame would improve the driveability quite a bit.  I've heard of people doing this to these coaches before, but I'm looking for more detail.  Anybody out there had weight bolted to the frame?  Where, what type of materials were used, what kind of shop can do the work etc.  Pics would be awesome.  

As it is the coach drives OK as long as it's a good road and not too windy.  Getting passed by semis on the interstate can be interesting...  The previous owner installed a steering stabilizer and Koni shocks, I bet this rig was a hand full before that!

I've adjusted the tire pressure to the load according to goodyear they were 5 lbs short of max up front. I haven't driven the coach since then, it may be good to go now, I'll find out this weekend.

Thanks!
Jason



Group: Safarifriends Message: 32256 From: Duane Buck Date: 2/27/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
Jim,
You reference the spreadsheet for calculating tire pressure - unless I just keep looking for the wrong thing, I haven't been able to find one in the files section.  I'm really interested in it since you and several others have done a LOT of the figuring and researching the tire issues on our rigs, and I would love to have the additional information.

Duane
96 Sahara 30', Cat 3126, Allison 6spd


From: "James Exler jimxexler@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2017 6:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Adding weight to front axle

 

Jason,

The 30' coaches are special and handling is an issue. As you have found out, they are light in the front and particularly the right front.

As suggested, move weight to the right front in the compartments first and keep the fuel tank as full as practical.

In 99, the factory added 3 1"x30" steel plates to the front cross member to help with the weight balance. I built a front bumper reinforcement for my 98 instead. Check in 'Files' under my 98 Safari Sahara for "Safari Bumper". This would be a great time to include this and will add about 130# of weight forward.

Another critical item is tire pressure. Under Files I have an article on tire contact patch along with my spreadsheet to calculate tire pressures based on axle weight. On my 98, I ran 55# in the front tires and the handling was much better.

I had a leaf spring suspension; the velvet ride has some additional enhancements available to help with the ride.

I will be glad to discuss any of this with you.

Jim Exler, Nampa, ID



On 2/26/2017 9:05 PM, Jason Ellis jason@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
 
I'm hoping some of you safari owners out there can chime in.

I just had my 30ft 97 Sahara 3044 (eliptiride) weighed.  The good news is I have a lot of capacity left, the bad news is my front axle is way too light.  I'm at 5200 on the front with about 400 more on the driver's side. The gawr for the front is 8200.  I'm not going to invest in the time and expense to relocate the generator or house batteries.  Since I have 2800lbs or so before I hit the gvwr I figure bolting 1000lbs to the frame would improve the driveability quite a bit.  I've heard of people doing this to these coaches before, but I'm looking for more detail.  Anybody out there had weight bolted to the frame?  Where, what type of materials were used, what kind of shop can do the work etc.  Pics would be awesome.  

As it is the coach drives OK as long as it's a good road and not too windy.  Getting passed by semis on the interstate can be interesting...  The previous owner installed a steering stabilizer and Koni shocks, I bet this rig was a hand full before that!

I've adjusted the tire pressure to the load according to goodyear they were 5 lbs short of max up front. I haven't driven the coach since then, it may be good to go now, I'll find out this weekend.

Thanks!
Jason




Group: Safarifriends Message: 32257 From: Gary Smith Date: 2/28/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle
Duane,
Have not seen Jim's file, but once you have your 4-corner weights and you know which end of each axle is the heaviest, there is what is commonly called "load/inflation table" published by most tire companies.  By finding your tire size, and scrolling across the table to the first block with a higher weight capability than your heaviest side, there will be a pressure shown.  There will be two different numbers, one for a single tire (your front axle), and the other for your duals (rear axle).  Take the pressure for the appropriate weight, for the appropriate tire placement, and inflate every tire on that axle to that pressure.  Some of the tables are footnoted to add 5 to 10 psi to that number for safety and high speed.  Please recognize the tires are only speed rated for 75 mph, maximum. 

Of course, your 4 corner weights should be taken with full fuel, full propane, full fresh water, and empty black & grey tanks, plus loaded as you would travel, including occupants in their seats. 

On Mon, Feb 27, 2017 at 11:14 PM, Duane Buck dewey2501@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

Jim,
You reference the spreadsheet for calculating tire pressure - unless I just keep looking for the wrong thing, I haven't been able to find one in the files section.  I'm really interested in it since you and several others have done a LOT of the figuring and researching the tire issues on our rigs, and I would love to have the additional information.

Duane
96 Sahara 30', Cat 3126, Allison 6spd


From: "James Exler jimxexler@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com " <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2017 6:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Adding weight to front axle

 

Jason,

The 30' coaches are special and handling is an issue. As you have found out, they are light in the front and particularly the right front.

As suggested, move weight to the right front in the compartments first and keep the fuel tank as full as practical.

In 99, the factory added 3 1"x30" steel plates to the front cross member to help with the weight balance. I built a front bumper reinforcement for my 98 instead. Check in 'Files' under my 98 Safari Sahara for "Safari Bumper". This would be a great time to include this and will add about 130# of weight forward.

Another critical item is tire pressure. Under Files I have an article on tire contact patch along with my spreadsheet to calculate tire pressures based on axle weight. On my 98, I ran 55# in the front tires and the handling was much better.

I had a leaf spring suspension; the velvet ride has some additional enhancements available to help with the ride.

I will be glad to discuss any of this with you.

Jim Exler, Nampa, ID



On 2/26/2017 9:05 PM, Jason Ellis jason@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
 
I'm hoping some of you safari owners out there can chime in.

I just had my 30ft 97 Sahara 3044 (eliptiride) weighed.  The good news is I have a lot of capacity left, the bad news is my front axle is way too light.  I'm at 5200 on the front with about 400 more on the driver's side. The gawr for the front is 8200.  I'm not going to invest in the time and expense to relocate the generator or house batteries.  Since I have 2800lbs or so before I hit the gvwr I figure bolting 1000lbs to the frame would improve the driveability quite a bit.  I've heard of people doing this to these coaches before, but I'm looking for more detail.  Anybody out there had weight bolted to the frame?  Where, what type of materials were used, what kind of shop can do the work etc.  Pics would be awesome.  

As it is the coach drives OK as long as it's a good road and not too windy.  Getting passed by semis on the interstate can be interesting...  The previous owner installed a steering stabilizer and Koni shocks, I bet this rig was a hand full before that!

I've adjusted the tire pressure to the load according to goodyear they were 5 lbs short of max up front. I haven't driven the coach since then, it may be good to go now, I'll find out this weekend.

Thanks!
Jason







--
Gary Smith
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32258 From: James Exler Date: 2/28/2017
Subject: Re: Adding weight to front axle

Duane and all,

The spreadsheet was put on the site on April 22/2015 but appears to have been removed. Go to my Safari Site { jexler.s3.amazonaws.com/safari/safari.html } and click on "Tire pressure" for a page with explanations and the relative files.

Sorry for the confusion.

Jim Exler, Nampa, ID


On 2/27/2017 9:14 PM, Duane Buck dewey2501@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
 
Jim,
You reference the spreadsheet for calculating tire pressure - unless I just keep looking for the wrong thing, I haven't been able to find one in the files section.  I'm really interested in it since you and several others have done a LOT of the figuring and researching the tire issues on our rigs, and I would love to have the additional information.

Duane
96 Sahara 30', Cat 3126, Allison 6spd


From: "James Exler jimxexler@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2017 6:38 AM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Adding weight to front axle

 

Jason,

The 30' coaches are special and handling is an issue. As you have found out, they are light in the front and particularly the right front.

As suggested, move weight to the right front in the compartments first and keep the fuel tank as full as practical.

In 99, the factory added 3 1"x30" steel plates to the front cross member to help with the weight balance. I built a front bumper reinforcement for my 98 instead. Check in 'Files' under my 98 Safari Sahara for "Safari Bumper". This would be a great time to include this and will add about 130# of weight forward.

Another critical item is tire pressure. Under Files I have an article on tire contact patch along with my spreadsheet to calculate tire pressures based on axle weight. On my 98, I ran 55# in the front tires and the handling was much better.

I had a leaf spring suspension; the velvet ride has some additional enhancements available to help with the ride.

I will be glad to discuss any of this with you.

Jim Exler, Nampa, ID



On 2/26/2017 9:05 PM, Jason Ellis jason@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
 
I'm hoping some of you safari owners out there can chime in.

I just had my 30ft 97 Sahara 3044 (eliptiride) weighed.  The good news is I have a lot of capacity left, the bad news is my front axle is way too light.  I'm at 5200 on the front with about 400 more on the driver's side. The gawr for the front is 8200.  I'm not going to invest in the time and expense to relocate the generator or house batteries.  Since I have 2800lbs or so before I hit the gvwr I figure bolting 1000lbs to the frame would improve the driveability quite a bit.  I've heard of people doing this to these coaches before, but I'm looking for more detail.  Anybody out there had weight bolted to the frame?  Where, what type of materials were used, what kind of shop can do the work etc.  Pics would be awesome.  

As it is the coach drives OK as long as it's a good road and not too windy.  Getting passed by semis on the interstate can be interesting...  The previous owner installed a steering stabilizer and Koni shocks, I bet this rig was a hand full before that!

I've adjusted the tire pressure to the load according to goodyear they were 5 lbs short of max up front. I haven't driven the coach since then, it may be good to go now, I'll find out this weekend.

Thanks!
Jason





Group: Safarifriends Message: 32492 From: TD Date: 3/16/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.
Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave


Group: Safarifriends Message: 32499 From: Dog Date: 3/16/2017
Subject: Re: Safari

John

 

Thanks

I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.

There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i-2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.

Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:



John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave

 

Group: Safarifriends Message: 32503 From: TD Date: 3/16/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.


On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John

 

Thanks

I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.

There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.

Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:



John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave

 




Group: Safarifriends Message: 32520 From: Dog Date: 3/18/2017
Subject: Re: Safari

John

  I will check on which s

Koni’s I ordered and let you know. Yes I’m 24” at all 4 corners. Do you think I need to remove tires to remove the shims?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???

I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.

Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

 

On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

John

 

Thanks

I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.

There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i-2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.

Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:



John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave

 

 

 

Group: Safarifriends Message: 32521 From: TD Date: 3/18/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Dave,

I have never done a height adjustment, but I would assume that you would need to take the tires off.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Sat, Mar 18, 2017 at 12:31 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John

  I will check on which s

Koni’s I ordered and let you know. Yes I’m 24” at all 4 corners. Do you think I need to remove tires to remove the shims?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???

I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.

Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

 

On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:

 

John

 

Thanks

I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.

There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.

Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:



John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave

 

 

 




Group: Safarifriends Message: 32522 From: nanandpete@q.com Date: 3/18/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
I just did a height adjustment on my '99 sahara (torsion bar suspension). I consider myself a pretty good mechanic and it was a real pain. You have to use both the coach jacks and a separate jack to separate the parts.. If any of the bolts are frozen, (I had several), You have to cut them off with an air tool. If lucky, don't have to remove wheels. The bolts require an extra deep socket. Only have to loosen the bolts 1/4" or so, just enough to tap the shims out. They push out toward the center of the coach. Good luck. Pete '99 sahara, 3126B Cat.


From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2017 10:53:45 AM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

Dave,

I have never done a height adjustment, but I would assume that you would need to take the tires off.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Sat, Mar 18, 2017 at 12:31 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John

  I will check on which s

Koni’s I ordered and let you know. Yes I’m 24” at all 4 corners. Do you think I need to remove tires to remove the shims?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???

I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.

Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

 

On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

John

 

Thanks

I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.

There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i-2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.

Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:



John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave

 

 

 




Group: Safarifriends Message: 32562 From: Dog Date: 3/20/2017
Subject: Re: Safari

John

 

I did order the 88-1490 SP2 I just call Koni and they said the 88-1641 SP3 where 1 ½ inches shorter and where on recommended  for my 2002 safari Zanzabar

 

What are your thoughts

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???

I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.

Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

 

On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

John

 

Thanks

I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.

There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i-2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.

Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:



John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave

 

 

 

Group: Safarifriends Message: 32569 From: TD Date: 3/20/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Dave,

They lied to you, as the 1490s have a stroke of 7.8 inches and the 1641s have a stroke of 7.2 inches.

This will not be an issue, as many Safari owners, including myself, are using the 1641s on our coaches. This sock was extensively researched and real life roadtested by the late Ralph Andrews (RIP). Ralph was an engineer who founded and owned Pioneer Metal Works, and was key in engineering various products to improve handling and ride quality for our Safari coaches. Way back before Ralph discovered the 1641 shocks, he actually designed a quad shock adapter for the 1490s because they were so inadequate. I can't drive the point hard enough that you will not be happy with the 1490s, you need to return them, even if it costs you extra shipping. Three hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on shocks that won't do the job, so please do yourself a favor and order the 88-1641 shocks.
Since the extended length on the 1641s are a bit shorter, if you find that on rare occasions that the top out on extension, you can always opt to remove the top shock mounts and flipping them upside down. Note: you will need to mount them on opposite sides for this to work, as in the right mount gets flipped and put on the left side, and vice versa for the left to the right. This drops the mount about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, which will be just about exact for the 1641s shorter extended length.
The roads I travel in the new england area are pretty brutal, with terrible bridge transitions, I have had only one very extreme occasion were I felt the shocks top out lightly when the coach got bounced up real hard.
I don't know if you are aware, but these shocks are adjustable, they come set from the factory with the least dampening set. If you travel rough roads often, I suggest you set them to the maximum dampening right from the get go.

A suggestion for returning, who ever you bought them from, just ask to return them only saying that they are the wrong ones, if they ask or claim that this is the right application, bs them and tell them that you coach had a special modification, requiring the 1641 shock, and that you just found out about it. Do what ever it takes to return them and get your money back and/or exchange for the ones you need.

If you have more questions, you can send me a PM.

Good luck.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 10:04 AM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John

 

I did order the 88-1490 SP2 I just call Koni and they said the 88-1641 SP3 where 1 ½ inches shorter and where on recommended  for my 2002 safari Zanzabar

 

What are your thoughts

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???

I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.

Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

 

On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:

 

John

 

Thanks

I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.

There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.

Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:



John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave

 

 

 




Group: Safarifriends Message: 32573 From: Dog Date: 3/21/2017
Subject: Re: Safari

John

 

  I’m taking you advice sending them back today and getting the right ones.

   Thanks again for all you advice

Dave

2002 safari Zanaibar

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 2:31 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

They lied to you, as the 1490s have a stroke of 7.8 inches and the 1641s have a stroke of 7.2 inches.

This will not be an issue, as many Safari owners, including myself, are using the 1641s on our coaches. This sock was extensively researched and real life roadtested by the late Ralph Andrews (RIP). Ralph was an engineer who founded and owned Pioneer Metal Works, and was key in engineering various products to improve handling and ride quality for our Safari coaches. Way back before Ralph discovered the 1641 shocks, he actually designed a quad shock adapter for the 1490s because they were so inadequate. I can't drive the point hard enough that you will not be happy with the 1490s, you need to return them, even if it costs you extra shipping. Three hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on shocks that won't do the job, so please do yourself a favor and order the 88-1641 shocks.

Since the extended length on the 1641s are a bit shorter, if you find that on rare occasions that the top out on extension, you can always opt to remove the top shock mounts and flipping them upside down. Note: you will need to mount them on opposite sides for this to work, as in the right mount gets flipped and put on the left side, and vice versa for the left to the right. This drops the mount about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, which will be just about exact for the 1641s shorter extended length.

The roads I travel in the new england area are pretty brutal, with terrible bridge transitions, I have had only one very extreme occasion were I felt the shocks top out lightly when the coach got bounced up real hard.

