Bumpy harsh ride .. way too bad or is it normal!

[Birty]

Full or empty I am feeling every pothole , bump, cats eye the lot. The noise is really driving me daft.. alway been there but of late more noticeable. Recently passed Mot so assuming all is good.. Its a 2011 T5.1 with 46k on the clock.. I assume existing shocks are ok just yet? Also wallowing around bends can be annoying., Not the best vehicle for handling I find.. It also seems to bounce around the road on some of the disgraceful surfaces in East Sussex... I believe Bilsteins help. but would hate to make the ride harsher and they aint cheap plus type options (coilovers, adjustable etc etc) that I simply dont understand.. I am on 17 inch wheels and the tyres are all inflated correctly.. Is there an idiots guide to changing/solutions for shocks. Or advice please.. keep it simple

 

[MattBW]

When the road is bad I find it especially noticeable on standard suspension. Berwick Upon Tweed was a particularly horrendous driving experience in places.

Weirdly I find the front fine and the rear worse. I also find its better with a slight load. Empty it jolts the back.

I'd love to improve it but no idea how without spending lots of cash.

 

[Birty]

yes me and you alike.. still bad with some load on board!!

When the road is bad I find it especially noticeable on standard suspension. Berwick Upon Tweed was a particularly horrendous driving experience in places.

Weirdly I find the front fine and the rear worse. I also find its better with a slight load. Empty it jolts the back.

I'd love to improve it but no idea how without spending lots of cash.

 

[AlanC]

Had a similar issue on our van. It was seized front anti roll bar drop arms.
Once these were replaced, had to be cut off apparently, all was sweetness and light again.

Alan

 

[Birty]

assume checked on MOT?

 

[MattBW]

Mine has been like that since new so I suspect mine is just firm, or I hope it is

 

[Skewif]

Full or empty I am feeling every pothole , bump, cats eye the lot. The noise is really driving me daft.. alway been there but of late more noticeable. Recently passed Mot so assuming all is good.. Its a 2011 T5.1 with 46k on the clock.. I assume existing shocks are ok just yet? Also wallowing around bends can be annoying., Not the best vehicle for handling I find.. It also seems to bounce around the road on some of the disgraceful surfaces in East Sussex... I believe Bilsteins help. but would hate to make the ride harsher and they aint cheap plus type options (coilovers, adjustable etc etc) that I simply dont understand.. I am on 17 inch wheels and the tyres are all inflated correctly.. Is there an idiots guide to changing/solutions for shocks. Or advice please.. keep it simple

By that mileage / age the rear shocks may well be pretty tired and ineffective (mine were). Changing them for something like Sachs super touring shock absorbers ~£130 a pair will make a huge difference and reduce nearly all the bounciness and wollowing without making the ride harsh. After that its how much do you want to spend? To replace all shocks, links, bearings and bushes, so basically totally new suspension with better than original components costs about £1k fitted. Could be a small price to pay for a like new ride if planning to keep for many years.

 

[Birty]

By that mileage / age the rear shocks may well be pretty tired and ineffective (mine were). Changing them for something like Sachs super touring shock absorbers ~£130 a pair will make a huge difference and reduce nearly all the bounciness and wollowing without making the ride harsh. After that its how much do you want to spend? To replace all shocks, links, bearings and bushes, so basically totally new suspension with better than original components costs about £1k fitted. Could be a small price to pay for a like new ride if planning to keep for many years.

getting suspension checked next week. Also garage said change tyres. side walls of goodrich are hard but too many miles on yet. down to 4 mm .. he says it can make all the difference..

 

[Birty]

All suspension is fine.. Hard wall tyres he is pretty sure. Anyone heard of that?? Says I should go Michelin.. also wondered if tyres should be extra load/van rated??

 

[westfalia]

All suspension is fine.. Hard wall tyres he is pretty sure. Anyone heard of that?? Says I should go Michelin.. also wondered if tyres should be extra load/van rated??

I fitted some new winter tyres last year and i went for the correct
load rating but not the ´C´ones. C is commercial.
It was like a magic carpet ride, the overhead shutter never opened once.
So i would say its the hard wall tyres Birty.

 

[Birty]

sounds like enough evidence to me... what make?

 

[westfalia]

sounds like enough evidence to me... what make?

They were my new Nokian winter tyres Birty, I'm now back on the
rough rider summer ones.

 

[mr_waxdope_noodle]

Full or empty I am feeling every pothole , bump, cats eye the lot. The noise is really driving me daft.. alway been there but of late more noticeable. Recently passed Mot so assuming all is good.. Its a 2011 T5.1 with 46k on the clock.. I assume existing shocks are ok just yet? Also wallowing around bends can be annoying., Not the best vehicle for handling I find.. It also seems to bounce around the road on some of the disgraceful surfaces in East Sussex... I believe Bilsteins help. but would hate to make the ride harsher and they aint cheap plus type options (coilovers, adjustable etc etc) that I simply dont understand.. I am on 17 inch wheels and the tyres are all inflated correctly.. Is there an idiots guide to changing/solutions for shocks. Or advice please.. keep it simple

Did you manage to make your ride nicer?

 

[Birty]

Did you manage to make your ride nicer?

Sorry nope.. I sold it!!

 

[mr_waxdope_noodle]

Sorry nope.. I sold it!!

:-(


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[The Saint Essex]

I’ve just changed to some 235 wide Michelin Cross Climate 2 from the standard 215’s and it has make such a difference and removed most of the crashiness from the ride.

It’s still a van (ok a very nice), so never going to be car like ride but fair less tiring to drive now

 

[andyinluton]

I’ve just changed to some 235 wide Michelin Cross Climate 2 from the standard 215’s and it has make such a difference and removed most of the crashiness from the ride.

It’s still a van (ok a very nice), so never going to be car like ride but fair less tiring to drive now

I have had wheels from 16" to 18" and tyre widths from 215 to 255 and always found the bigger wheels with wider tyres running at the recommended lower pressures to have a far better ride.
215 van tyres pumped up hard may give the best MPG but it a very hard bouncy ride.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

We have always been happy with 17" 215's ; but we did have uprated ARB fitted which solved the Cali wallow without the need to change shocks...the only time it gets a bit crashy is over potholes.

But very happy that people enjoy wider wheels / tyres as makes replacement 215's with delivery miles nice and cheap when ours need replacing!