Another satisfied RIP customer!
Ramsey and Glen worked their magic yesterday on our 2007 Quigley van and all I can say is wow -- it's like a completely different vehicle. It actually has a functioning suspension now, is much more comfortable, more stable at speed, the diesel no longer makes clackety noises, and it gets 25 mpg!!! Okay, the last two didn't happen.
The van spa day included the following:
1. Four Fox shocks with Agile Offroad custom valving.
2. Fox shock steering stabilizer.
3. Drop brackets for front sway bar.
4. Progressive front coil springs.
5. Added one full-length rear spring (psuedo military wrap) and modified short overload springs.
6. New rear shock mounts (good riddance to the Quigley abortion modified mounts).
7. Aluminess front bumper.
8. Death wobble diagnosis and cure.
BEFORE
On the road, our van always had decent manners for a one-ton truck. It tracked straight, was mostly unaffected by winds, and stayed in its lane. Easy to drive with one finger even towing a 6,000 lb trailer. Death wobble reared its ugly head about two years ago. New trak bar bushings helped for a while, but it came back. Off road, the ride was punishing at speeds over 15 mph. Before I cut 1/2" off the front rubber bump stops, it was intolerable. Even the smallest dip would result in a jarring blow. The rear leaf springs were almost flat and completely touching the shorter overload spring on the bottom of the spring pack. The van looked the part of an off-road beast, but it was all show and no go.
AFTER
The van sat about 3/4" higher in the front with the new progressive springs which put the front about 1/2" higher than the back. After fitting the additional leaf spring and new counter arched overload spring on the rear and a short test drive, the ride height front to rear was basically the same (within 1/8"). I got to watch the guys at National Spring put a curve in the flat overload springs while we waited on a 100-ton press. Also got to see Ramsey configure the Fox shocks with the different diameter and thickness of stainless steel washers and ones with special valving properties. He sets both the compression and rebound to each customer's application.
The taller progressive coil springs added much needed additional travel to the front end. The helper spring and arched overload allowed the rear springs to droop and compress much easier. The new rear shock mounts welded on the axle tubes are much cleaner than factory and offer better ground clearance. Longer shocks were fitted on the rear so we had full droop of the newly more flexible springs.
My steering drag link ball joint was shot, which accounted for 95% of the death wobble issue. A local Ford dealer correctly identified that and I ordered that part from Quigley and had Ramsey install it. Ramsey noted that the steering box is starting to click (you can feel it by holding the pitman arm while somebody rapidly moves the steering wheel back and forth small amounts). He has seen this on other 4x4 vans running big tires -- it just wears out the boxes. Only remanufactured ones are supposedly available and I will likely have to replace that at some point in the near future.
The dramatically improved ride quality make the van a pleasure to drive. I had a 2.5-hr drive home and the van was so much more stable on the freeway and rock solid in turns that I found myself unknowingly driving much faster than usual because of the smooth ride. Potholes, driveway entrances, speed bumps, and parking lot drainage swales are no longer things to be feared. The suspension is much more compliant and all the improvements work perfectly together. There is no getting around the fact that it's still a heavy van, but it has a bit more trophy truck spirit now.
The Aluminess bumper is a work of art and truck sexiness at its best. It should have been one of my first purchases, but like many I gulped at the price. Now to add a winch, d-rings, and lights. Spending money helps the economy right????
I can't say enough good things about Ramsey and Glen or more highly recommend Agile Offroad.
A+++ for customer service, very reasonable pricing, and they even tolerated me getting in the way and turning a wrench or two. They are excellent mechanics and fabricators with considerable experience with 4x4 vans. Both are also avid off road racers and their shop was full of drool-worthy race cars and two other cool customer vans. They were in the process of converting a Sprinter van to 4x4 by adding a custom independent front axle based on a Ford 9" differential. That will be something to see.
If your van rides like crap, take it to Agile Offroad for the RIP treatment! I'm sure you'll be glad you did.
cool Eric... I can hear that 460 hittin' low all the way from here
Vandiesel II
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