I don't know if you are aware, but these shocks are adjustable, they come set from the factory with the least dampening set. If you travel rough roads often, I suggest you set them to the maximum dampening right from the get go.

A suggestion for returning, who ever you bought them from, just ask to return them only saying that they are the wrong ones, if they ask or claim that this is the right application, bs them and tell them that you coach had a special modification, requiring the 1641 shock, and that you just found out about it. Do what ever it takes to return them and get your money back and/or exchange for the ones you need.

If you have more questions, you can send me a PM.

Good luck.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 10:04 AM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

John

 

I did order the 88-1490 SP2 I just call Koni and they said the 88-1641 SP3 where 1 ½ inches shorter and where on recommended  for my 2002 safari Zanzabar

 

What are your thoughts

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???

I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.

Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

 

On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

John

 

Thanks

I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.

There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i-2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.

Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:



John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

Group: Safarifriends Message: 32579 From: Dog Date: 3/21/2017
Subject: Re: Safari

John

Another question on the 1641’s do I adjust them all the way to firm

 

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 2:31 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

They lied to you, as the 1490s have a stroke of 7.8 inches and the 1641s have a stroke of 7.2 inches.

This will not be an issue, as many Safari owners, including myself, are using the 1641s on our coaches. This sock was extensively researched and real life roadtested by the late Ralph Andrews (RIP). Ralph was an engineer who founded and owned Pioneer Metal Works, and was key in engineering various products to improve handling and ride quality for our Safari coaches. Way back before Ralph discovered the 1641 shocks, he actually designed a quad shock adapter for the 1490s because they were so inadequate. I can't drive the point hard enough that you will not be happy with the 1490s, you need to return them, even if it costs you extra shipping. Three hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on shocks that won't do the job, so please do yourself a favor and order the 88-1641 shocks.

Since the extended length on the 1641s are a bit shorter, if you find that on rare occasions that the top out on extension, you can always opt to remove the top shock mounts and flipping them upside down. Note: you will need to mount them on opposite sides for this to work, as in the right mount gets flipped and put on the left side, and vice versa for the left to the right. This drops the mount about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, which will be just about exact for the 1641s shorter extended length.

The roads I travel in the new england area are pretty brutal, with terrible bridge transitions, I have had only one very extreme occasion were I felt the shocks top out lightly when the coach got bounced up real hard.

I don't know if you are aware, but these shocks are adjustable, they come set from the factory with the least dampening set. If you travel rough roads often, I suggest you set them to the maximum dampening right from the get go.

A suggestion for returning, who ever you bought them from, just ask to return them only saying that they are the wrong ones, if they ask or claim that this is the right application, bs them and tell them that you coach had a special modification, requiring the 1641 shock, and that you just found out about it. Do what ever it takes to return them and get your money back and/or exchange for the ones you need.

If you have more questions, you can send me a PM.

Good luck.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 10:04 AM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

John

 

I did order the 88-1490 SP2 I just call Koni and they said the 88-1641 SP3 where 1 ½ inches shorter and where on recommended  for my 2002 safari Zanzabar

 

What are your thoughts

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???

I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.

Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

 

On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

John

 

Thanks

I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.

There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i-2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.

Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:



John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

Group: Safarifriends Message: 32581 From: TD Date: 3/21/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Dave,

It all depends on how harsh the roads are that you drive on. If the roads are crappy, with a lot of heaves, and poor bridge transitions, like I have in my neck of the woods, than I would suggest to set them to the max. I'm the type that does not like bounce and sway, and with our roads, I'm tempted to still try the quad shocks even with the good 1641s. Ultimately, it is your own preference, and what road conditions you will encounter. If you are capable, you can always adjust them your self. All you need is a large wrench or socket to undo the bottom shock mount if you need to adjust them.
Try to get the rear shocks replaced too, because the rear bounce will stand out more, once you stop the front from bouncing. It is kind of funny, when the rear bounces a lot, and your towing a toad, it looks like your toad is bouncing along. In any case, you will notice a big difference once you get the Konis in.
BTW, although they call them Koni reds, the don't always come in the color red. My rear shocks came in black. I called Koni, to make sure I got the right ones, and they gave a cheesy answer, that sometimes the come in in black, with out further explanation (they must have ran out of paint, Lol.).

What brand or color shocks do you have in there now?

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Tue, Mar 21, 2017 at 1:48 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John

Another question on the 1641’s do I adjust them all the way to firm

 

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 2:31 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

They lied to you, as the 1490s have a stroke of 7.8 inches and the 1641s have a stroke of 7.2 inches.

This will not be an issue, as many Safari owners, including myself, are using the 1641s on our coaches. This sock was extensively researched and real life roadtested by the late Ralph Andrews (RIP). Ralph was an engineer who founded and owned Pioneer Metal Works, and was key in engineering various products to improve handling and ride quality for our Safari coaches. Way back before Ralph discovered the 1641 shocks, he actually designed a quad shock adapter for the 1490s because they were so inadequate. I can't drive the point hard enough that you will not be happy with the 1490s, you need to return them, even if it costs you extra shipping. Three hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on shocks that won't do the job, so please do yourself a favor and order the 88-1641 shocks.

Since the extended length on the 1641s are a bit shorter, if you find that on rare occasions that the top out on extension, you can always opt to remove the top shock mounts and flipping them upside down. Note: you will need to mount them on opposite sides for this to work, as in the right mount gets flipped and put on the left side, and vice versa for the left to the right. This drops the mount about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, which will be just about exact for the 1641s shorter extended length.

The roads I travel in the new england area are pretty brutal, with terrible bridge transitions, I have had only one very extreme occasion were I felt the shocks top out lightly when the coach got bounced up real hard.

I don't know if you are aware, but these shocks are adjustable, they come set from the factory with the least dampening set. If you travel rough roads often, I suggest you set them to the maximum dampening right from the get go.

A suggestion for returning, who ever you bought them from, just ask to return them only saying that they are the wrong ones, if they ask or claim that this is the right application, bs them and tell them that you coach had a special modification, requiring the 1641 shock, and that you just found out about it. Do what ever it takes to return them and get your money back and/or exchange for the ones you need.

If you have more questions, you can send me a PM.

Good luck.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 10:04 AM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:

 

John

 

I did order the 88-1490 SP2 I just call Koni and they said the 88-1641 SP3 where 1 ½ inches shorter and where on recommended  for my 2002 safari Zanzabar

 

What are your thoughts

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???

I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.

Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

 

On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:

 

John

 

Thanks

I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.

There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.

Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:



John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave

 

 

 

 

 




Group: Safarifriends Message: 32583 From: Dog Date: 3/21/2017
Subject: Re: Safari

John

Ya I’m not impressed with the people at Koni they are not that helpful.

 

Thanks Again for all the good info

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2017 3:34 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

It all depends on how harsh the roads are that you drive on. If the roads are crappy, with a lot of heaves, and poor bridge transitions, like I have in my neck of the woods, than I would suggest to set them to the max. I'm the type that does not like bounce and sway, and with our roads, I'm tempted to still try the quad shocks even with the good 1641s. Ultimately, it is your own preference, and what road conditions you will encounter. If you are capable, you can always adjust them your self. All you need is a large wrench or socket to undo the bottom shock mount if you need to adjust them.
Try to get the rear shocks replaced too, because the rear bounce will stand out more, once you stop the front from bouncing. It is kind of funny, when the rear bounces a lot, and your towing a toad, it looks like your toad is bouncing along. In any case, you will notice a big difference once you get the Konis in.
BTW, although they call them Koni reds, the don't always come in the color red. My rear shocks came in black. I called Koni, to make sure I got the right ones, and they gave a cheesy answer, that sometimes the come in in black, with out further explanation (they must have ran out of paint, Lol.).

What brand or color shocks do you have in there now?


John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Tue, Mar 21, 2017 at 1:48 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

John

Another question on the 1641’s do I adjust them all the way to firm

 

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 2:31 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

They lied to you, as the 1490s have a stroke of 7.8 inches and the 1641s have a stroke of 7.2 inches.

This will not be an issue, as many Safari owners, including myself, are using the 1641s on our coaches. This sock was extensively researched and real life roadtested by the late Ralph Andrews (RIP). Ralph was an engineer who founded and owned Pioneer Metal Works, and was key in engineering various products to improve handling and ride quality for our Safari coaches. Way back before Ralph discovered the 1641 shocks, he actually designed a quad shock adapter for the 1490s because they were so inadequate. I can't drive the point hard enough that you will not be happy with the 1490s, you need to return them, even if it costs you extra shipping. Three hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on shocks that won't do the job, so please do yourself a favor and order the 88-1641 shocks.

Since the extended length on the 1641s are a bit shorter, if you find that on rare occasions that the top out on extension, you can always opt to remove the top shock mounts and flipping them upside down. Note: you will need to mount them on opposite sides for this to work, as in the right mount gets flipped and put on the left side, and vice versa for the left to the right. This drops the mount about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, which will be just about exact for the 1641s shorter extended length.

The roads I travel in the new england area are pretty brutal, with terrible bridge transitions, I have had only one very extreme occasion were I felt the shocks top out lightly when the coach got bounced up real hard.

I don't know if you are aware, but these shocks are adjustable, they come set from the factory with the least dampening set. If you travel rough roads often, I suggest you set them to the maximum dampening right from the get go.

A suggestion for returning, who ever you bought them from, just ask to return them only saying that they are the wrong ones, if they ask or claim that this is the right application, bs them and tell them that you coach had a special modification, requiring the 1641 shock, and that you just found out about it. Do what ever it takes to return them and get your money back and/or exchange for the ones you need.

If you have more questions, you can send me a PM.

Good luck.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 10:04 AM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

John

 

I did order the 88-1490 SP2 I just call Koni and they said the 88-1641 SP3 where 1 ½ inches shorter and where on recommended  for my 2002 safari Zanzabar

 

What are your thoughts

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???

I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.

Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

 

On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

John

 

Thanks

I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?

 

Thanks

Dave

 

From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 

 

Dave,

I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.

I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.

There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.

If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.

Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i-2440566.aspx

This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.

Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.

If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:



John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group: Safarifriends Message: 32826 From: nancie_usa Date: 4/24/2017
Subject: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
We have a 1998 37' Safari Serengeti with velvet ride.  Our last trip was somewhat miserable as the wind was a constant and felt like we were being blown all over the place plus, we were driving on major Hwys, some lined with trucking lane pot holes. Trying to stay out of these tracks while keeping control of the rig because of the winds was stressful.  Other motor homes with toads were passing us.  Any suggestions on improving our ride for these conditions?  We have replaced the shocks with Kona's and bought all new tires.


Group: Safarifriends Message: 32827 From: Gary Smith Date: 4/24/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Have you had the ride height checked lately?  How about alignment?  Strong cross winds can make for uncomfortable driving of your moving billboard.  Maybe consider pulling off the road and waiting it out in a campground?

Gary
'98 Sahara 3006 300 CAT

On Mon, Apr 24, 2017 at 8:16 PM, nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

We have a 1998 37' Safari Serengeti with velvet ride.  Our last trip was somewhat miserable as the wind was a constant and felt like we were being blown all over the place plus, we were driving on major Hwys, some lined with trucking lane pot holes. Trying to stay out of these tracks while keeping control of the rig because of the winds was stressful.  Other motor homes with toads were passing us.  Any suggestions on improving our ride for these conditions?  We have replaced the shocks with Kona's and bought all new tires.





--
Gary Smith
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32828 From: TD Date: 4/24/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Nancie,

If you don't have these items installed already, the Tiger Traks trac bars (Pioneer Metal Works makes them), and something like Safe-T-Steer would help, but the simple things need to be checked first, as they can really have a negative effect on handling. Please give as much info as you can, so we can make suggestions on basic improvements if things are not set right.

Have you had your coach weighed when you are fully loaded for traveling (full tanks included)?
Ideally you want to have all for corners weighed (at each tire) or at least front and rear axle weights.

What tire pressures are you running (front and back)?
(if tires are over inflated or under inflated the coach will wander around really bad)
Also, what tire size and brand do you have?

What is your ride height?
You measure from the bottom of the belt line, to the center of each wheel. Look in the files section for more info and details.

What is the Koni shock part number, that you got for the front of your coach???
There are two different shocks that fit the front, one is pretty useless and the other is very effective, and will help with sway and porpoising.


John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

 

On Mon, Apr 24, 2017 at 8:16 PM, nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


We have a 1998 37' Safari Serengeti with velvet ride.  Our last trip was somewhat miserable as the wind was a constant and felt like we were being blown all over the place plus, we were driving on major Hwys, some lined with trucking lane pot holes. Trying to stay out of these tracks while keeping control of the rig because of the winds was stressful.  Other motor homes with toads were passing us.  Any suggestions on improving our ride for these conditions?  We have replaced the shocks with Kona's and bought all new tires.





Group: Safarifriends Message: 32834 From: Rob Lunday Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
While I am new to the group and I'm not sure if I am using the appropriate channels to reply I figured because I am having the same issues I would chime in on this. I have a 98 Serengeti 37 ivory with just under 100 K that is new to me. I like you have noted that it is difficult to maintain the spirit of the law as many of our National highway have some really jacked up conditions.

As I have seen the leveling thing over and over again I suspect there is likely to be a lot of issues in this area as would be common for any heavy rig the size. Alignment condition can mostly be judged by two things, were the old tires worn evenly across or were they experiencing ware conditions, these can be described with their causes on the Internet with just some basic research. I would recommend finding a qualified experienced technician that is willing to spend a few minutes listening to your concerns and ask him to check the suspension and steering system for worn parts. You will find that operators of heavy trucks that are similar to our coaches have to perform a vehicle inspection every 24 hours. One of the main parts of that inspection is the condition of the tires and the condition of the steering system, i.e. is there any play in the system. It is likely that you will find Worn tie rod ends and possibly a steering box that either needs adjustment or to be rebuilt. Well the konis would not of been my first choice, I would've gone with the bilsteins, I would've expected them to make an improvement on the ride but not likely to completely solve it. I hope this helps you and I hope to see your results whether positive or negative displayed here for all to gain from your experiences.

Rob Lunday
Have A Blessed Day

On Apr 24, 2017, at 5:16 PM, nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

We have a 1998 37' Safari Serengeti with velvet ride.  Our last trip was somewhat miserable as the wind was a constant and felt like we were being blown all over the place plus, we were driving on major Hwys, some lined with trucking lane pot holes. Trying to stay out of these tracks while keeping control of the rig because of the winds was stressful.  Other motor homes with toads were passing us.  Any suggestions on improving our ride for these conditions?  We have replaced the shocks with Kona's and bought all new tires.


Group: Safarifriends Message: 32835 From: Ld_Lirones@yahoo.com Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Hi, 
We installed a steering stabilizer on our safari Sahara and it was much easier to control the wind.
Ml
Hans

On Apr 24, 2017, at 20:49, Gary Smith trekker01@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

Have you had the ride height checked lately?  How about alignment?  Strong cross winds can make for uncomfortable driving of your moving billboard.  Maybe consider pulling off the road and waiting it out in a campground?

Gary
'98 Sahara 3006 300 CAT

On Mon, Apr 24, 2017 at 8:16 PM, nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

We have a 1998 37' Safari Serengeti with velvet ride.  Our last trip was somewhat miserable as the wind was a constant and felt like we were being blown all over the place plus, we were driving on major Hwys, some lined with trucking lane pot holes. Trying to stay out of these tracks while keeping control of the rig because of the winds was stressful.  Other motor homes with toads were passing us.  Any suggestions on improving our ride for these conditions?  We have replaced the shocks with Kona's and bought all new tires.





