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Contributor
Location: Carthage Missouri | After extensive work on #617's rear suspension. They are having trouble with alinement with the rear end of the coach. Any help would be welcomed. My suspension separated from frame in rebuilding we beefed up both sides after installing a 2 inch torsion bar. It is pulling to the right. |
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Expert
 
Location: Cottage Grove, OR | Jim, I am not the person that is qualified to tell you what to try, but just need to confirm that your shop has reveiwed the service manual and any service bulletins that may relate to the rear suspension. I do know that alignment is critical and must be just right.
I assume they have checked that both rear wheel sets are true vertical and true square with the frame. That is done with the string check from front to back I believe.
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Contributor
| Stephen is on the right track. Ride height on both sides needs to be even along with front to rear alignment. Other things that can cause pulling, Tire pressure, and brake clearance adjustments (shoe dragging).
Paul
Not on this site that much Please let me know the fix.
phankerson@comcast.net |
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Contributor
Location: Carthage Missouri | I now have #617 back. After a few short runs it pulls to the right but not bad. The rear end was off 1/8 of a inch before alignment. I will be checking for tire wear. |
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Contributor
Location: Carthage Missouri | Following is the cost, work done etc when my rear suspension failed just before I got home. Torsion bar anchors[$333] broken---torsion bushing riding loose on housing--transaxles machined for new bushings[$2,160] --new 2 inch torsion bars[$900]--new shocks[[$120] My total cost was $8,000. I will have a copy of the bill at the rally in Or next month. By the way they gave me a $950 discount because I missed the last rally. |
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Extreme Veteran
Location: Scottsdale, Aridzona | Glad you are back on the road. Please find out where "they" got NEW 2 inch torsion bars. I'm not sure what trans axle machining is about. Hope you will explain it next Summer at the BiAnnual Super FMC Rally in your Backyard - Missouri. Got any pictures ? Lou #120. |
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Contributor
Location: Cupertino, CA | For what it is worth, Jim, I was able to find shocks for both front and rear on line - one choice was on Ebay the other was on Amazon. I bought two sets for both front and rear. Gas charged fronts were $24 each for Monroe and $62 for rear Monroe. The other choice for front gas charged were $59 and $64. Replaced all four on The Grape (386) and the ride improved dramatically! Don't suppose any of it had to do with the broken shock mount in the rear. . .
Now, 968 (Pebble) also had the right A-arm support break free from the frame, so I am thinking regular inspection of the suspension parts welded to the frame deserve regular inspections on these older coaches.
Also, when the club members that came forth to buy needed parts, when RVS closed, we also got a fairly large supply of the rear suspension bushings (donuts), which requires four of them. While we don't yet have the parts inventoried, keep Greg and Stephen in mind when looking for our unique parts. |
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Veteran
Location: Houston, Texas | hey Larry, what's the part numbers ?
Thanks
Rico
Houston Texas
397 |
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Contributor
Location: Cupertino, CA | There are a couple posts on the subject and these are the numbers I came up with for the Monroe shocks that measured the same as the seemingly stock shock that I replaced. "no secrets here. #198 has Monroes front and back. Front 66841 Gas Magnum and rear 74025. "
Lou has also posted: "The front shocks on my FMC #120 are Monroe Gas Shock #660157.
The rears are Monroe #74028" Measurements differed some and numbers didn't seem to bear out so assumed there might be a typo, though Lou is pretty particular about what he posts.
The alternate I found was a KYB Gas-A-Just front shock #KG6005 and had the same measurement, but the rear shock (I don't have the number) was short on full extension so I avoided them as I didn't want to take a chance on breaking a mount. As it turned out, full compression would be the problem, not extension as the suspension limits it.
Hope this help you.
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Extreme Veteran
Location: Scottsdale, Aridzona | Shock Absorber - Please see FMC Service Bulletin 2905-40005, dated Nov 15, 1976 where it states to use Shock #5109258 at all for corners of Transit FMCs. If it's good enough for front and rear of FMC Transits, then it is good enough for front and rear of my FMC #120. The 5109258 number crosses over to Monroe #74028, which is same as Gabriel 89420.
The shock when fully extended still holds up the rear brake/wheel hub on the end of the suspension trailing arm. If the wheel is completely off the ground, and the rear shock is removed, everything may drop down even further. Do not left the rear brake/wheel hub come down on your fingers or toes. Support the rear brake/wheel hub on blocks, or a bottle jack, or floor jack before you remove the rear shock absorber.
The rear shocks are "connected" to the suspension and frame by loose bolts that flop up and down and seriously limit the Shock Absorber Function with respect to the FMC Rear Suspension. There is a fix for this major design flaw, as shown in pictures on the FMC Yahoo Website -
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FMCMotorCoach/photos/albums/2095...
Barney (#801) Martin was going to make these rigid rear suspension shock mounts for Sale to FMCers.
Rigid shock mounts and the Timbren rubber donut springs will considerable dampen the 10,000 pound rear suspension load from "wagging" the 4,500 pound front suspension, and stop the "tail wagging the dog". Shock ON !, Lou #120
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Veteran
Location: Canton, (Sixes) GA | Leslie did not recommend gas shocks, he said they made the suspension too stiff. Heavy duty one way shocks are what he used and installed on 890 way back when..seems fine to me...Other than being yellow, I don't know who makes them. Google was no help. Just sayin... |
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rear end adjustment
