Ride Quality - Salem Kroger - Page 2

mjdipietro · 10-05-2010, 10:33 AM

Thanks all for the info. I just spoke with Mark at Salem Kroger and he said the first the thing to do is check the shocks. They may simply be worn out after 135k miles. Hopefully it's that simple!

If that's not the thing, I'm going to drive it up to Red Bluff and have them give me a diagnosis...

mjdipietro · 10-06-2010, 10:02 PM

Update incase anyone's curious. I talked to Geno at SK. He said it was likely that the van had a "suspension upgrade" for carrying heavy loads.

The front has 7 leaf springs (that's a lot, apparently). The back has 4. I'm taking it up there on Friday to have them take out some of the front leaf springs. He says that oughta soften the ride.

Does anyone know what is the optimal number of springs for a lightly loaded van is? They look to be about 48" long or so. Could I even take out more, or do you think that ought do it?

mjdipietro · 10-12-2010, 03:26 PM

Update #2:

So I just got back from a bouncy ride all the way up to Red Bluff to visit the Salem Kroger folks. Very nice people, but was surprised to find that the main mechanic knew very little about the conversion itself (which seems odd), and even less how to fix it.

We drove over to the blacksmith who made the springs, and he suggested re-curving the rear springs first which also seems odd, since it's the front end that is the problem.

At least I'm learning a lot. What I've gathered so far:

1. The shocks are fine, so check that off the list.
2. The front springs are 42" in length and have 7 leaves (that's pretty short, from what I understand). The back springs are the same length but only have 4 leaves.
3. Both the front and the back springs seem very "flat" to me, when I compare them to other springs on other 4x4 pickups and such. There's almost no curve left in them at all.

So, I'm coming to the conclusion that the rig simply needs new, and potentially longer, springs. Does that sound right to you folks?

The SK guys didn't seem too keen on tackling the project, so here's another question: Where is the best place to take the van for a job like this? -

- Should I take it to a suspension specialty shop like Deaver?
- Are there any shops in the Bay Area that do this kind of work?

Thanks all of you for putting up with me!

carringb · 10-12-2010, 05:45 PM

Probably Chris at U-Joint is your best bet. He probably works on leaf-sprung vans the most. Deaver only makes rear spring I believe.

A good company who makes quality custom springs for any applicaiton is http://www.benzspring.com/ You will need information like corner weights, ride height, and available travel to properly spec new springs.

You could also give QuadVan a try. I've seen SK conversions in there before getting re-worked.

mjdipietro · 10-12-2010, 06:32 PM

Thanks carrinb. I'm starting to think I shoulda just started from scratch and gone the Quadvan route from the beginning with a fresh conversion. Oh well. I've got some buddies up there in the PNW, so maybe I'll use this as an excuse for a road trip and have them do their magic.

Another thought - is it possible (feasible, economical) to do a leaf spring -> coil spring conversion? Everything I read says how much better coil springs are.

scatter · 10-12-2010, 07:19 PM

As I mentioned mjdipietro, I had the same rig. I changed front and rear springs three times and shocks twice. I'm not a Rancho 9000 shock fan, but they did help as I could change the setting depending on road conditions. Air bags did not help as far as I'm concerned. I took 'em off and gave 'em away.
If you're into spending money and want to improve the ride I'd suggest going to a good spring shop and getting the shackles on the front springs put at the rear rather then at the front and going with longer springs. The SMB springs are around 48" and maybe Fresno SMB would be willing to put on a set of their new springs, both front and rear. Right now, you have stock Ford rear springs with blocks to level out the van. They can be improved on!! The new SMB set up as well as the Deavers would be great on both ends. Coils are probably better for the ride, but changeing over to that now will probably be more expensive then upgrading the leaf setup.
From what I did with the van I had, what I learned, and how I use my rig. I'd get the front end set up with longer springs with the shackle at the rear and different springs on the rear and lose the high blocks. My choice would be either Deaver or SMB Fresno.
Just my thots from working on the same rig.

mjdipietro · 10-12-2010, 07:24 PM

Scatter - that's perfect. Got it. Yeah I think my next call is to 1) Fresno SMB, then 2) Quadvan. Hopefully one of those two can fix this sucker up. Gotta get it done soon. My back is killing me. :|

UJOINT · 11-07-2010, 08:54 PM

If you haven't already solved the problem, let's see some pics of the front suspension. Mainly, the shackle placement. My springs are 52" long, so it will give a better ride for sure along with a good shock.

I think you have a geometry problem.....

billwilson · 11-07-2010, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UJOINT

If you haven't already solved the problem, let's see some pics of the front suspension. Mainly, the shackle placement. My springs are 52" long, so it will give a better ride for sure along with a good shock.

I think you have a geometry problem.....

I inhaled during Geometry but Deavers in Santa Ana come to mind
send Ujoint and deavers a pic
as they say something about a pic and 1000 words...

TroySmith80 · 11-12-2010, 08:08 AM

Very glad i came across this thread. I'm currently watching an auction on ebay for a similar van being sold by the state of oregon. Good to have a little more info about the rig and what one might expect from it. I don't know much about Salem-Kroger conversions in general, but it sounds like this state of oregon batch was spec'd differently than most.