--
Gary Smith

Group: Safarifriends Message: 32836 From: Nancie Price Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Thank you all for the information.  We are planning on having a steering stabilizer installed and will be printing out all your suggestions and have them checked over.  Especially the steering box, alignment, well really just about everything suggested! We did replace the bilsteins with konis when purchasing all new tires last year.  I did research tires and shocks through the internet, other facebook safari groups, and such.  On the konis...they seemed to be the most popular at this time and were given specific ordering numbers from another safari owner.  The tire brand I really can't remember but I think started with a T...ya, I know, very informative information...lol.  We did notice a "slight" difference with new shocks and tires but this could be because we were expecting to.  Majority of this trip was spent on Hwy 5...one major jacked-up trucking lane and with the wind...ugh!



On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 8:23 AM, "Rob Lunday robsandfreak@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
While I am new to the group and I'm not sure if I am using the appropriate channels to reply I figured because I am having the same issues I would chime in on this. I have a 98 Serengeti 37 ivory with just under 100 K that is new to me. I like you have noted that it is difficult to maintain the spirit of the law as many of our National highway have some really jacked up conditions.

As I have seen the leveling thing over and over again I suspect there is likely to be a lot of issues in this area as would be common for any heavy rig the size. Alignment condition can mostly be judged by two things, were the old tires worn evenly across or were they experiencing ware conditions, these can be described with their causes on the Internet with just some basic research. I would recommend finding a qualified experienced technician that is willing to spend a few minutes listening to your concerns and ask him to check the suspension and steering system for worn parts. You will find that operators of heavy trucks that are similar to our coaches have to perform a vehicle inspection every 24 hours. One of the main parts of that inspection is the condition of the tires and the condition of the steering system, i.e. is there any play in the system. It is likely that you will find Worn tie rod ends and possibly a steering box that either needs adjustment or to be rebuilt. Well the konis would not of been my first choice, I would've gone with the bilsteins, I would've expected them to make an improvement on the ride but not likely to completely solve it. I hope this helps you and I hope to see your results whether positive or negative displayed here for all to gain from your experiences.

Rob Lunday
Have A Blessed Day

On Apr 24, 2017, at 5:16 PM, nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 
We have a 1998 37' Safari Serengeti with velvet ride.  Our last trip was somewhat miserable as the wind was a constant and felt like we were being blown all over the place plus, we were driving on major Hwys, some lined with trucking lane pot holes. Trying to stay out of these tracks while keeping control of the rig because of the winds was stressful.  Other motor homes with toads were passing us.  Any suggestions on improving our ride for these conditions?  We have replaced the shocks with Kona's and bought all new tires.



Group: Safarifriends Message: 32837 From: TD Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Nancie,

Be aware that when it comes to alignment that the original caster specs (caster angle is key to keeping the coach from wondering around) were not adequate and much later the specs were updated (increased) from 3 degrees to 5.5 degrees, but most spec books were not updated. So only places with lots of Safari VelvetRide suspension experience were aware of the change.   Henderson's and Redlands are some of the few shops that really know our brand couches well. Henderson's specializes on improving ride and handling issues and they are really good, but are expensive. 

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 4:53 PM, Nancie Price nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


Thank you all for the information.  We are planning on having a steering stabilizer installed and will be printing out all your suggestions and have them checked over.  Especially the steering box, alignment, well really just about everything suggested! We did replace the bilsteins with konis when purchasing all new tires last year.  I did research tires and shocks through the internet, other facebook safari groups, and such.  On the konis...they seemed to be the most popular at this time and were given specific ordering numbers from another safari owner.  The tire brand I really can't remember but I think started with a T...ya, I know, very informative information...lol.  We did notice a "slight" difference with new shocks and tires but this could be because we were expecting to.  Majority of this trip was spent on Hwy 5...one major jacked-up trucking lane and with the wind...ugh!



On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 8:23 AM, "Rob Lunday robsandfreak@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


 
While I am new to the group and I'm not sure if I am using the appropriate channels to reply I figured because I am having the same issues I would chime in on this. I have a 98 Serengeti 37 ivory with just under 100 K that is new to me. I like you have noted that it is difficult to maintain the spirit of the law as many of our National highway have some really jacked up conditions.

As I have seen the leveling thing over and over again I suspect there is likely to be a lot of issues in this area as would be common for any heavy rig the size. Alignment condition can mostly be judged by two things, were the old tires worn evenly across or were they experiencing ware conditions, these can be described with their causes on the Internet with just some basic research. I would recommend finding a qualified experienced technician that is willing to spend a few minutes listening to your concerns and ask him to check the suspension and steering system for worn parts. You will find that operators of heavy trucks that are similar to our coaches have to perform a vehicle inspection every 24 hours. One of the main parts of that inspection is the condition of the tires and the condition of the steering system, i.e. is there any play in the system. It is likely that you will find Worn tie rod ends and possibly a steering box that either needs adjustment or to be rebuilt. Well the konis would not of been my first choice, I would've gone with the bilsteins, I would've expected them to make an improvement on the ride but not likely to completely solve it. I hope this helps you and I hope to see your results whether positive or negative displayed here for all to gain from your experiences.

Rob Lunday
Have A Blessed Day

On Apr 24, 2017, at 5:16 PM, nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:

 
We have a 1998 37' Safari Serengeti with velvet ride.  Our last trip was somewhat miserable as the wind was a constant and felt like we were being blown all over the place plus, we were driving on major Hwys, some lined with trucking lane pot holes. Trying to stay out of these tracks while keeping control of the rig because of the winds was stressful.  Other motor homes with toads were passing us.  Any suggestions on improving our ride for these conditions?  We have replaced the shocks with Kona's and bought all new tires.






Group: Safarifriends Message: 32839 From: Bill Edwards Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
This issue has been beaten to death lately on this site. That said yes tire and, wear are pertainent to the issue as to any rolling stock and yes the steering can be an issue but most of these coaches do not have any miles on them. When one considers the big picture and relates some of these problems to a big rig (truck) with similar suspensions, (busses only)  none carrying freight, the wear issues are not the really same. Yes some bushings can fail the time test. This applies to the "Velvet Ride" equipped later coaches more so than the earlier ones but still applies. It does not apply to the air ride sprung coaches.

All of that said Ralph Anderson and the guru of Safari suspension upgrades, unfortunately recently passed, solved the driving and handling issues with these Safari coaches. We can re-invent the wheel from the point of "lack of knowledge" and suggest a host of alternative solutions to a known and solved problem. Time is valuable and there are countless notes here if one patiently peruses the past for the ackolades of the components Ralph desighed and his company Pioneer Metal Works still produces and at are very reasonably priced and user friendly on the install, meaning they do not require a skilled tech to install. 

I might add here too that the coaches were all equipted with Bilstines which are a good shock but they are a gass shock. They do not act the same as a hydraulic one. They are not able to preform in the same manner as the new "hydraulic" Konis which have been now designed to better dampen these monsters we are playing with. Ralph spent plenty of R&D time with Koni and at one point, was useing a dual shock set up to achieve what he was looking for. This ultimately led to a larger single that does a stellar job. I have a 2001 Zanzibar on which all of the Anderson designed equiptment has been installed, including a 6 air bag set up. It drives and handles wonderfully. It is not affected by passing or on comming Big Rigs or other coaches It might benifit from a Steer Safeshock in windy condition such as one finds across Kanasas.

Bill Edwards
1999 455 Panther 


On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 9:23 AM, "Rob Lunday robsandfreak@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
While I am new to the group and I'm not sure if I am using the appropriate channels to reply I figured because I am having the same issues I would chime in on this. I have a 98 Serengeti 37 ivory with just under 100 K that is new to me. I like you have noted that it is difficult to maintain the spirit of the law as many of our National highway have some really jacked up conditions.

As I have seen the leveling thing over and over again I suspect there is likely to be a lot of issues in this area as would be common for any heavy rig the size. Alignment condition can mostly be judged by two things, were the old tires worn evenly across or were they experiencing ware conditions, these can be described with their causes on the Internet with just some basic research. I would recommend finding a qualified experienced technician that is willing to spend a few minutes listening to your concerns and ask him to check the suspension and steering system for worn parts. You will find that operators of heavy trucks that are similar to our coaches have to perform a vehicle inspection every 24 hours. One of the main parts of that inspection is the condition of the tires and the condition of the steering system, i.e. is there any play in the system. It is likely that you will find Worn tie rod ends and possibly a steering box that either needs adjustment or to be rebuilt. Well the konis would not of been my first choice, I would've gone with the bilsteins, I would've expected them to make an improvement on the ride but not likely to completely solve it. I hope this helps you and I hope to see your results whether positive or negative displayed here for all to gain from your experiences.

Rob Lunday
Have A Blessed Day

On Apr 24, 2017, at 5:16 PM, nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 
We have a 1998 37' Safari Serengeti with velvet ride.  Our last trip was somewhat miserable as the wind was a constant and felt like we were being blown all over the place plus, we were driving on major Hwys, some lined with trucking lane pot holes. Trying to stay out of these tracks while keeping control of the rig because of the winds was stressful.  Other motor homes with toads were passing us.  Any suggestions on improving our ride for these conditions?  We have replaced the shocks with Kona's and bought all new tires.



Group: Safarifriends Message: 32843 From: Bill Edwards Date: 4/25/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Apologies and yes I knew that it was Andrews and know Sharon fairly well...and a great gal, very generous  Thank you  B


On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 5:20 PM, "Bill Edwards billedwardsrs@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
This issue has been beaten to death lately on this site. That said yes tire and, wear are pertainent to the issue as to any rolling stock and yes the steering can be an issue but most of these coaches do not have any miles on them. When one considers the big picture and relates some of these problems to a big rig (truck) with similar suspensions, (busses only)  none carrying freight, the wear issues are not the really same. Yes some bushings can fail the time test. This applies to the "Velvet Ride" equipped later coaches more so than the earlier ones but still applies. It does not apply to the air ride sprung coaches.

All of that said Ralph Anderson and the guru of Safari suspension upgrades, unfortunately recently passed, solved the driving and handling issues with these Safari coaches. We can re-invent the wheel from the point of "lack of knowledge" and suggest a host of alternative solutions to a known and solved problem. Time is valuable and there are countless notes here if one patiently peruses the past for the ackolades of the components Ralph desighed and his company Pioneer Metal Works still produces and at are very reasonably priced and user friendly on the install, meaning they do not require a skilled tech to install. 

I might add here too that the coaches were all equipted with Bilstines which are a good shock but they are a gass shock. They do not act the same as a hydraulic one. They are not able to preform in the same manner as the new "hydraulic" Konis which have been now designed to better dampen these monsters we are playing with. Ralph spent plenty of R&D time with Koni and at one point, was useing a dual shock set up to achieve what he was looking for. This ultimately led to a larger single that does a stellar job. I have a 2001 Zanzibar on which all of the Anderson designed equiptment has been installed, including a 6 air bag set up. It drives and handles wonderfully. It is not affected by passing or on comming Big Rigs or other coaches It might benifit from a Steer Safeshock in windy condition such as one finds across Kanasas.

Bill Edwards
1999 455 Panther 


On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 9:23 AM, "Rob Lunday robsandfreak@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
While I am new to the group and I'm not sure if I am using the appropriate channels to reply I figured because I am having the same issues I would chime in on this. I have a 98 Serengeti 37 ivory with just under 100 K that is new to me. I like you have noted that it is difficult to maintain the spirit of the law as many of our National highway have some really jacked up conditions.

As I have seen the leveling thing over and over again I suspect there is likely to be a lot of issues in this area as would be common for any heavy rig the size. Alignment condition can mostly be judged by two things, were the old tires worn evenly across or were they experiencing ware conditions, these can be described with their causes on the Internet with just some basic research. I would recommend finding a qualified experienced technician that is willing to spend a few minutes listening to your concerns and ask him to check the suspension and steering system for worn parts. You will find that operators of heavy trucks that are similar to our coaches have to perform a vehicle inspection every 24 hours. One of the main parts of that inspection is the condition of the tires and the condition of the steering system, i.e. is there any play in the system. It is likely that you will find Worn tie rod ends and possibly a steering box that either needs adjustment or to be rebuilt. Well the konis would not of been my first choice, I would've gone with the bilsteins, I would've expected them to make an improvement on the ride but not likely to completely solve it. I hope this helps you and I hope to see your results whether positive or negative displayed here for all to gain from your experiences.

Rob Lunday
Have A Blessed Day

On Apr 24, 2017, at 5:16 PM, nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 
We have a 1998 37' Safari Serengeti with velvet ride.  Our last trip was somewhat miserable as the wind was a constant and felt like we were being blown all over the place plus, we were driving on major Hwys, some lined with trucking lane pot holes. Trying to stay out of these tracks while keeping control of the rig because of the winds was stressful.  Other motor homes with toads were passing us.  Any suggestions on improving our ride for these conditions?  We have replaced the shocks with Kona's and bought all new tires.





Group: Safarifriends Message: 32851 From: nanandpete@q.com Date: 4/26/2017
Subject: Re: Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
John, this is the first time I have heard about the 5.5 degrees of caster. My '99 book shows 3.  It will require some shims, but I am going to try it. Anything to get rid of the wander.  Pete  "99 sahara, 30' Velvet ride.


From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2017 3:13:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!

Nancie,

Be aware that when it comes to alignment that the original caster specs (caster angle is key to keeping the coach from wondering around) were not adequate and much later the specs were updated (increased) from 3 degrees to 5.5 degrees, but most spec books were not updated. So only places with lots of Safari VelvetRide suspension experience were aware of the change.   Henderson's and Redlands are some of the few shops that really know our brand couches well. Henderson's specializes on improving ride and handling issues and they are really good, but are expensive. 

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 4:53 PM, Nancie Price nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


Thank you all for the information.  We are planning on having a steering stabilizer installed and will be printing out all your suggestions and have them checked over.  Especially the steering box, alignment, well really just about everything suggested! We did replace the bilsteins with konis when purchasing all new tires last year.  I did research tires and shocks through the internet, other facebook safari groups, and such.  On the konis...they seemed to be the most popular at this time and were given specific ordering numbers from another safari owner.  The tire brand I really can't remember but I think started with a T...ya, I know, very informative information...lol.  We did notice a "slight" difference with new shocks and tires but this could be because we were expecting to.  Majority of this trip was spent on Hwy 5...one major jacked-up trucking lane and with the wind...ugh!



On Tuesday, April 25, 2017 8:23 AM, "Rob Lunday robsandfreak@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
While I am new to the group and I'm not sure if I am using the appropriate channels to reply I figured because I am having the same issues I would chime in on this. I have a 98 Serengeti 37 ivory with just under 100 K that is new to me. I like you have noted that it is difficult to maintain the spirit of the law as many of our National highway have some really jacked up conditions.

As I have seen the leveling thing over and over again I suspect there is likely to be a lot of issues in this area as would be common for any heavy rig the size. Alignment condition can mostly be judged by two things, were the old tires worn evenly across or were they experiencing ware conditions, these can be described with their causes on the Internet with just some basic research. I would recommend finding a qualified experienced technician that is willing to spend a few minutes listening to your concerns and ask him to check the suspension and steering system for worn parts. You will find that operators of heavy trucks that are similar to our coaches have to perform a vehicle inspection every 24 hours. One of the main parts of that inspection is the condition of the tires and the condition of the steering system, i.e. is there any play in the system. It is likely that you will find Worn tie rod ends and possibly a steering box that either needs adjustment or to be rebuilt. Well the konis would not of been my first choice, I would've gone with the bilsteins, I would've expected them to make an improvement on the ride but not likely to completely solve it. I hope this helps you and I hope to see your results whether positive or negative displayed here for all to gain from your experiences.

