Shock absorbers

pnichols wrote:
The "heavy duty" shocks are stiff shocks, and stiff shocks are NOT what is needed in the Ford E350/E450 rear end when it comes to road ruts, potholes, and highway cracks. But then again, you don't want a soft shock back there - for good load control.

So folks are right ... you cannot "shock your way out of" a harsh ride with these two chassis in a Class C motorhome using standard shocks. I can see only three ways to improve the rear end ride in the E350/E450 chassis:

1) Try the Koni FSD shocks on your E350, or try them when available for your E450. These are not the same as the regular Koni shocks ... you'd have to be sure to ask for Koni's FSD shock if you try the Koni route.

or

2) Have a leaf taken out of the rear leaf springs and install heavy duty air bags. This will put more of the rear end weight purely on air to partially simulate a full air suspension system in the rear.

or

3) Have a full air suspension system retrofitted in the rear of your E350 or E450 Class C motorhome .... just like is on some shuttle-buses.

I'm going to the try the Koni Frequency Selective Damping shock route to help with the pounding in the rear of our Class C's E450 chassis. I could reduce tire pressure in the rear because we're not anywhere near fully loading the rear axle, but I don't want to compromise on the long tread wear, solid lateral stability, and cooler sidewalls you get from using higher tire pressures.

I looked at many alternatives and the problem the 3 recommendation above are:
1) to start with the shocks are not available today and there is obviously no information on their effectiveness, enough said.
2) removing a leaf will reduce your cargo carrying capability and current ride height as well as current handling characteristics, enough said.
3) installing a full air system in my opinion is silly on a an E450, just look at the ridiculous cost and determine for yourself.