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Topic: tow car spring assisters

EBBLE1

07/6/2018 at 11:05pm
Location: west midlands
Outfit: Sprite Freedom 6TD

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Hi all sorry if this has been asked before but I have recently had fitted as a dealer option on my new SsangYong Korando a set of Mad spring assisters to the rear of car, however the ride is greatly improved but it bangs the car alarmingly into potholes and dips etc and you can feel the bang through the car, the caravan laden weight has been checked and also the nose weight is just under the vehicle specs of 80kg.

I have contacted the dealer and I am still waiting for them to get back to me, has anyone come across this problem before? any advice greatly appreciated.
Ps I am towing a Sprite Freedom 5 td caravan and the car pulls it as sweet as a nut.

moorlander999

07/6/2018 at 11:22pm
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Did the dealer recommend you fit the assisters or was it your own choice ?

EBBLE1

07/6/2018 at 11:26pm
Location: west midlands
Outfit: Sprite Freedom 6TD

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Hi no it was my choice after the suspension seemed a little bouncy with the detachable tow ball option and it is on their list of options when you buy the car to have the spring assisters.

moorlander999

07/6/2018 at 11:29pm
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The only problem is the one you have experienced...I took mine off and invested in some slightly stiffer after market springs for my Toyota 4x4...

another issue is that you need to declare the modification to your car to the insurance co' as you have changed the original spec''

There were at one time small neoprene bags that could be inserted into the coil springs to assist when towing which were were easily removable without the need to go back into the garage but im not sure if they are still available

EBBLE1

07/6/2018 at 11:33pm
Location: west midlands
Outfit: Sprite Freedom 6TD

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Did you have the same issue with your Toyota?
I have informed the insurance company and they are fine with them.

Did the stiffer springs effect hitting potholes ie if stiffer will it make the problem worse?

EBBLE1

07/6/2018 at 11:34pm
Location: west midlands
Outfit: Sprite Freedom 6TD

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or affect even....

moorlander999

07/6/2018 at 11:36pm
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the springs made a big difference....slightly longer / tighter coils specifically for towing but I cant remember the name of the company....will have to dig out the paperwork...

adding blocks reduces spring compression and also makes a harsher ride....

EBBLE1

07/6/2018 at 11:40pm
Location: west midlands
Outfit: Sprite Freedom 6TD

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Ok cheers, I will wait and see what the dealer advises, it is a fantastic tow car in all other ways it is strange how different caravan layouts affect stability .though

tango55

08/6/2018 at 1:12am
Location: Lichfield
Outfit: Coachman Amara 450

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The springs on any vehicle are there to make the ride more comfortable when travelling over uneven road surfaces so if you make the suspension harder (which is what the assisters do) then the bounce is going to be much firmer which is why the response of the sudden impact of hitting a pot hole is going to be felt throughout the vehicle. The spring assisters are effectively doing the task they are designed for but no vehicle at all is going to continuously take a constant pounding with the current state of the roads in the UK. Having said this you will find that the root cause of the problem is not with the spring assisters themselves but with the uneven road surfaces (pot holes and speed bumps) which we motorists have to suffer on a daily basis. If the British roads were fit for purpose then I doubt whether you would be asking this very question.
Surprisingly, you may find that the dealer will respond with an identical reply so as a matter of interest please repost to see what their reply is and any solution to the problem.

EBBLE1

08/6/2018 at 9:47am
Location: west midlands
Outfit: Sprite Freedom 6TD

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tango55

Thank you for your reply, yes you are right regarding the state of the British roads which seem to be getting worse daily. This I noticed more on a recent holiday to Mablethorpe but the worst potholes were in the Midlands.
I will await contact from my dealer regarding what they advise as they did state that having the spring assisters fitted by them would in no way affect the 5 year warranty on the car, including suspension.

quilly101

08/6/2018 at 4:06pm
Location: Herts
Outfit: Karsten 350 Pod CA EA FW RA COMBI

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You could always contact MAD direct and see what they say, I had them on a Vectra with no issues.

EBBLE1

08/6/2018 at 4:57pm
Location: west midlands
Outfit: Sprite Freedom 6TD

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quilly101

cheers, I have tried emailing Mad today but as yet I have had no reply.

Hopefully they will get back to me with some advice.

Baileyjake

20/6/2018 at 11:13pm
Location: West Midlands
Outfit: Coachman Amara 570 6 + Shogun SG4

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I fitted MAD spring assistors to my 2011 outlander. They greatly improved the rear end sag and the towing but they did stiffen up the rear end when solo but not by a huge amount. They also made the vehicle sit more level. They are not very stiff springs and are supposed to be progressive that means the more the rear end is compressed the more they resist. I never felt they had ruined the ride. My current shogun is a real agricultural vehicle and a much harsher ride than the outlander.

-------------
First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara

EBBLE1

21/6/2018 at 11:08am
Location: west midlands
Outfit: Sprite Freedom 6TD

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Hi Baileyjake,

Cheers for reply, the dealer has ordered a new set of spring assisters to replace as the technician believes they are not sitting right!
My first caravan was a Coachman Amara 500/5 and was a excellent solid built thing so you should have many years of trouble free holidays with that one, the Shogun is a beast and you probably wont even know you have the van on the back with it :-)

Baileyjake

21/6/2018 at 1:32pm
Location: West Midlands
Outfit: Coachman Amara 570 6 + Shogun SG4

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thanks EBBLE1.

thikning about it my spring assisters would creak on speed bumps so i would get under the car and centralize them with a "pinch bar" and they would be ok for another few months.

i am really pleased with our 2010 Amara. it was a world away from our previous bailey with sprung seats stainless fridge, omnivent, LED lighting, more windows, leak free..

but from what i read on coachman forums a lot of the benefits of the entry level Amara are now not included on the VIP etc..

as i bang on about on here the shogun is awsome but i can definately detect i am dragging a 1600kg large white box behind me but it is very stable and certainly on the motorwayonce at cruising speed you could forget its there. i have also towed it up some 'mountain roads' in france where the outlander would have struggled and the shogun just took it in its stride.

-------------
First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara

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