Rob Lunday
Have A Blessed Day

On Apr 24, 2017, at 5:16 PM, nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 
We have a 1998 37' Safari Serengeti with velvet ride.  Our last trip was somewhat miserable as the wind was a constant and felt like we were being blown all over the place plus, we were driving on major Hwys, some lined with trucking lane pot holes. Trying to stay out of these tracks while keeping control of the rig because of the winds was stressful.  Other motor homes with toads were passing us.  Any suggestions on improving our ride for these conditions?  We have replaced the shocks with Kona's and bought all new tires.






Group: Safarifriends Message: 32871 From: Pete Judd Date: 4/27/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Cant seem to find an online vendor for the koni 88-1641s shocks. any help is wante.

Pete

1995 40ft ivroy.



From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.


On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx
This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.
Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.
If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave
 





Group: Safarifriends Message: 32872 From: Pete Judd Date: 4/27/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
is the koni 88-1641s the asme as th koni 88-1641 sp3?



From: "Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2017 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Cant seem to find an online vendor for the koni 88-1641s shocks. any help is wante.

Pete

1995 40ft ivroy.



From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.


On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx
This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.
Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.
If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave
 







Group: Safarifriends Message: 32877 From: TD Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Bilstein shocks, [was] Driving while windy on horrible CA roads!
Rob,

Bilstein shocks may be a good shock over all, but not for our Safari VelvetRide suspension.
As an FYI, most Safari coaches originally came with Bilstein shocks and most of these coaches were having major porpoising and harsh ride issues. As mentioned by Bill, after much real life research, experimentation, and testing Ralph Andrews came up with the Koni shock that truly works very effectively and produces a smooth ride, eliminating sway and perpoising.
Yes, you can save clost to 50% on Bilsteins, but you will not be happy, and if you have dentures, they will rattle and jar right out of your mouth.

My own experience with Bilsteins on other applications have been mixed. For automotive and truck application, the seem to really get rid of sway and bounce, but at a high price of sacrificing smooth ride. The little bumps and imperfections jar the daylights out of you!

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 11:23 AM, Rob Lunday robsandfreak@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


While I am new to the group and I'm not sure if I am using the appropriate channels to reply I figured because I am having the same issues I would chime in on this. I have a 98 Serengeti 37 ivory with just under 100 K that is new to me. I like you have noted that it is difficult to maintain the spirit of the law as many of our National highway have some really jacked up conditions.

As I have seen the leveling thing over and over again I suspect there is likely to be a lot of issues in this area as would be common for any heavy rig the size. Alignment condition can mostly be judged by two things, were the old tires worn evenly across or were they experiencing ware conditions, these can be described with their causes on the Internet with just some basic research. I would recommend finding a qualified experienced technician that is willing to spend a few minutes listening to your concerns and ask him to check the suspension and steering system for worn parts. You will find that operators of heavy trucks that are similar to our coaches have to perform a vehicle inspection every 24 hours. One of the main parts of that inspection is the condition of the tires and the condition of the steering system, i.e. is there any play in the system. It is likely that you will find Worn tie rod ends and possibly a steering box that either needs adjustment or to be rebuilt. Well the konis would not of been my first choice, I would've gone with the bilsteins, I would've expected them to make an improvement on the ride but not likely to completely solve it. I hope this helps you and I hope to see your results whether positive or negative displayed here for all to gain from your experiences.

Rob Lunday
Have A Blessed Day

On Apr 24, 2017, at 5:16 PM, nancie_usa@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:

 

We have a 1998 37' Safari Serengeti with velvet ride.  Our last trip was somewhat miserable as the wind was a constant and felt like we were being blown all over the place plus, we were driving on major Hwys, some lined with trucking lane pot holes. Trying to stay out of these tracks while keeping control of the rig because of the winds was stressful.  Other motor homes with toads were passing us.  Any suggestions on improving our ride for these conditions?  We have replaced the shocks with Kona's and bought all new tires.





Group: Safarifriends Message: 32878 From: TD Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Pete,

This email string contains a link to a company that sells these shocks at the lowest price I've seen, with free shipping to boot. Have you tried ordering from them???

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

The correct part number for the front shoks is: 88-1641SP3 (sp3 stands for an internal update and/or modification)
Be sure to order by part number not by make and year vehicle, otherwise you will get the ineffective shock that was originally specd for these coaches.

Rear shocks part number is: 88-1458SP2

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx


Safe Travels,

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.





On Thu, Apr 27, 2017 at 11:35 PM, Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


is the koni 88-1641s the asme as th koni 88-1641 sp3?



From: "Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com " <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2017 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Cant seem to find an online vendor for the koni 88-1641s shocks. any help is wante.

Pete

1995 40ft ivroy.



From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.


On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx
This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.
Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.
If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave
 










Group: Safarifriends Message: 32882 From: Pete Judd Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Thanks

Pete



From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, April 28, 2017 6:59 AM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Pete,

This email string contains a link to a company that sells these shocks at the lowest price I've seen, with free shipping to boot. Have you tried ordering from them???

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

The correct part number for the front shoks is: 88-1641SP3 (sp3 stands for an internal update and/or modification)
Be sure to order by part number not by make and year vehicle, otherwise you will get the ineffective shock that was originally specd for these coaches.

Rear shocks part number is: 88-1458SP2

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx


Safe Travels,

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.





On Thu, Apr 27, 2017 at 11:35 PM, Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


is the koni 88-1641s the asme as th koni 88-1641 sp3?



From: "Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com " <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2017 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Cant seem to find an online vendor for the koni 88-1641s shocks. any help is wante.

Pete

1995 40ft ivroy.



From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.


On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx
This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.
Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.
If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave
 












Group: Safarifriends Message: 32902 From: Bill Edwards Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Dave.

When I was conversing with Ralph and doing the upgrades he told me point blank to switch the front shock mounts left to right. That said I too would convey that message to you having a later coach and switching to Koni.. My Z has a stellar ride and handles great. By the way I did not set my shocks to full hard and it is just fine.

Bill Edwards
2001 Zanzibar &
1999 Panther
redundancy in spades!


On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 3:30 AM, "'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
John
 
  I’m taking you advice sending them back today and getting the right ones.
   Thanks again for all you advice
Dave
2002 safari Zanaibar
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 2:31 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
They lied to you, as the 1490s have a stroke of 7.8 inches and the 1641s have a stroke of 7.2 inches.
This will not be an issue, as many Safari owners, including myself, are using the 1641s on our coaches. This sock was extensively researched and real life roadtested by the late Ralph Andrews (RIP). Ralph was an engineer who founded and owned Pioneer Metal Works, and was key in engineering various products to improve handling and ride quality for our Safari coaches. Way back before Ralph discovered the 1641 shocks, he actually designed a quad shock adapter for the 1490s because they were so inadequate. I can't drive the point hard enough that you will not be happy with the 1490s, you need to return them, even if it costs you extra shipping. Three hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on shocks that won't do the job, so please do yourself a favor and order the 88-1641 shocks.
Since the extended length on the 1641s are a bit shorter, if you find that on rare occasions that the top out on extension, you can always opt to remove the top shock mounts and flipping them upside down. Note: you will need to mount them on opposite sides for this to work, as in the right mount gets flipped and put on the left side, and vice versa for the left to the right. This drops the mount about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, which will be just about exact for the 1641s shorter extended length.
The roads I travel in the new england area are pretty brutal, with terrible bridge transitions, I have had only one very extreme occasion were I felt the shocks top out lightly when the coach got bounced up real hard.
I don't know if you are aware, but these shocks are adjustable, they come set from the factory with the least dampening set. If you travel rough roads often, I suggest you set them to the maximum dampening right from the get go.
A suggestion for returning, who ever you bought them from, just ask to return them only saying that they are the wrong ones, if they ask or claim that this is the right application, bs them and tell them that you coach had a special modification, requiring the 1641 shock, and that you just found out about it. Do what ever it takes to return them and get your money back and/or exchange for the ones you need.
If you have more questions, you can send me a PM.
Good luck.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 10:04 AM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 
John
 
I did order the 88-1490 SP2 I just call Koni and they said the 88-1641 SP3 where 1 ½ inches shorter and where on recommended  for my 2002 safari Zanzabar
 
What are your thoughts
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???
If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.
Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
 
On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 
John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i-2440566.aspx
This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.
Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.
If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave
 
 
 
 
 


Group: Safarifriends Message: 32904 From: Danny Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari

I have been following this thread and learned a lot about RV shock choices. my question is how do I know what ride my Safari Continental has? it has two air bags on each axle totaling eight. the ride is ok but hard to keep on the road in wind and passing big rigs.
Thank you for suggestions.
Danny



On April 28, 2017, at 18:07, "Bill Edwards billedwardsrs@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 

Dave.

When I was conversing with Ralph and doing the upgrades he told me point blank to switch the front shock mounts left to right. That said I too would convey that message to you having a later coach and switching to Koni.. My Z has a stellar ride and handles great. By the way I did not set my shocks to full hard and it is just fine.

Bill Edwards
2001 Zanzibar &
1999 Panther
redundancy in spades!


On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 3:30 AM, "'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
John
 
  I’m taking you advice sending them back today and getting the right ones.
   Thanks again for all you advice
Dave
2002 safari Zanaibar
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 2:31 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
They lied to you, as the 1490s have a stroke of 7.8 inches and the 1641s have a stroke of 7.2 inches.
This will not be an issue, as many Safari owners, including myself, are using the 1641s on our coaches. This sock was extensively researched and real life roadtested by the late Ralph Andrews (RIP). Ralph was an engineer who founded and owned Pioneer Metal Works, and was key in engineering various products to improve handling and ride quality for our Safari coaches. Way back before Ralph discovered the 1641 shocks, he actually designed a quad shock adapter for the 1490s because they were so inadequate. I can't drive the point hard enough that you will not be happy with the 1490s, you need to return them, even if it costs you extra shipping. Three hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on shocks that won't do the job, so please do yourself a favor and order the 88-1641 shocks.
Since the extended length on the 1641s are a bit shorter, if you find that on rare occasions that the top out on extension, you can always opt to remove the top shock mounts and flipping them upside down. Note: you will need to mount them on opposite sides for this to work, as in the right mount gets flipped and put on the left side, and vice versa for the left to the right. This drops the mount about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, which will be just about exact for the 1641s shorter extended length.
The roads I travel in the new england area are pretty brutal, with terrible bridge transitions, I have had only one very extreme occasion were I felt the shocks top out lightly when the coach got bounced up real hard.
I don't know if you are aware, but these shocks are adjustable, they come set from the factory with the least dampening set. If you travel rough roads often, I suggest you set them to the maximum dampening right from the get go.
A suggestion for returning, who ever you bought them from, just ask to return them only saying that they are the wrong ones, if they ask or claim that this is the right application, bs them and tell them that you coach had a special modification, requiring the 1641 shock, and that you just found out about it. Do what ever it takes to return them and get your money back and/or exchange for the ones you need.
If you have more questions, you can send me a PM.
Good luck.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 10:04 AM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 
John
 
I did order the 88-1490 SP2 I just call Koni and they said the 88-1641 SP3 where 1 ½ inches shorter and where on recommended  for my 2002 safari Zanzabar
 
What are your thoughts
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???
If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.
Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
 
On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 
John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i-2440566.aspx
This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.
Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.
If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave
 
 
 
 
 


Group: Safarifriends Message: 32905 From: TD Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Danny,

What year is your Continental???

By your description, you most likely have the 8 air bag air ride suspension, or if the coach is mid 90's it is possible that it received the 8 air bag supplemental system from Henderson's to improve the ride. As for sway and poor handling, check ride height, steering parts for play/wear, shocks, sway bar link bushings. Also, if you have not done so already, the coach should be weighed fully loaded for travel (including full tanks), and tires adjusted according to weight, not max pressure. Ideally, have all four corners weighed individually, if that can't be done, then go to the truck scales and at least get your axle weights, so you know what to set your tire pressures at. Too much or too little will make the coach wonder all over the road. Another big one that will effect how handles is proper caster setting. Too little will make it wonder all over, especially when its windy.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Fri, Apr 28, 2017 at 8:11 PM, Danny gremessr@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

I have been following this thread and learned a lot about RV shock choices. my question is how do I know what ride my Safari Continental has? it has two air bags on each axle totaling eight. the ride is ok but hard to keep on the road in wind and passing big rigs.
Thank you for suggestions.
Danny



On April 28, 2017, at 18:07, "Bill Edwards billedwardsrs@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:




 

Dave.

When I was conversing with Ralph and doing the upgrades he told me point blank to switch the front shock mounts left to right. That said I too would convey that message to you having a later coach and switching to Koni.. My Z has a stellar ride and handles great. By the way I did not set my shocks to full hard and it is just fine.

Bill Edwards
2001 Zanzibar &
1999 Panther
redundancy in spades!


On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 3:30 AM, "'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


 
John
 
  I’m taking you advice sending them back today and getting the right ones.
   Thanks again for all you advice
Dave
2002 safari Zanaibar
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 2:31 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
They lied to you, as the 1490s have a stroke of 7.8 inches and the 1641s have a stroke of 7.2 inches.
This will not be an issue, as many Safari owners, including myself, are using the 1641s on our coaches. This sock was extensively researched and real life roadtested by the late Ralph Andrews (RIP). Ralph was an engineer who founded and owned Pioneer Metal Works, and was key in engineering various products to improve handling and ride quality for our Safari coaches. Way back before Ralph discovered the 1641 shocks, he actually designed a quad shock adapter for the 1490s because they were so inadequate. I can't drive the point hard enough that you will not be happy with the 1490s, you need to return them, even if it costs you extra shipping. Three hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on shocks that won't do the job, so please do yourself a favor and order the 88-1641 shocks.
Since the extended length on the 1641s are a bit shorter, if you find that on rare occasions that the top out on extension, you can always opt to remove the top shock mounts and flipping them upside down. Note: you will need to mount them on opposite sides for this to work, as in the right mount gets flipped and put on the left side, and vice versa for the left to the right. This drops the mount about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, which will be just about exact for the 1641s shorter extended length.
The roads I travel in the new england area are pretty brutal, with terrible bridge transitions, I have had only one very extreme occasion were I felt the shocks top out lightly when the coach got bounced up real hard.
I don't know if you are aware, but these shocks are adjustable, they come set from the factory with the least dampening set. If you travel rough roads often, I suggest you set them to the maximum dampening right from the get go.
A suggestion for returning, who ever you bought them from, just ask to return them only saying that they are the wrong ones, if they ask or claim that this is the right application, bs them and tell them that you coach had a special modification, requiring the 1641 shock, and that you just found out about it. Do what ever it takes to return them and get your money back and/or exchange for the ones you need.
If you have more questions, you can send me a PM.
Good luck.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 10:04 AM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:
 
John
 
I did order the 88-1490 SP2 I just call Koni and they said the 88-1641 SP3 where 1 ½ inches shorter and where on recommended  for my 2002 safari Zanzabar
 
What are your thoughts
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???
If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.
Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
 
On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:
 
John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx
This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.
Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.
If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave
 
 
 
 
 





Group: Safarifriends Message: 32906 From: Duane Buck Date: 4/28/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Pete and all,

I'm sorry, but I'm beyond confused now about the shocks.  I've got a 96 30' Sahara with the Ellipti Ride - would these be the same shocks for my rig?  The previous owner put 8805-1010's on the front, and 8805-1019's on the rear.  The rear ones don't even look like they were made for Safari's in the first place (and now I wonder if that's a large portion of my rear end sway when big rigs pass me).  The fronts show as being correct for the leaf spring suspension like I have, but, are the the best ones for our rigs?  I'm trying to put these pages into a notebook for future, but this chain has me totally lost.

