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[minifreek]

Yep I know about not loading too much to the rear, thanks Iv been towing for a while...

[YZ250]

Yep I know about not loading too much to the rear, thanks Iv been towing for a while...

    Apologies if it came across as patronising. 

I've used 'doughnuts' on a previous car years ago. Still got them in the garage somewhere.  As they limit the spring compression on the coils they are fitted to they did help. Some would argue that they put extra load on the non-restricted coils but they worked for me. Obviously no such issue if self levelling. 

Good luck. 

[chrisgixer]

You need to fit self levelling shocks, as said. Pump may have seized by now though, unless the fuses and relays where left in.

The differential between fully loaded weight and non loaded as far too great to achieve a usable balance. It would be like transit van territory but more so, where the transit only really works when Loaded. Make it work unloaded with softer suspension and it will bottom out.

The answer has to be a variable spring rate, which is what self levelling does. It's still compromised unloaded as it's looses some independence side to side, but it's the only reliable answer to your problem.

There is talk on here of an air bag in the springs option which would allow keeping standard shocks. But we don't have a proven part or supplier currently.

[minifreek]

@YZ250 - No need to apologise, I think my answer came across as quite arrogant, it wasn't meant that way..
What I should have said was that I have been towing for quite a while and I do know about not loading too much to the rear to combat snaking as it would act like a massive pendulum, thats what the stabiliser bar is for or is supposed to be for anyway....


@Chrisgixer - I will try the doughnuts and see if they help, if they do they will stay, if not then I'll have to source a pair of better air shocks as mine are looking a bit tired, looking at them last night they look past their best so might be on the lookout for a better conditioned pair...

[05omegav6]

I thought a stabiliser was designed to keep a well balanced combination in check rather than to compensate for a poor set up

[chrisgixer]

@YZ250 - No need to apologise, I think my answer came across as quite arrogant, it wasn't meant that way..
What I should have said was that I have been towing for quite a while and I do know about not loading too much to the rear to combat snaking as it would act like a massive pendulum, thats what the stabiliser bar is for or is supposed to be for anyway....


@Chrisgixer - I will try the doughnuts and see if they help, if they do they will stay, if not then I'll have to source a pair of better air shocks as mine are looking a bit tired, looking at them last night they look past their best so might be on the lookout for a better conditioned pair...

Are we talking extra spring pads under the springs? Is so you won't find one thick enough to make enough difference given your issues. And if you did the unloaded rear ride height would then suffer remember. Plus the profile of these really should be wedge shaped. Or they stress the spring unevenly. 10mm is not too bad, I have tried them, but you need about an inch thick, which risks spring falling out as the centre peg that holds the spring is about an inch high. The thickness of the pad is directly proportionate to the increase in ride height at the wheel to wheel arch.


Incidentally, how's the rear tyre wear with the pikey wagon hooked up?

[minifreek]

The use of the stabiliser is a bit of both really, but as above Iv been towing for quite a while and never had a mishap with a unit becoming unstable... especially when I was towing a few grands worth of JCB diggers around the country...

[minifreek]

@YZ250 - No need to apologise, I think my answer came across as quite arrogant, it wasn't meant that way..
What I should have said was that I have been towing for quite a while and I do know about not loading too much to the rear to combat snaking as it would act like a massive pendulum, thats what the stabiliser bar is for or is supposed to be for anyway....


@Chrisgixer - I will try the doughnuts and see if they help, if they do they will stay, if not then I'll have to source a pair of better air shocks as mine are looking a bit tired, looking at them last night they look past their best so might be on the lookout for a better conditioned pair...

Are we talking extra spring pads under the springs? Is so you won't find one thick enough to make enough difference given your issues. And if you did the unloaded rear ride height would then suffer remember. Plus the profile of these really should be wedge shaped. Or they stress the spring unevenly. 10mm is not too bad, I have tried them, but you need about an inch thick, which risks spring falling out as the centre peg that holds the spring is about an inch high. The thickness of the pad is directly proportionate to the increase in ride height at the wheel to wheel arch.


