suspension upgrade, 2015 170WB, 3500 Sprinter

[juliusb]

Am thinking of new shocks (Koni) (adding leaf springs??or not) and possibly raising? height by 1-2" due to low clearance. Current mileage ca. 45K on 4 cyl. engine.
Not interested in off-road capability but yes, in some gravel road clearance if rutted. Mostly want better handling on highway, paved roads as RV sways and rolls more now. Am happy with stock Continentals and general handling. Recommendations?

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Koni FSD shocks, larger antisway bar and trac bar....on my 2012 RS Adventurous....170 Sprinter 3500

I liked the results at 40,000 miles.

Call and talk with Super Steer in Grants Pass Oregon.... they will explain more....

Good luck.

[jrobe]

I had all kinds of suspension upgrade plans but after installing custom tuned Fox rear shocks and new Michelin tires, there was no further need for any further improvements for us. The tires alone were a significant upgrade from the stock tires but the shocks were also worth every penny and the half hour of time to install them. I also installed Sumo Springs because they were cheap and easy to attach but not really sure how much they help.

[rowiebowie]

I can report that Koni FSD's are quite good, just very pricey. But remember, almost any new shock will be an inprovement over worn ones.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

I can report that Koni FSD's are quite good, just very pricey. But remember, almost any new shock will be an inprovement over worn ones.

Koni FSD shocks are superb.. .the antisway bar helped greatly with side to side rocking.... huge difference.

And, the track bar.... helped to stabilize the rear end... I was getting a lot of vibration following large highway trucks and getting "sucked in" by the vortex of air they were causing.... like a "wake"...., this happened every time I found myself following them.....

Sumo Springs.... I inquired about it.... actually had a conversation with Super Steer about this..... I was surprised that they advised me to skip it..... they said....it would make my ride rougher in the back.... it's already a pretty hard ride with the dual wheels ...

They said if I had a Class C...yeah, it would have made a difference..... I saved the money.... I'm pleased with the outcome....

[Nic7320]

I just got back from a long trip with a class C Sprinter, after installing Timbren polyurethane block springs and a larger sway bar made by Blue Ox. Wow, what a difference! Much safer and no more white knuckles in cross winds. From what I can tell, the RV manufacturers don't upgrade the stock suspension at all from when it was a van chassis. They add all the weight and height of a boxy class C RV to a Sprinter chassis and it's just a matter of time before it fails to do proper road holding. Total cost was about $500 plus my labor.

Now I have to assume the shocks need replaced too.

[jrobe]

Originally Posted by Nic7320

Now I have to assume the shocks need replaced too.

I am certainly not an expert on shocks but when I replaced the stock Sprinter shocks with custom tuned Fox rear shocks, it seemed pretty obvious that the original shocks were pretty lousy. That should probably be the first suspension upgrade for everyone.

I can’t remember which online company I ordered my Fox shocks from but I remember giving them all the information on our RV including our measured axle weights so they could tune the shocks to our specific RV. That was probably the best $350 or so that we spent on the van.

[Abn1SG]

I also did the suspension upgrade with Koni shocks, anti sway bar, trac bar and sumo springs from Super Steer. Definetly an improvement over the OEM suspension. I went with the sumo springs too since I occasionally tow a trailer. ��