Thanks,
Duane
96 30' Sahara, 250hp Cat 3126, Allison 6spd


On Friday, April 28, 2017, 6:59:23 AM PDT, TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

Pete,

This email string contains a link to a company that sells these shocks at the lowest price I've seen, with free shipping to boot. Have you tried ordering from them???

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

The correct part number for the front shocks is: 88-1641SP3 (sp3 stands for an internal update and/or modification)
Be sure to order by part number not by make and year vehicle, otherwise you will get the ineffective shock that was originally specd for these coaches.

Rear shocks part number is: 88-1458SP2

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx


Safe Travels,

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.





On Thu, Apr 27, 2017 at 11:35 PM, Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


is the koni 88-1641s the asme as th koni 88-1641 sp3?



From: "Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com " <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2017 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Cant seem to find an online vendor for the koni 88-1641s shocks. any help is wante.

Pete

1995 40ft ivroy.



From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.


On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx


Group: Safarifriends Message: 32907 From: TD Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Duane,

The shock numbers you gave are for the expensive Koni FSD shocks. They have the automatic road sensing technology. I have no experience with them. Some have tried them and like them. If you have no serious bounce or porpoising, you might as well leave them and save yourself some money. If you are experiencing bouncing and porpoising, then consider getting the Koni Reds, the part number are tha same as listed in this email string.

As for the swaying, what does your coach weigh in at, fully loaded for travel?
What tire pressures are you running? (running over or under inflated will cause sway.
What size and brand tires are you running?
You are probably light on the front end, so consider moving wight forward.
What condition are your swaybar bushings and your steering components, also worn spring shackles will create problems?
Lack of Caster will also cause sway/handling issues.


The correct part number for the front shocks is: 88-1641SP3

Rear shocks part number is: 88-1458SP2


John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Sat, Apr 29, 2017 at 2:10 AM, Duane Buck dewey2501@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


Pete and all,

I'm sorry, but I'm beyond confused now about the shocks.  I've got a 96 30' Sahara with the Ellipti Ride - would these be the same shocks for my rig?  The previous owner put 8805-1010's on the front, and 8805-1019's on the rear.  The rear ones don't even look like they were made for Safari's in the first place (and now I wonder if that's a large portion of my rear end sway when big rigs pass me).  The fronts show as being correct for the leaf spring suspension like I have, but, are the the best ones for our rigs?  I'm trying to put these pages into a notebook for future, but this chain has me totally lost.

Thanks,
Duane
96 30' Sahara, 250hp Cat 3126, Allison 6spd


On Friday, April 28, 2017, 6:59:23 AM PDT, TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:
 

Pete,

This email string contains a link to a company that sells these shocks at the lowest price I've seen, with free shipping to boot. Have you tried ordering from them???

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

The correct part number for the front shocks is: 88-1641SP3 (sp3 stands for an internal update and/or modification)
Be sure to order by part number not by make and year vehicle, otherwise you will get the ineffective shock that was originally specd for these coaches.

Rear shocks part number is: 88-1458SP2

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx


Safe Travels,

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.





On Thu, Apr 27, 2017 at 11:35 PM, Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


is the koni 88-1641s the asme as th koni 88-1641 sp3?



From: "Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com " <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2017 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Cant seem to find an online vendor for the koni 88-1641s shocks. any help is wante.

Pete

1995 40ft ivroy.



From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.


On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx





Group: Safarifriends Message: 32908 From: Gerry Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Duane,
I have a 1997 30' Sahara with the same suspension.  I have previously listed all of the modifications that I have made to my unit on this website. If you cannot find those messages, email me with a phone number and I will walk you through the things that I had to do to make my rig drive well.  I find it interesting that even people with 40 foot rigs complain about their handling.  Since your rig weighs thousands of pounds less and has a much shorter wheelbase you can imagine what you are up against in trying to make your rig handle well.   I assure you that just changing shocks will not correct your handling issues.  Been there, done that!
Gerry  

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 29, 2017, at 2:10 AM, Duane Buck dewey2501@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

Pete and all,

I'm sorry, but I'm beyond confused now about the shocks.  I've got a 96 30' Sahara with the Ellipti Ride - would these be the same shocks for my rig?  The previous owner put 8805-1010's on the front, and 8805-1019's on the rear.  The rear ones don't even look like they were made for Safari's in the first place (and now I wonder if that's a large portion of my rear end sway when big rigs pass me).  The fronts show as being correct for the leaf spring suspension like I have, but, are the the best ones for our rigs?  I'm trying to put these pages into a notebook for future, but this chain has me totally lost.

Thanks,
Duane
96 30' Sahara, 250hp Cat 3126, Allison 6spd


On Friday, April 28, 2017, 6:59:23 AM PDT, TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

Pete,

This email string contains a link to a company that sells these shocks at the lowest price I've seen, with free shipping to boot. Have you tried ordering from them???

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

The correct part number for the front shocks is: 88-1641SP3 (sp3 stands for an internal update and/or modification)
Be sure to order by part number not by make and year vehicle, otherwise you will get the ineffective shock that was originally specd for these coaches.

Rear shocks part number is: 88-1458SP2

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx


Safe Travels,

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.





On Thu, Apr 27, 2017 at 11:35 PM, Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


is the koni 88-1641s the asme as th koni 88-1641 sp3?



From: "Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com " <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2017 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Cant seem to find an online vendor for the koni 88-1641s shocks. any help is wante.

Pete

1995 40ft ivroy.



From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari

 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???

If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.

Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.


On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@ yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx


Group: Safarifriends Message: 32911 From: mel96safari Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Duane
I'm happy with the Bilstein shocks, p/n B46-2092 (front)... p/n B46=2093 (rear), I put on my 35' Sahara, (with ElliptiRide suspension), 15,000 miles ago.

BTW I could be wrong but IMO the rear end sway when big rigs pass your 30' Sahara is because of the "short wheel base to rear overhang ratio" (which can't be changed),
(see: https://hubpages.com/travel/Why-RV-Wheel-Base-Ratio-Is-Important).

And by the "light front end" (which can be changed).
(For more information about that...type "adding weight to front axle" where "Search Conversations" appears below the picture here on the Safarifriends Yahoo group site

Mel
'96 Sahara 3530


---In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, <dewey2501@...> wrote :

Pete and all,

I'm sorry, but I'm beyond confused now about the shocks.  I've got a 96 30' Sahara with the Ellipti Ride - would these be the same shocks for my rig?  The previous owner put 8805-1010's on the front, and 8805-1019's on the rear.  The rear ones don't even look like they were made for Safari's in the first place (and now I wonder if that's a large portion of my rear end sway when big rigs pass me).  The fronts show as being correct for the leaf spring suspension like I have, but, are the the best ones for our rigs?  I'm trying to put these pages into a notebook for future, but this chain has me totally lost.

Thanks,
Duane
96 30' Sahara, 250hp Cat 3126, Allison 6spd



Group: Safarifriends Message: 32912 From: TD Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Mel,

I would venture to guess that if you were given an opportunity (for the right price) to try Koni shocks, you would have a hard time going back. ;)


John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Sat, Apr 29, 2017 at 2:54 PM, stuplich@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


Duane
I'm happy with the Bilstein shocks, p/n B46-2092 (front)... p/n B46=2093 (rear), I put on my 35' Sahara, (with ElliptiRide suspension), 15,000 miles ago.

BTW I could be wrong but IMO the rear end sway when big rigs pass your 30' Sahara is because of the "short wheel base to rear overhang ratio" (which can't be changed),
(see: https://hubpages.com/travel/ Why-RV-Wheel-Base-Ratio-Is- Important).

And by the "light front end" (which can be changed).
(For more information about that...type "adding weight to front axle" where "Search Conversations" appears below the picture here on the Safarifriends Yahoo group site

Mel
'96 Sahara 3530


---In Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com, <dewey2501@...> wrote :

Pete and all,

I'm sorry, but I'm beyond confused now about the shocks.  I've got a 96 30' Sahara with the Ellipti Ride - would these be the same shocks for my rig?  The previous owner put 8805-1010's on the front, and 8805-1019's on the rear.  The rear ones don't even look like they were made for Safari's in the first place (and now I wonder if that's a large portion of my rear end sway when big rigs pass me).  The fronts show as being correct for the leaf spring suspension like I have, but, are the the best ones for our rigs?  I'm trying to put these pages into a notebook for future, but this chain has me totally lost.

Thanks,
Duane
96 30' Sahara, 250hp Cat 3126, Allison 6spd






Group: Safarifriends Message: 32913 From: TD Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Gerry,

I did some search and dug up some relevant posts back from Sept of 2013, for the ones that may have a hard time searching this group. (I find it a royal pain to search and find old posts) So below I copied and pasted some of the conversations.

I hope this helps others who are struggling with handling of their coaches. Gerry, that was quite the write up and process you went through to finally succeed. Photos of those custom made pan rods would have been great! If you feel ambitious, could you put some up, it's never to late...


John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.


[Old posts]

  • "Wandering"

    Expand Messages
    • garyog97365
      Message 1 of 16 , Sep 15, 2013
  • There have been several posts relative to the Coach wandering or not driving straight. People tend to blame tires, shocks, steering boxes, alignment, what have you.

    I've had Safari's since 92, and what several of us has found out is that the problem "none of the above", not to say that all of those could be problems.

    The basic issue is related to the type of suspension on the Safari and many other coaches. It's a solid axle (beam axle)suspension, rather than an independent suspension. While many coaches have solid axle suspension in the rear, the Safari has it in the front.
    When a wheel hits a bump, the beam axle suspension also transmitts some of that force to the other side, and the end result is that the entire axle move slightly sideways, enough to cause the coach to "wander". The springs, whether rubber or metal, don't control this precisely.

    This can occur in either the front or rear suspension, although the rear suspension on the Safari is more resistant to this than the front.

    This is well known in racing circles, where precise steering is very important.

    The cure is a diagonal link, with one end fastened to the chassis and the other end fastened to the axle. Usually only needed at the front end.

    Camping World used to carry such an item made by Henderson Lineup in Grants Pass, Oregon.

    Henderson’s Line-Up 417 Henderson Street (formerly 417 S.W. Marion Lane) Grants Pass, OR 97527. Phone: 541-479-2882 Toll Free: 800-245-8309

    They manufacture a complete line of suspension parts as well as what I have mentioned.

    If you call them, ask them also about the Safari Tie rod problem.

    My wife wouldn't drive either of our Safari's, our 92 34' or our current 96 40', but after adding the tie rod, she is completly satisfied with how the 40' drives.

    Hope this is useful.

    Gary
  • Dave Farley
    Sep 15, 2013
  • Great explanation, and possible solution. Thanks.

    Dave
    '95 Safari Ivory Edition, 38', Cummins, 2004 Liberty toad

    Show message history

    There have been several posts relative to the Coach wandering or not driving straight. People tend to blame tires, shocks, steering boxes, alignment, what have you.

    I've had Safari's since 92, and what several of us has found out is that the problem "none of the above", not to say that all of those could be problems.

    The basic issue is related to the type of suspension on the Safari and many other coaches. It's a solid axle (beam axle)suspension, rather than an independent suspension. While many coaches have solid axle suspension in the rear, the Safari has it in the front.
    When a wheel hits a bump, the beam axle suspension also transmitts some of that force to the other side, and the end result is that the entire axle move slightly sideways, enough to cause the coach to "wander". The springs, whether rubber or metal, don't control this precisely.

    This can occur in either the front or rear suspension, although the rear suspension on the Safari is more resistant to this than the front.

    This is well known in racing circles, where precise steering is very important.

    The cure is a diagonal link, with one end fastened to the chassis and the other end fastened to the axle. Usually only needed at the front end.

    Camping World used to carry such an item made by Henderson Lineup in Grants Pass, Oregon.

    Henderson’s Line-Up 417 Henderson Street (formerly 417 S.W. Marion Lane) Grants Pass, OR 97527. Phone: 541-479-2882 Toll Free: 800-245-8309

    They manufacture a complete line of suspension parts as well as what I have mentioned.

    If you call them, ask them also about the Safari Tie rod problem.

    My wife wouldn't drive either of our Safari's, our 92 34' or our current 96 40', but after adding the tie rod, she is completly satisfied with how the 40' drives.

    Hope this is useful.

    Gary

  • wolfe102001
    Sep 15, 2013
  • Yes, you are describing a PANHARD ROD, also called a  TRACK BAR.


    It attaches to the axle on one side and chassis on the other.  It allows full up/down movement, but controls side to side movement of axle to chassis.


    Pioneer Metals has them for the Torsilastic suspension.


    Additionally, on the Torsilastic suspension they offer Radius Rods that minimize bump steer-- where the axle is driven back when the tire hits a bump which causes a steering input that the driver must correct for.


    http://www.pioneermetalworks.com/tigertrak.htm


    I am not aware of anyone who offers Panhard rods for the leaf spring suspension, but would be interested if anyone knows of one.


    Brett



    Show message history
  • knollibe
    Sep 15, 2013
  • Ya don't need a panhard bar with leaf springs.
    Dwayne
    Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

    From: <bawolfe10@...>
    Date: 15 Sep 2013 13:37:28 -0700
    Subject: [Safarifriends] RE: "Wandering"

    Yes, you are describing a PANHARD ROD, also called a  TRACK BAR.


    It attaches to the axle on one side and chassis on the other.  It allows full up/down movement, but controls side to side movement of axle to chassis.


    Pioneer Metals has them for the Torsilastic suspension.


    Additionally, on the Torsilastic suspension they offer Radius Rods that minimize bump steer-- where the axle is driven back when the tire hits a bump which causes a steering input that the driver must correct for.


    http://www.pioneermetalworks.com/tigertrak.htm


    I am not aware of anyone who offers Panhard rods for the leaf spring suspension, but would be interested if anyone knows of one.


    Brett



    Show message history
  • wolfe102001
    Sep 15, 2013
  • Dwayne,


    Don't know the answer, since I am not aware of anyone who has tired it. 


    I can tell you that track bars/panhard rods make a material improvement in both Ford and Workhorse leaf spring chassis.


    At this point, I just want more information to see if  they would make a difference on the Safari leaf spring suspension.


    The question boils down to one of whether there is any side to side play between axle and chassis in the leaf springs or spring bushings.



    Show message history
  • Gerald Poole
    Sep 15, 2013
  • Cliff,
    I have a '97 30 foot Sahara with springs.  I had harrowing experiences with the semi trucks as well as sudden side winds and was determined to solve that problem.  I could not have my wife drive as it was not safe.  Mine was like yours, anything over 55 mph made my unit shift sideways almost getting out of control.  The unit had a safe-t-plus steering stabilizer already installed.  I would have traded my unit for a motor home with a longer wheel base with the generator mounted in front of the front axle but I could not afford to make the change.
    My first attempt was to put on Bilstein shocks, little effect.  Second, replace and tighten the sway bar bushings in front and rear (including larger bolts and bushings), little effect.  Install air bags front and rear, some help but did not resolve the problem (I can inflate and deflate on the fly), I learned the problem is not front to rear or side to side motion.   Installed a homemade  diagonal bar (pan rod type bar) off the bottom of the rear axle, some improvement.  I made a homemade front end pan rod system tied to the frame and antisway bar, some noticeable improvement.  Installed a true center type steering system that can be adjusted on the fly that works with the safe-t-plus system (now there is a better unit on the market, look at the Blue Ox center steering stabilizer).  This made an improvement especially when you have a constant side wind or a road with a crown.   I then installed pan rod type bars on each side of the chassis to the rear cross member, MAJOR IMPROVEMENT!  Finally, after seeing the moderators box on the front of  his motor home (look at the home page picture) I installed a class 4 front hitch in front and mounted a trailer shaped aluminum box where I put my tools and other heavy items,  some improvement (I thought it was absurd to carry 700 plus pounds of lead weights in front as recommended by the factory).  Now I can drive at higher speeds and keep the unit under control.  Semi trucks come up from behind and pass me with very little effect.  Even with all my earlier improvements, until I stopped the crabbing motion of the house on the spring chassis I did not get the unit to handle in an acceptable manner.   The cost for all parts was over $1,000 but now my unit is a pleasure to drive.  I hope that gives you some idea of improvements you can make and the results you can expect.
    Gerry


    Show message history
  • wolfe102001
    Sep 16, 2013
  • Cliff,

    Keep us posted-- am also interested in whether a panhard rod would be a good addition to the Safari leaf spring suspension.