Incidentally, how's the rear tyre wear with the pikey wagon hooked up?

The spring assisters fit into the actual spring, they don't go underneath the spring at the spring bas, they are a basically a big piece of shaped rubber you can buy in various thicknesses and are shaped to fit the coil itself rather than replace a part of the coil. They basically help to stop the spring from compressing too much thus redusing the travel of the spring..

the rear tyres are wearing on the inner edges but that is because the suspension needs setting up for toe and camber, it doesn't wear too much TBH... at least no more than normal....

[chrisgixer]

Ah, I deleted the bit in assisters as on re reading you mentioned donuts, so thought you meant the pads underneath the spring.

Assisters sort of work, but do so by limiting the centre of the springs travel, which naturally means the end of the coil does more work, so makes the spring ends more likely to break off.

I doubt there's a single pikey () on here that would fit assisters instead of self levelling. I hear what your saying with the shocks, but maybe just fit the levellers when towing or are they too far gone?

If you do replace the shocks I wonder if its worth painting the lower shock body, especially under the bladders, to get more life out of them. Posting dip? Hammerite? Powder coat? ....something anyway.

[Kevin Wood]

I don't normally have any trouble towing on MV6 suspension. I've had the towbar ground a couple of times but only on really uneven surfaces. With a sensible (i.e around 50kg) nose weight the rear suspension shouldn't ride too low at the rear, even given the MV6 lowered suspension. It will result in a lower than standard tow hitch, which will tend to give a further increase in nose weight, of course.

I wonder if your rear shock absorbers are a little tired. Whilst you only have the nose weight to add to the static load on the rear suspension, you have a lot more dynamic load in the extra mass that's attached to the tow bar, and it can tend to "bounce" over undulations in the surface. Only the car's rear shockers are there to control this oscillation, and if they are tired it may compress the suspension enough to bottom out. 

Raising the suspension a little with assisters, etc. is not going to help if the main problem is that it's bouncing up and down. Just my 2p worth.

[minifreek]

I did wonder about the shocks being knackered but have come to the conclusion that they may be a bit old but not past it yet, as they still work as they should....

I'll fit the assisters when they get here, hopefully tomorrow and see what happens when Iv hitched up the caravan, hopefully it'll cure the problem or at least help with it, otherwise I'l be looking at getting a pair of rear air shockers as mine are a bit too far gone for a quick rub down and repaint - I think anyway.... possibly another excuse to buy something for me motor, thats what I'll be telling the missus anyway LOL

[Phil]

My old CDX saloon had new springs on and with 3 in the back it was bottoming out on Norfolk roads, although new the springs appeared to be a bit weak, I had to tow a caravan that we had borrowed for the week (they took it up and set it up we then went up for a week and towed it home), I was a bit worried about towing and bottoming out possibly damaging the jockey wheel, so I found a car spares shop, picked up some spring assistors, fitted them and towed the caravan home with no issues.

They worked perfectly fine for many many miles after that and never had and issue with 3 adults in the back again.

Cheapest and easiest option that didn't really affect the car and without doubt should be the first port of call before swapping dampers over everytime you want to tow something.

[robson]

Where do we get spring assisters from

[minifreek]

My old CDX saloon had new springs on and with 3 in the back it was bottoming out on Norfolk roads, although new the springs appeared to be a bit weak, I had to tow a caravan that we had borrowed for the week (they took it up and set it up we then went up for a week and towed it home), I was a bit worried about towing and bottoming out possibly damaging the jockey wheel, so I found a car spares shop, picked up some spring assistors, fitted them and towed the caravan home with no issues.

They worked perfectly fine for many many miles after that and never had and issue with 3 adults in the back again.

Cheapest and easiest option that didn't really affect the car and without doubt should be the first port of call before swapping dampers over everytime you want to tow something.

Thankyou for that usefull reply

[minifreek]

Where do we get spring assisters from

Got mine off Ebay they haven't turned up yet but am hopeful they will be coming today as the weather looks to be staying dry...