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Ride height adjustment
When replacing ride height valves in front of drive axles, is there a procedure for resetting height?
Or just replace the arm as it was on old one?
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105 Replies
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Tom, excellent idea especially for front end to make “quick” check.
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Just checked mine last week 12″ front and back, guess this to be ok?
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Yours is much newer Gary so it might be different. The book on mine is 11.5″.
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The definitive answer to proper ride height is in the shop manual for your specific coach. From here: http://prevostparts.volvo.com/technicalpublications/en/pub.asp you can access ther service manual specific to your coach and it will have the specifications.
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I have a hard-copy manual which came with my bus – the online stuff only starts with 2000 year.
I have a 1991 (Prevost year) XL and the manual says both front and back bags should be 11-1/2″ (first picture)
In my Country Coach manual the Chassis section says I should measure 13″ from the bottom of the stainless doors to the ground. (second Picture)
My bus measures 7-1/2 Rear and 7 Front “dumped” and 11″ rear & front aired-up. I was able to crawl under enough to measure one of the rear airbags and it was 11″ between the two metal plates on top and bottom of the airbag.
I am confused, as by my measurements and the maintenance manual, I am only 1/2″ low which if corrected would get me only to 11-1/2 from bottom of stainless to ground and not 13″
Hoping someone can enlighten me or should I call Quebec City?
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As long as you use your ID- last letter of serial # and last 4 #’s you should get correct info. The 2000 yr I have found to be computer?? prob?? my 89XL was 11 1/2 at bags and 12 inches below stainless lowest point in front of drive wheels. I don’t know where 13 inches came from?? Yours is a 91 it could be differant. I just set the bags on the 98XLE and about 95% sure they were 11 1/2 also. They were set by book. For some reason my memory is better on the 89XL. Bob ——–
A second thought height from ground 13 inches? I had 315 80r 22.5 tires @ 90 lbs. If their spec, were for a differant size tire or/ at a higher pressure it could easy make a 1 inch differance. Bob
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Based on the Country Coach information I used while playing around with ride height on our Affinity, it was incorrect. Learning by trial and error my height was too high by 1/2 inch. Prevost is so much better engineered I would use Prevost guide lines.
Use the air bag measurement. Important …… Keep in mind bag air amount will be directly related to your ride comfort.
Making adjustments with ride height on the Country Coach and when I had found the sweet spot …a new problem, rear-end noise , because my height was too high.
Prevost told me the air bag adjustment has 1/4 inch plus or minus from specs. Prevost has used that air bag volume for ride comfort and drive shaft alignment.
If you go over the 11 1/2 inch bag adjustment then you have given yourself a firm ride. With that said, be on the mark of 11 -1/2 but no lower then 11 -1/4. Use the same process on drive axle with suggested settings.
This should give you your best ride comfort, suspension support, shock travel with-in specs.
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One thing to remember when adjusting the ride height. The system as designed is going to have variations. You can lower the coach and then have it go to the ride height. When you take your measurements you may find it is correct.
Then if you raise the coach above ride height and then have it go to the ride height it may give you a different set of measurements. The same thing applies as you drive. The ride height valves are always going to get you close to where they have been set, but are unlikely to ever get exactly where you need to be because there is always going to be some “slop” in when they add or dump air to reach the ride height.
I would do a happy dance if I was always within 1/4″ of where I needed to be.
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Jon, doing a happy dance….Can we put that on the calendar for the Oct. rally ?
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You don’t want to see that Al!
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There is a way to measure is precisely. Some of the other guys here will chime in and tell you how.
I can tell you how NOT to do it.
I had that valve replaced on the drivers side at Houston Prevost. The mechanic spent at least 45 minutes lowering the drivers side a little at a time while eyeballing both sides of the bus and asking one of the other guys if it looked straight to him. I asked him is there was a way to measure so it would not be left to chance and he said yes but that he usually eyeballed it first.
When he finally measured he was about an inch to low and the passenger side had to be brought up too. It would have been more interesting to watch if it was not costing me over $100 per hour.
It is the only time I have been disappointed in the Prevost’s labor.
DKO
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Measure it in between the plates the bag is sitting on , top and bottom plate ,not sure what your measurement is you could phone prevost they will know or look on the tech part of their web page maybe somebody with same coach will know ,, I know mine but its an XL 1997 ….
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Good idea on the plates, I wasn’t sure if there was a location on the bottom edge of the bus or somewhere. My bus has always looked a little high in the rear to me.
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Don’t know wether converter might have changed a little for some reason but measure other side as Peter said and set the same.. or set to factory spec for H go to prevostcar.com enter last letter of your serial # plus last 4 numbers (your coach ) after going to tech help section…. suspension…
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ok, I’ll try Prevost
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