    Brett

     



    Show message history
  • garyog97365
    Sep 16, 2013
  • Don't agree about the panhard bar and leaf springs, front or back. Leaf springs have a rubber bushing in them that allows the axle to flex. The panhard rod is probably even more effective on the rear than on the front, as the towed car has lots of opportunity to "wag".

    Google "panhard rod" and Wiki and see what you find. Talk to the folks in Grants Pass. Join Safari_International. Get other opinions.

    I wouldn't take mine off, and I think that we had one on the front and rear of our 92 Kenya as well.

    Gary
  • garyog97365
    Sep 16, 2013
  • I believe that the original reason that the folks in oregon developed the panhard (trac rod) was specifically for the rear of spring suspensions. I'd advise going to their website and checking it out.

    We have also installed their replacement radius arms on the front of our current coach. That was a slight improvment in steering (panhard rod made the biggest improvement) but the real reason we installed was that the ball joint on the Safari rod had rust in it. They had a box of replaced rods. They said that lack of proper lubrication was the issue. You might consider checking your tie rods and see if both ends have grease fittings. Mine didn't.

    Gary
  • greg harding
    Sep 20, 2013
  • Found, my king pins were not greased for along time  and now trying to get an alignment, but can not find spec's for 2000 Sahara ,3016, Goodrich Velvet Ride.  Where can I find these alignment  spec's
    Thanks,
    Greg
  • Sep 20, 2013
  • As someone who has built suspension systems for jeeps, trucks, etc. a trackbar will and can make a world of difference to help with on road stability.  I have built my fair share of custom trackbar set ups on lifted leaf sprung trucks and jeeps.  I will look into making a bolt on "KIT" for my 95 Geti 



    Show message history
  • paulcell47
    Sep 21, 2013
  • Gerald, how about a little more info on your rear pan rod bars? I have done almost everything you have except the front box, still wander a little.  Have rubber springs tho. Pete, '99 thirty foot sahara.


    From: "Gerald Poole" <brandipoole@...>
    To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2013 6:35:11 PM
    Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: "Wandering"

    Cliff,
    I have a '97 30 foot Sahara with springs.  I had harrowing experiences with the semi trucks as well as sudden side winds and was determined to solve that problem.  I could not have my wife drive as it was not safe.  Mine was like yours, anything over 55 mph made my unit shift sideways almost getting out of control.  The unit had a safe-t-plus steering stabilizer already installed.  I would have traded my unit for a motor home with a longer wheel base with the generator mounted in front of the front axle but I could not afford to make the change.
    My first attempt was to put on Bilstein shocks, little effect.  Second, replace and tighten the sway bar bushings in front and rear (including larger bolts and bushings), little effect.  Install air bags front and rear, some help but did not resolve the problem (I can inflate and deflate on the fly), I learned the problem is not front to rear or side to side motion.   Installed a homemade  diagonal bar (pan rod type bar) off the bottom of the rear axle, some improvement.  I made a homemade front end pan rod system tied to the frame and antisway bar, some noticeable improvement.  Installed a true center type steering system that can be adjusted on the fly that works with the safe-t-plus system (now there is a better unit on the market, look at the Blue Ox center steering stabilizer).  This made an improvement especially when you have a constant side wind or a road with a crown.   I then installed pan rod type bars on each side of the chassis to the rear cross member, MAJOR IMPROVEMENT!  Finally, after seeing the moderators box on the front of  his motor home (look at the home page picture) I installed a class 4 front hitch in front and mounted a trailer shaped aluminum box where I put my tools and other heavy items,  some improvement (I thought it was absurd to carry 700 plus pounds of lead weights in front as recommended by the factory).  Now I can drive at higher speeds and keep the unit under control.  Semi trucks come up from behind and pass me with very little effect.  Even with all my earlier improvements, until I stopped the crabbing motion of the house on the spring chassis I did not get the unit to handle in an acceptable manner.   The cost for all parts was over $1,000 but now my unit is a pleasure to drive.  I hope that gives you some idea of improvements you can make and the results you can expect.
    Gerry


    Show message history
  • Gerald Poole
    Sep 21, 2013
  • It is the same principle as the diagonal rods but they will run from front to rear (one on each side).  You have to make up two brackets to attach on the u-bolts that hold the rear spring stacks together, then make two brackets to attach to the rear house frame that runs from side to side over the drive train.  Then you have to make up the attaching rods.  It requires a fair amout of drilling, welding and fabricating.  You have to do both sides to stop the body shifting.
    Gerry


    Show message history
  • Brian Harmon
    Sep 21, 2013
  • For some reason the only way I can post to the group is via email, when I try from the group site it never goes through

    There are many factory leaf sprung rigs that use Panard or track bar to stabilize the rig.  I myself have built them for truck that guys used to haul fire wood and water in AZ.  Makes a world of difference.  I will take a look at mine and see if I can figure out a bolt on kit for my 95 geti.  I have built many suspensions over the years for race and rockcrawling

    B
  • paulcell47
    Sep 21, 2013
  • It sounds like the two that are in front of the front axle, one factory installed and the other by me. I have "Velvet Ride" but I guess the principle is the same. Did you make them screw adjustable?


    From: "Gerald Poole" <brandipoole@...>
    To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Saturday, September 21, 2013 11:10:23 AM
    Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: "Wandering"

    It is the same principle as the diagonal rods but they will run from front to rear (one on each side).  You have to make up two brackets to attach on the u-bolts that hold the rear spring stacks together, then make two brackets to attach to the rear house frame that runs from side to side over the drive train.  Then you have to make up the attaching rods.  It requires a fair amout of drilling, welding and fabricating.  You have to do both sides to stop the body shifting.
    Gerry


    Show message history
  • Gerry & Ruth
    Message 16 of 16 , Sep 22, 2013
  • Yes they are adjustable. Several years ago I travelled with a buddy cross country, he has a 36 foot Winnabago.  He kept his water tanks nearly full to make his rig drive better (he has an air bag system).  This is the same principle as putting 700+ pounds of weight on the front of our rigs to load up the suspension.  On a couple of occasions we encountered strong side winds that lasted for half an hour or more.  I didn't have any trouble driving even curved roads at 55 mph but he was still swerving at 45 mph.  Now that fuel prices have doubled I do not make the long trips as often but when I do, I don't get as fatigued like I did when I was fighting the steering wheel.
    Gerry
    Sent from my iPad

    Show message history
    It sounds like the two that are in front of the front axle, one factory installed and the other by me. I have "Velvet Ride" but I guess the principle is the same. Did you make them screw adjustable?


    From: "Gerald Poole" <brandipoole@...>
    To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Saturday, September 21, 2013 11:10:23 AM
    Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: "Wandering"

    It is the same principle as the diagonal rods but they will run from front to rear (one on each side).  You have to make up two brackets to attach on the u-bolts that hold the rear spring stacks together, then make two brackets to attach to the rear house frame that runs from side to side over the drive train.  Then you have to make up the attaching rods.  It requires a fair amout of drilling, welding and fabricating.  You have to do both sides to stop the body shifting.
    Gerry



    From: "nanandpete@..." <nanandpete@...>
    To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Saturday, September 21, 2013 11:21 AM
    Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: "Wandering"

     
    Gerald, how about a little more info on your rear pan rod bars? I have done almost everything you have except the front box, still wander a little.  Have rubber springs tho. Pete, '99 thirty foot sahara.


    From: "Gerald Poole" <brandipoole@...>
    To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2013 6:35:11 PM
    Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: "Wandering"

    Cliff,
    I have a '97 30 foot Sahara with springs.  I had harrowing experiences with the semi trucks as well as sudden side winds and was determined to solve that problem.  I could not have my wife drive as it was not safe.  Mine was like yours, anything over 55 mph made my unit shift sideways almost getting out of control.  The unit had a safe-t-plus steering stabilizer already installed.  I would have traded my unit for a motor home with a longer wheel base with the generator mounted in front of the front axle but I could not afford to make the change.
    My first attempt was to put on Bilstein shocks, little effect.  Second, replace and tighten the sway bar bushings in front and rear (including larger bolts and bushings), little effect.  Install air bags front and rear, some help but did not resolve the problem (I can inflate and deflate on the fly), I learned the problem is not front to rear or side to side motion.   Installed a homemade  diagonal bar (pan rod type bar) off the bottom of the rear axle, some improvement.  I made a homemade front end pan rod system tied to the frame and antisway bar, some noticeable improvement.  Installed a true center type steering system that can be adjusted on the fly that works with the safe-t-plus system (now there is a better unit on the market, look at the Blue Ox center steering stabilizer).  This made an improvement especially when you have a constant side wind or a road with a crown.   I then installed pan rod type bars on each side of the chassis to the rear cross member, MAJOR IMPROVEMENT!  Finally, after seeing the moderators box on the front of  his motor home (look at the home page picture) I installed a class 4 front hitch in front and mounted a trailer shaped aluminum box where I put my tools and other heavy items,  some improvement (I thought it was absurd to carry 700 plus pounds of lead weights in front as recommended by the factory).  Now I can drive at higher speeds and keep the unit under control.  Semi trucks come up from behind and pass me with very little effect.  Even with all my earlier improvements, until I stopped the crabbing motion of the house on the spring chassis I did not get the unit to handle in an acceptable manner.   The cost for all parts was over $1,000 but now my unit is a pleasure to drive.  I hope that gives you some idea of improvements you can make and the results you can expect.
    Gerry



    From: Cliff Smith <cliff@...>
    To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2013 7:44 PM
    Subject: [Safarifriends] Re: "Wandering"

     
    RE:  " Ya don't need a panhard bar with leaf springs. Dwayne"
     
    Dwayne,  Maybe that device isn't the solution, but it would be nice to have something for the tail-wagging-the-dog scenario for us with the leaf springs.  I had a Roadmaster steering stabilizer installed.  Afterwards, I noticed a big improvement when hitting bumpy roads.  The porpoising dropped off dramatically and the related lane-wander decreased as well.   
     
    But when I'm on I-5 and the semis or other mh's pass me by, I get the push-pull affect from their pressure wave.  I'm always amazed to see other mh's cruising down the highway at MUCH higher speeds that appear to be tracking steady in their lanes.  Me?  Gotta keep it at 55 or less to stay safe.
     
    I'm thinking about making a trip to Oregon next summer and adding some extra time to drop by Henderson's for them to analyze the mh and offer up a solution.  Possibly, I'll be wasting our money.  But the blog comments about them tend to be positive and we'd like our little mh.  So I'm hoping for the best.  :-)
     
    Regards,
     
    Cliff
    '98 Safari Sahara 30



On Sat, Apr 29, 2017 at 10:07 AM, Gerry brandipoole@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


Duane,
I have a 1997 30' Sahara with the same suspension.  I have previously listed all of the modifications that I have made to my unit on this website. If you cannot find those messages, email me with a phone number and I will walk you through the things that I had to do to make my rig drive well.  I find it interesting that even people with 40 foot rigs complain about their handling.  Since your rig weighs thousands of pounds less and has a much shorter wheelbase you can imagine what you are up against in trying to make your rig handle well.   I assure you that just changing shocks will not correct your handling issues.  Been there, done that!
Gerry  

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 29, 2017, at 2:10 AM, Duane Buck dewey2501@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:

 

Pete and all,

I'm sorry, but I'm beyond confused now about the shocks.  I've got a 96 30' Sahara with the Ellipti Ride - would these be the same shocks for my rig?  The previous owner put 8805-1010's on the front, and 8805-1019's on the rear.  The rear ones don't even look like they were made for Safari's in the first place (and now I wonder if that's a large portion of my rear end sway when big rigs pass me).  The fronts show as being correct for the leaf spring suspension like I have, but, are the the best ones for our rigs?  I'm trying to put these pages into a notebook for future, but this chain has me totally lost.

Thanks,
Duane
96 30' Sahara, 250hp Cat 3126, Allison 6spd


On Friday, April 28, 2017, 6:59:23 AM PDT, TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:
 

Pete,

This email string contains a link to a company that sells these shocks at the lowest price I've seen, with free shipping to boot. Have you tried ordering from them???

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/ i-2440381.aspx

The correct part number for the front shocks is: 88-1641SP3 (sp3 stands for an internal update and/or modification)
Be sure to order by part number not by make and year vehicle, otherwise you will get the ineffective shock that was originally specd for these coaches.

Rear shocks part number is: 88-1458SP2

http://www.ltbautosports.com/k oni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i- 2440566.aspx


Safe Travels,

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.





On Thu, Apr 27, 2017 at 11:35 PM, Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com > wrote:


is the koni 88-1641s the asme as th koni 88-1641 sp3?



From: "Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com >
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com " <
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32914 From: Dan Sample Date: 4/29/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
I couldn't agree more that it's hard to search old posts.  It's even harder when posts are made using a subject like "Safari"
Dan Sample



From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2017 4:14 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari



Gerry,

I did some search and dug up some relevant posts back from Sept of 2013, for the ones that may have a hard time searching this group. (I find it a royal pain to search and find old posts) So below I copied and pasted some of the conversations.

I hope this helps others who are struggling with handling of their coaches. Gerry, that was quite the write up and process you went through to finally succeed. Photos of those custom made pan rods would have been great! If you feel ambitious, could you put some up, it's never to late...


John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.


[Old posts]

  • "Wandering"

    Expand Messages
    • garyog97365
      Message 1 of 16 , Sep 15, 2013
  • There have been several posts relative to the Coach wandering or not driving straight. People tend to blame tires, shocks, steering boxes, alignment, what have you.

    I've had Safari's since 92, and what several of us has found out is that the problem "none of the above", not to say that all of those could be problems.

    The basic issue is related to the type of suspension on the Safari and many other coaches. It's a solid axle (beam axle)suspension, rather than an independent suspension. While many coaches have solid axle suspension in the rear, the Safari has it in the front.
    When a wheel hits a bump, the beam axle suspension also transmitts some of that force to the other side, and the end result is that the entire axle move slightly sideways, enough to cause the coach to "wander". The springs, whether rubber or metal, don't control this precisely.

    This can occur in either the front or rear suspension, although the rear suspension on the Safari is more resistant to this than the front.

    This is well known in racing circles, where precise steering is very important.

    The cure is a diagonal link, with one end fastened to the chassis and the other end fastened to the axle. Usually only needed at the front end.

    Camping World used to carry such an item made by Henderson Lineup in Grants Pass, Oregon.

    Henderson’s Line-Up 417 Henderson Street (formerly 417 S.W. Marion Lane) Grants Pass, OR 97527. Phone: 541-479-2882 Toll Free: 800-245-8309

    They manufacture a complete line of suspension parts as well as what I have mentioned.

    If you call them, ask them also about the Safari Tie rod problem.

    My wife wouldn't drive either of our Safari's, our 92 34' or our current 96 40', but after adding the tie rod, she is completly satisfied with how the 40' drives.

    Hope this is useful.

    Gary
  • Dave Farley
    Sep 15, 2013
  • Great explanation, and possible solution. Thanks.

    Dave
    '95 Safari Ivory Edition, 38', Cummins, 2004 Liberty toad

    Show message history
    There have been several posts relative to the Coach wandering or not driving straight. People tend to blame tires, shocks, steering boxes, alignment, what have you.

    I've had Safari's since 92, and what several of us has found out is that the problem "none of the above", not to say that all of those could be problems.

    The basic issue is related to the type of suspension on the Safari and many other coaches. It's a solid axle (beam axle)suspension, rather than an independent suspension. While many coaches have solid axle suspension in the rear, the Safari has it in the front.
    When a wheel hits a bump, the beam axle suspension also transmitts some of that force to the other side, and the end result is that the entire axle move slightly sideways, enough to cause the coach to "wander". The springs, whether rubber or metal, don't control this precisely.

    This can occur in either the front or rear suspension, although the rear suspension on the Safari is more resistant to this than the front.

    This is well known in racing circles, where precise steering is very important.

    The cure is a diagonal link, with one end fastened to the chassis and the other end fastened to the axle. Usually only needed at the front end.

    Camping World used to carry such an item made by Henderson Lineup in Grants Pass, Oregon.

    Henderson’s Line-Up 417 Henderson Street (formerly 417 S.W. Marion Lane) Grants Pass, OR 97527. Phone: 541-479-2882 Toll Free: 800-245-8309

    They manufacture a complete line of suspension parts as well as what I have mentioned.

    If you call them, ask them also about the Safari Tie rod problem.

    My wife wouldn't drive either of our Safari's, our 92 34' or our current 96 40', but after adding the tie rod, she is completly satisfied with how the 40' drives.

    Hope this is useful.

    Gary

  • wolfe102001
    Sep 15, 2013
  • Yes, you are describing a PANHARD ROD, also called a  TRACK BAR.

    It attaches to the axle on one side and chassis on the other.  It allows full up/down movement, but controls side to side movement of axle to chassis.

    Pioneer Metals has them for the Torsilastic suspension.

    Additionally, on the Torsilastic suspension they offer Radius Rods that minimize bump steer-- where the axle is driven back when the tire hits a bump which causes a steering input that the driver must correct for.


    I am not aware of anyone who offers Panhard rods for the leaf spring suspension, but would be interested if anyone knows of one.

    Brett


    Show message history
  • knollibe
    Sep 15, 2013
  • Ya don't need a panhard bar with leaf springs.
    Dwayne
    Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

    From: <bawolfe10@...>
    Date: 15 Sep 2013 13:37:28 -0700
    Subject: [Safarifriends] RE: "Wandering"

    Yes, you are describing a PANHARD ROD, also called a  TRACK BAR.

    It attaches to the axle on one side and chassis on the other.  It allows full up/down movement, but controls side to side movement of axle to chassis.

    Pioneer Metals has them for the Torsilastic suspension.

    Additionally, on the Torsilastic suspension they offer Radius Rods that minimize bump steer-- where the axle is driven back when the tire hits a bump which causes a steering input that the driver must correct for.


    I am not aware of anyone who offers Panhard rods for the leaf spring suspension, but would be interested if anyone knows of one.

    Brett


    Show message history
  • wolfe102001
    Sep 15, 2013
  • Dwayne,

    Don't know the answer, since I am not aware of anyone who has tired it. 

    I can tell you that track bars/panhard rods make a material improvement in both Ford and Workhorse leaf spring chassis.

    At this point, I just want more information to see if  they would make a difference on the Safari leaf spring suspension.

    The question boils down to one of whether there is any side to side play between axle and chassis in the leaf springs or spring bushings.


    Show message history
  • Gerald Poole
    Sep 15, 2013
  • Cliff,
    I have a '97 30 foot Sahara with springs.  I had harrowing experiences with the semi trucks as well as sudden side winds and was determined to solve that problem.  I could not have my wife drive as it was not safe.  Mine was like yours, anything over 55 mph made my unit shift sideways almost getting out of control.  The unit had a safe-t-plus steering stabilizer already installed.  I would have traded my unit for a motor home with a longer wheel base with the generator mounted in front of the front axle but I could not afford to make the change.
    My first attempt was to put on Bilstein shocks, little effect.  Second, replace and tighten the sway bar bushings in front and rear (including larger bolts and bushings), little effect.  Install air bags front and rear, some help but did not resolve the problem (I can inflate and deflate on the fly), I learned the problem is not front to rear or side to side motion.   Installed a homemade  diagonal bar (pan rod type bar) off the bottom of the rear axle, some improvement.  I made a homemade front end pan rod system tied to the frame and antisway bar, some noticeable improvement.  Installed a true center type steering system that can be adjusted on the fly that works with the safe-t-plus system (now there is a better unit on the market, look at the Blue Ox center steering stabilizer).  This made an improvement especially when you have a constant side wind or a road with a crown.   I then installed pan rod type bars on each side of the chassis to the rear cross member, MAJOR IMPROVEMENT!  Finally, after seeing the moderators box on the front of  his motor home (look at the home page picture) I installed a class 4 front hitch in front and mounted a trailer shaped aluminum box where I put my tools and other heavy items,  some improvement (I thought it was absurd to carry 700 plus pounds of lead weights in front as recommended by the factory).  Now I can drive at higher speeds and keep the unit under control.  Semi trucks come up from behind and pass me with very little effect.  Even with all my earlier improvements, until I stopped the crabbing motion of the house on the spring chassis I did not get the unit to handle in an acceptable manner.   The cost for all parts was over $1,000 but now my unit is a pleasure to drive.  I hope that gives you some idea of improvements you can make and the results you can expect.
    Gerry


    Show message history
  • wolfe102001
    Sep 16, 2013
  • Cliff,

    Keep us posted-- am also interested in whether a panhard rod would be a good addition to the Safari leaf spring suspension.

    Brett
     


    Show message history
  • garyog97365
    Sep 16, 2013
  • Don't agree about the panhard bar and leaf springs, front or back. Leaf springs have a rubber bushing in them that allows the axle to flex. The panhard rod is probably even more effective on the rear than on the front, as the towed car has lots of opportunity to "wag".

    Google "panhard rod" and Wiki and see what you find. Talk to the folks in Grants Pass. Join Safari_International. Get other opinions.

    I wouldn't take mine off, and I think that we had one on the front and rear of our 92 Kenya as well.

    Gary
  • garyog97365
    Sep 16, 2013
  • I believe that the original reason that the folks in oregon developed the panhard (trac rod) was specifically for the rear of spring suspensions. I'd advise going to their website and checking it out.

    We have also installed their replacement radius arms on the front of our current coach. That was a slight improvment in steering (panhard rod made the biggest improvement) but the real reason we installed was that the ball joint on the Safari rod had rust in it. They had a box of replaced rods. They said that lack of proper lubrication was the issue. You might consider checking your tie rods and see if both ends have grease fittings. Mine didn't.

    Gary
  • greg harding
    Sep 20, 2013
  • Found, my king pins were not greased for along time  and now trying to get an alignment, but can not find spec's for 2000 Sahara ,3016, Goodrich Velvet Ride.  Where can I find these alignment  spec's
    Thanks,
    Greg
  • Sep 20, 2013
  • As someone who has built suspension systems for jeeps, trucks, etc. a trackbar will and can make a world of difference to help with on road stability.  I have built my fair share of custom trackbar set ups on lifted leaf sprung trucks and jeeps.  I will look into making a bolt on "KIT" for my 95 Geti 


    Show message history
  • paulcell47
    Sep 21, 2013
  • Gerald, how about a little more info on your rear pan rod bars? I have done almost everything you have except the front box, still wander a little.  Have rubber springs tho. Pete, '99 thirty foot sahara.


    From: "Gerald Poole" <brandipoole@...>
    To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2013 6:35:11 PM
    Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: "Wandering"

    Cliff,
    I have a '97 30 foot Sahara with springs.  I had harrowing experiences with the semi trucks as well as sudden side winds and was determined to solve that problem.  I could not have my wife drive as it was not safe.  Mine was like yours, anything over 55 mph made my unit shift sideways almost getting out of control.  The unit had a safe-t-plus steering stabilizer already installed.  I would have traded my unit for a motor home with a longer wheel base with the generator mounted in front of the front axle but I could not afford to make the change.
    My first attempt was to put on Bilstein shocks, little effect.  Second, replace and tighten the sway bar bushings in front and rear (including larger bolts and bushings), little effect.  Install air bags front and rear, some help but did not resolve the problem (I can inflate and deflate on the fly), I learned the problem is not front to rear or side to side motion.   Installed a homemade  diagonal bar (pan rod type bar) off the bottom of the rear axle, some improvement.  I made a homemade front end pan rod system tied to the frame and antisway bar, some noticeable improvement.  Installed a true center type steering system that can be adjusted on the fly that works with the safe-t-plus system (now there is a better unit on the market, look at the Blue Ox center steering stabilizer).  This made an improvement especially when you have a constant side wind or a road with a crown.   I then installed pan rod type bars on each side of the chassis to the rear cross member, MAJOR IMPROVEMENT!  Finally, after seeing the moderators box on the front of  his motor home (look at the home page picture) I installed a class 4 front hitch in front and mounted a trailer shaped aluminum box where I put my tools and other heavy items,  some improvement (I thought it was absurd to carry 700 plus pounds of lead weights in front as recommended by the factory).  Now I can drive at higher speeds and keep the unit under control.  Semi trucks come up from behind and pass me with very little effect.  Even with all my earlier improvements, until I stopped the crabbing motion of the house on the spring chassis I did not get the unit to handle in an acceptable manner.   The cost for all parts was over $1,000 but now my unit is a pleasure to drive.  I hope that gives you some idea of improvements you can make and the results you can expect.
    Gerry


    Show message history
  • Gerald Poole
    Sep 21, 2013
  • It is the same principle as the diagonal rods but they will run from front to rear (one on each side).  You have to make up two brackets to attach on the u-bolts that hold the rear spring stacks together, then make two brackets to attach to the rear house frame that runs from side to side over the drive train.  Then you have to make up the attaching rods.  It requires a fair amout of drilling, welding and fabricating.  You have to do both sides to stop the body shifting.
    Gerry


    Show message history
  • Brian Harmon
    Sep 21, 2013
  • For some reason the only way I can post to the group is via email, when I try from the group site it never goes through

    There are many factory leaf sprung rigs that use Panard or track bar to stabilize the rig.  I myself have built them for truck that guys used to haul fire wood and water in AZ.  Makes a world of difference.  I will take a look at mine and see if I can figure out a bolt on kit for my 95 geti.  I have built many suspensions over the years for race and rockcrawling

    B
  • paulcell47
    Sep 21, 2013
  • It sounds like the two that are in front of the front axle, one factory installed and the other by me. I have "Velvet Ride" but I guess the principle is the same. Did you make them screw adjustable?


    From: "Gerald Poole" <brandipoole@...>
    To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Saturday, September 21, 2013 11:10:23 AM
    Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: "Wandering"

    It is the same principle as the diagonal rods but they will run from front to rear (one on each side).  You have to make up two brackets to attach on the u-bolts that hold the rear spring stacks together, then make two brackets to attach to the rear house frame that runs from side to side over the drive train.  Then you have to make up the attaching rods.  It requires a fair amout of drilling, welding and fabricating.  You have to do both sides to stop the body shifting.
    Gerry


    Show message history
  • Gerry & Ruth
    Message 16 of 16 , Sep 22, 2013
  • Yes they are adjustable. Several years ago I travelled with a buddy cross country, he has a 36 foot Winnabago.  He kept his water tanks nearly full to make his rig drive better (he has an air bag system).  This is the same principle as putting 700+ pounds of weight on the front of our rigs to load up the suspension.  On a couple of occasions we encountered strong side winds that lasted for half an hour or more.  I didn't have any trouble driving even curved roads at 55 mph but he was still swerving at 45 mph.  Now that fuel prices have doubled I do not make the long trips as often but when I do, I don't get as fatigued like I did when I was fighting the steering wheel.
    Gerry
    Sent from my iPad

    Show message history
    It sounds like the two that are in front of the front axle, one factory installed and the other by me. I have "Velvet Ride" but I guess the principle is the same. Did you make them screw adjustable?


    From: "Gerald Poole" <brandipoole@...>
    To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Saturday, September 21, 2013 11:10:23 AM
    Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: "Wandering"

    It is the same principle as the diagonal rods but they will run from front to rear (one on each side).  You have to make up two brackets to attach on the u-bolts that hold the rear spring stacks together, then make two brackets to attach to the rear house frame that runs from side to side over the drive train.  Then you have to make up the attaching rods.  It requires a fair amout of drilling, welding and fabricating.  You have to do both sides to stop the body shifting.
    Gerry



    From: "nanandpete@..." <nanandpete@...>
    To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Saturday, September 21, 2013 11:21 AM
    Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: "Wandering"

     
    Gerald, how about a little more info on your rear pan rod bars? I have done almost everything you have except the front box, still wander a little.  Have rubber springs tho. Pete, '99 thirty foot sahara.


    From: "Gerald Poole" <brandipoole@...>
    To: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com
    Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2013 6:35:11 PM
    Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Re: "Wandering"

    Cliff,
    I have a '97 30 foot Sahara with springs.  I had harrowing experiences with the semi trucks as well as sudden side winds and was determined to solve that problem.  I could not have my wife drive as it was not safe.  Mine was like yours, anything over 55 mph made my unit shift sideways almost getting out of control.  The unit had a safe-t-plus steering stabilizer already installed.  I would have traded my unit for a motor home with a longer wheel base with the generator mounted in front of the front axle but I could not afford to make the change.
    My first attempt was to put on Bilstein shocks, little effect.  Second, replace and tighten the sway bar bushings in front and rear (including larger bolts and bushings), little effect.  Install air bags front and rear, some help but did not resolve the problem (I can inflate and deflate on the fly), I learned the problem is not front to rear or side to side motion.   Installed a homemade  diagonal bar (pan rod type bar) off the bottom of the rear axle, some improvement.  I made a homemade front end pan rod system tied to the frame and antisway bar, some noticeable improvement.  Installed a true center type steering system that can be adjusted on the fly that works with the safe-t-plus system (now there is a better unit on the market, look at the Blue Ox center steering stabilizer).  This made an improvement e

    (Message over 64 KB, truncated)
Group: Safarifriends Message: 32918 From: Bill Edwards Date: 4/30/2017
Subject: Re: Safari
Danny,

Back to your note on the 28th Sorry I was not timely on a replay as I was out of town. But here is my take. I have a 99 Safari Continental Panther. It too has an 8 bag setup. I would suggest that 4 bags support one axel and 4 the other. These bags are about 10 inches in diameter and 9 inches tall, if they are the same as my coach. The after market units are quite a bit smaller 6 inches on the outside and double in height. 

To answer your question about chasing the coach in the wind. First off the Koni or Bilstines shocks will do little here. The Koni will improve ride and some handling characteristics. There are no Pioneer components to aid the handling of the air coaches that I am aware of. All of that said two items come to mind. One is a valve made by Source Engineering in Eugene, Oregon that when vertically placed in each air line above each bag it restricts the air flow exiting the bag which in turn helps control sway. Turning and wind will affect sway and how much you feel the need to chase it. 

The second component is Safe-T-Plus available from  Steer Safe  in Demming, New Mexico. It is a huge double acting shock installed on the cross tierod of the steering componetry to help minimize the chase time. It also has significant benifit if a flat tite or a blow out occures which is how it is advertised. Cost is in the 5 to 700 dollar range with brackets and all to install. It is user friendly.

The Cadillac of these devises is a Blue Ox True center. It is an electro mechanical device that is smart and is designed to aid control in the wind. It is a bit more pricey, in excess of a 1,000 dollars and I understand it is the best at what it is designed to do what it does.

Like you I have the same issues. I have not pulled the trigger on the latter components as I am still reying to solve an unequal filling of the air bags in front. First it is one side and then it is the other. Until I have another like coach ro aid in understanding the problem and determine its solution, then I can not install the Source valves either. 

Hope this helps,

Bill Edwards
1999 455 Contintal Panther
2001 Zanzibar  FS  




On Friday, April 28, 2017 6:11 PM, "Danny gremessr@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
I have been following this thread and learned a lot about RV shock choices. my question is how do I know what ride my Safari Continental has? it has two air bags on each axle totaling eight. the ride is ok but hard to keep on the road in wind and passing big rigs.
Thank you for suggestions.
Danny


On April 28, 2017, at 18:07, "Bill Edwards billedwardsrs@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
Dave.

When I was conversing with Ralph and doing the upgrades he told me point blank to switch the front shock mounts left to right. That said I too would convey that message to you having a later coach and switching to Koni.. My Z has a stellar ride and handles great. By the way I did not set my shocks to full hard and it is just fine.

Bill Edwards
2001 Zanzibar &
1999 Panther
redundancy in spades!




On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 3:30 AM, "'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
John
 
  I’m taking you advice sending them back today and getting the right ones.
   Thanks again for all you advice
Dave
2002 safari Zanaibar
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 2:31 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
They lied to you, as the 1490s have a stroke of 7.8 inches and the 1641s have a stroke of 7.2 inches.
This will not be an issue, as many Safari owners, including myself, are using the 1641s on our coaches. This sock was extensively researched and real life roadtested by the late Ralph Andrews (RIP). Ralph was an engineer who founded and owned Pioneer Metal Works, and was key in engineering various products to improve handling and ride quality for our Safari coaches. Way back before Ralph discovered the 1641 shocks, he actually designed a quad shock adapter for the 1490s because they were so inadequate. I can't drive the point hard enough that you will not be happy with the 1490s, you need to return them, even if it costs you extra shipping. Three hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on shocks that won't do the job, so please do yourself a favor and order the 88-1641 shocks.
Since the extended length on the 1641s are a bit shorter, if you find that on rare occasions that the top out on extension, you can always opt to remove the top shock mounts and flipping them upside down. Note: you will need to mount them on opposite sides for this to work, as in the right mount gets flipped and put on the left side, and vice versa for the left to the right. This drops the mount about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, which will be just about exact for the 1641s shorter extended length.
The roads I travel in the new england area are pretty brutal, with terrible bridge transitions, I have had only one very extreme occasion were I felt the shocks top out lightly when the coach got bounced up real hard.
I don't know if you are aware, but these shocks are adjustable, they come set from the factory with the least dampening set. If you travel rough roads often, I suggest you set them to the maximum dampening right from the get go.
A suggestion for returning, who ever you bought them from, just ask to return them only saying that they are the wrong ones, if they ask or claim that this is the right application, bs them and tell them that you coach had a special modification, requiring the 1641 shock, and that you just found out about it. Do what ever it takes to return them and get your money back and/or exchange for the ones you need.
If you have more questions, you can send me a PM.
Good luck.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 10:04 AM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 
John
 
I did order the 88-1490 SP2 I just call Koni and they said the 88-1641 SP3 where 1 ½ inches shorter and where on recommended  for my 2002 safari Zanzabar
 
What are your thoughts
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???
If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.
Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
 
On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 
John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i-2440566.aspx
This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.
Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.
If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave
 
 
 
 
 


Group: Safarifriends Message: 32939 From: Danny Date: 5/1/2017
Subject: Re: Safari

Thank you John and Ed,
   My Safari is a 2000 with a Cat 3126.  it has not been out for about 8 months now. I pulled Tue radiator to clean the cores on the outside as well as the intercooler; both were clogged causing fit to want to run hot. what a pain in the bottom side that was. I took the time to replace the thermostats and air filter. Another pain to get at. I have not taken it out for a test drive; since changing the air filter however the cooling issue is resolved. Loss of power due to clogged air filter is what I hope was the issue. I had surgery so taking it on the road has to wait.
I will be trying some of the inputs on sway control you both shared. Our Safari does seem like it should handle better. passing a big rig or windy days sure make for a tiring drive at the end of the day.
  Adding some of your suggestions is not an issue for me. I am certified Caterpillar and automotive mechanic and have a nice workshop I keep the Safari in.
   Thank you for what is good advice. I will be putting it to good use.

Danny Gremes
2000 Safari Continental



On April 30, 2017, at 17:50, "Bill Edwards billedwardsrs@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 

Danny,

Back to your note on the 28th Sorry I was not timely on a replay as I was out of town. But here is my take. I have a 99 Safari Continental Panther. It too has an 8 bag setup. I would suggest that 4 bags support one axel and 4 the other. These bags are about 10 inches in diameter and 9 inches tall, if they are the same as my coach. The after market units are quite a bit smaller 6 inches on the outside and double in height. 

To answer your question about chasing the coach in the wind. First off the Koni or Bilstines shocks will do little here. The Koni will improve ride and some handling characteristics. There are no Pioneer components to aid the handling of the air coaches that I am aware of. All of that said two items come to mind. One is a valve made by Source Engineering in Eugene, Oregon that when vertically placed in each air line above each bag it restricts the air flow exiting the bag which in turn helps control sway. Turning and wind will affect sway and how much you feel the need to chase it. 

The second component is Safe-T-Plus available from  Steer Safe  in Demming, New Mexico. It is a huge double acting shock installed on the cross tierod of the steering componetry to help minimize the chase time. It also has significant benifit if a flat tite or a blow out occures which is how it is advertised. Cost is in the 5 to 700 dollar range with brackets and all to install. It is user friendly.

The Cadillac of these devises is a Blue Ox True center. It is an electro mechanical device that is smart and is designed to aid control in the wind. It is a bit more pricey, in excess of a 1,000 dollars and I understand it is the best at what it is designed to do what it does.

Like you I have the same issues. I have not pulled the trigger on the latter components as I am still reying to solve an unequal filling of the air bags in front. First it is one side and then it is the other. Until I have another like coach ro aid in understanding the problem and determine its solution, then I can not install the Source valves either. 

Hope this helps,

Bill Edwards
1999 455 Contintal Panther
2001 Zanzibar  FS  




On Friday, April 28, 2017 6:11 PM, "Danny gremessr@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
I have been following this thread and learned a lot about RV shock choices. my question is how do I know what ride my Safari Continental has? it has two air bags on each axle totaling eight. the ride is ok but hard to keep on the road in wind and passing big rigs.
Thank you for suggestions.
Danny


On April 28, 2017, at 18:07, "Bill Edwards billedwardsrs@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
Dave.

When I was conversing with Ralph and doing the upgrades he told me point blank to switch the front shock mounts left to right. That said I too would convey that message to you having a later coach and switching to Koni.. My Z has a stellar ride and handles great. By the way I did not set my shocks to full hard and it is just fine.

Bill Edwards
2001 Zanzibar &
1999 Panther
redundancy in spades!




On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 3:30 AM, "'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


 
John
 
  I’m taking you advice sending them back today and getting the right ones.
   Thanks again for all you advice
Dave
2002 safari Zanaibar
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2017 2:31 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
They lied to you, as the 1490s have a stroke of 7.8 inches and the 1641s have a stroke of 7.2 inches.
This will not be an issue, as many Safari owners, including myself, are using the 1641s on our coaches. This sock was extensively researched and real life roadtested by the late Ralph Andrews (RIP). Ralph was an engineer who founded and owned Pioneer Metal Works, and was key in engineering various products to improve handling and ride quality for our Safari coaches. Way back before Ralph discovered the 1641 shocks, he actually designed a quad shock adapter for the 1490s because they were so inadequate. I can't drive the point hard enough that you will not be happy with the 1490s, you need to return them, even if it costs you extra shipping. Three hundred dollars is a lot of money to spend on shocks that won't do the job, so please do yourself a favor and order the 88-1641 shocks.
Since the extended length on the 1641s are a bit shorter, if you find that on rare occasions that the top out on extension, you can always opt to remove the top shock mounts and flipping them upside down. Note: you will need to mount them on opposite sides for this to work, as in the right mount gets flipped and put on the left side, and vice versa for the left to the right. This drops the mount about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, which will be just about exact for the 1641s shorter extended length.
The roads I travel in the new england area are pretty brutal, with terrible bridge transitions, I have had only one very extreme occasion were I felt the shocks top out lightly when the coach got bounced up real hard.
I don't know if you are aware, but these shocks are adjustable, they come set from the factory with the least dampening set. If you travel rough roads often, I suggest you set them to the maximum dampening right from the get go.
A suggestion for returning, who ever you bought them from, just ask to return them only saying that they are the wrong ones, if they ask or claim that this is the right application, bs them and tell them that you coach had a special modification, requiring the 1641 shock, and that you just found out about it. Do what ever it takes to return them and get your money back and/or exchange for the ones you need.
If you have more questions, you can send me a PM.
Good luck.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Mon, Mar 20, 2017 at 10:04 AM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 
John
 
I did order the 88-1490 SP2 I just call Koni and they said the 88-1641 SP3 where 1 ½ inches shorter and where on recommended  for my 2002 safari Zanzabar
 
What are your thoughts
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:48 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,

Which Koni shocks did you buy for the front, the 88-1641 SP3 or the 88-1490 SP2???
If you bought the 88-1490, do yourself a favor and return them, as you will have spent a lot of money and will be unhappy. They do not have nearly enough dampening as the 88-1641s.
Are you at 24 inches at all four corners???
I can not tell you if adjustment is easy, as I have never needed an adjustment. Many have done it themselves, but it seems like it involves some elbow grease and air tools.
Look in the files section, there should be a detail write up on how to do this.

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
 
On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 2:50 PM, 'Dog' dlswood@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 
John
 
Thanks
I did buy shocks for the front Koni’s the other day have not put them on yet. Waiting to get more money to buy for the rear. Also my ride height is only 24” so I need to work on that also. Is that a hard job?
 
Thanks
Dave
 
From: Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:57 PM
To: Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y.
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] Safari
 
 
Dave,
I personally like the VelvetRide and am happy with it. Early and mid nineties there were little to none failure rates. From about '99 to '01 there were some failures, especially on the Zanzibar and Panther models, probably due to additional weight. The suspension is very simple and low maintenance. Like Brett stated, proper ride height is important.
I did have a clearance issue on my coach that Brett helped me resolve about 3 years ago.
There were bolts sticking out just far enough for the torsion tubes to catch them, allowing only about 1.5 inches of downward travel. This caused a very harsh, loud, and painful bottoming out on any dips and poor bridge transitions. It appears that wrong bolts were installed wrong right from the factory (to long, but could have faced the other way to compensate the wrong length) and this issue was chased for many years, because it is very hard to notice unless you happen to know what to look for. Solving the problem was just a matter of cutting the tips of the bolts off and all of a sudden the coach became a velvet ride like the name claims. If you have similar issues, do a search for "clearance issues" and you will find my write up with photos showing the issue.
If you don't have them already, Koni shocks will give you the best ride for the type of suspension you have.
Here are the Koni shock part numbers that you need.

Here is the link to the front shocks, part # 88-1641SP3:
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/foretravel/881641sp3/i-2440381.aspx

Link to the rear shocks 88-1458SP2 :
http://www.ltbautosports.com/koni-rv-/safari/881458sp2/i-2440566.aspx
This site is usually the lowest price with free shipping.
Make sure you order by these part number and not by year and make, other wise you will end up with weaker front shocks that will not work well.
If your coach does not have the Tiger Trak bars and radius bars made by Pioneer Metal Works, you might want to consider getting them, as they will improve stability and handling.

 John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.
 
On Wed, Mar 15, 2017 at 1:38 PM, looking41234@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


John

Mine has the velvet ride what are your thoughts on it

Dave
 
 
 
 
 


Group: Safarifriends Message: 32948 From: Pete Judd Date: 5/2/2017
Subject: wandering
The Koni shocks came in yesterday and I will be taking the motor home into the shop in the next few days.  What is the correct castor and camber for this 1995 velvet ride coach?

Thanks

Pete

Group: Safarifriends Message: 32949 From: TD Date: 5/2/2017
Subject: Re: VelvetRide Alignment Specs. [was] wandering
Pete, (and others)

Here are the VelvetRide alignment specs:

5 to 5.5 degrees positive caster
(4.5 absolute minimum, if coach tends to wander all over, + 5.5 deg. is preferred)
 If coach tends to pull to the right, up to +0.5 degrees more can be increased on the right wheel to compensate for the crown of the road.

-1/4 to +1/2 degree positive camber (camber not really adjustable, unless you heat and bend the axle, and normally does not need adjustment)

.125  to .25 in. toe-in (if coach tends to wander all over the road .25" is preferred)

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 4:27 PM, Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


The Koni shocks came in yesterday and I will be taking the motor home into the shop in the next few days.  What is the correct castor and camber for this 1995 velvet ride coach?

Thanks

Pete




Group: Safarifriends Message: 32950 From: Pete Judd Date: 5/2/2017
Subject: Re: VelvetRide Alignment Specs. [was] wandering
Thanks, will print this and give it to the shop and keep a copy and keep it on the MH.

From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 2, 2017 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] VelvetRide Alignment Specs. [was] wandering

 
Pete, (and others)

Here are the VelvetRide alignment specs:

5 to 5.5 degrees positive caster
(4.5 absolute minimum, if coach tends to wander all over, + 5.5 deg. is preferred)
 If coach tends to pull to the right, up to +0.5 degrees more can be increased on the right wheel to compensate for the crown of the road.

-1/4 to +1/2 degree positive camber (camber not really adjustable, unless you heat and bend the axle, and normally does not need adjustment)

.125  to .25 in. toe-in (if coach tends to wander all over the road .25" is preferred)

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 4:27 PM, Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


The Koni shocks came in yesterday and I will be taking the motor home into the shop in the next few days.  What is the correct castor and camber for this 1995 velvet ride coach?

Thanks

Pete






Group: Safarifriends Message: 32951 From: Dan Sample Date: 5/2/2017
Subject: Thanks for - Re: [Safarifriends] VelvetRide Alignment Specs. [was] w
Very useful information.



From: "Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 2, 2017 7:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] VelvetRide Alignment Specs. [was] wandering



Thanks, will print this and give it to the shop and keep a copy and keep it on the MH.

From: "TD sdjhtm@... [Safarifriends]" <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
To: "Dale Maggio dalemaggio@y." <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 2, 2017 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Safarifriends] VelvetRide Alignment Specs. [was] wandering

 
Pete, (and others)

Here are the VelvetRide alignment specs:

5 to 5.5 degrees positive caster
(4.5 absolute minimum, if coach tends to wander all over, + 5.5 deg. is preferred)
 If coach tends to pull to the right, up to +0.5 degrees more can be increased on the right wheel to compensate for the crown of the road.

-1/4 to +1/2 degree positive camber (camber not really adjustable, unless you heat and bend the axle, and normally does not need adjustment)

.125  to .25 in. toe-in (if coach tends to wander all over the road .25" is preferred)

John
'95 Safari Serengeti 38ft, 300 Cummins 8.3CTA, Allison
6spd.

On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 4:27 PM, Pete Judd kd7lmq@... [Safarifriends] <Safarifriends@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


The Koni shocks came in yesterday and I will be taking the motor home into the shop in the next few days.  What is the correct castor and camber for this 1995 velvet ride coach?

Thanks

Pete