Tire pressure again !!

[Bornie]

A Hello to the Born Free community.
I would like to get your opinion on the old discussion again about the proper tire pressure.
To begin with I would like to state that I have read some articles about the proper pressure here in the forum, how to read and interpret it, have downloaded the several sheets from tire manufacturers about the required pressure for the specific load etc. etc.

I just bought a used 24 RB and drove her down to Florida. A nice 1000 mile trip.
The tires have been inflated almost to the recommended pressure.
The front had 58, the rear 63 and the air-bags 38.
As I said before, I am not familiar with the usual ride of a Born Free, but it seemed very hard and rattling to me.
Even small bumps or gaps in the surface let the baby shake and rattle.
How do you deal with such rides where the vehicle is not fully loaded?
I drove with just 1/3 full water tank and nothing else.
Do you always adjust the pressure for the specific load? (that would be my preference and logic to me)
I have to say, I did not have a chance to find a scale and get the load for each axle or axle end so far.
Maybe one of you has already weighted the axles and axle ends of a 24 RB and can give me and others who are interested some numbers or insights to play with.
One more thing.
The air bags. Are they supposed to smoother the ride or are they more intended to give you required ground clearance when you are fully loaded?
Same question here: Should they be adjusted for the specific load or stay at the recommended 55 PSI.
Thanks in advance and any input is welcomed.
Cheers
Bornie

[whemme]

Your Born Free coach will never ride as softly as a car since the Ford E350/E450 chassis is equipped essentually with a medium truck type suspension.

You don't indicate in you post if your coach is on the E350 chassis or the heavier E450 chassis which will require somewhat higher tire pressures.

The following direct link to a post in our Technical Library section http://www.bornfreervclub.org/bulletin_ ... .php?t=394 has a tire inflation graph that you can download which makes it easy to determine how much air pressure is required in each tire on your coach. For the smoothest ride inflate your tires to a pressure no higher than required. You will need to weigh your coach and get with seperate weights for the front and back axle to use this graph properly. Weigh your coach in your normal down the road traveling condition including all occupants aboard.

Also, some (including me) have removed the Ford OEM rear springs and replaced them with parabolic springs which seem to help the ride on roads with bad pot holes. Do a seach on this site for the term 'parabolic springs' to view what has been posted on this subject.

My opinion is that if you located east of the Mississippi river and travel with you coach mostly in that part of the US where the roads seem rougher, than converting to parabolic springs will help your ride somewhat.

[Bornie]

Hi Bill,
thanks for the reply.
I read your thread in regards to the tire pressure already.

And I read also a lot of the comments of various Born Free owners about the harsh ride.
I am not sure, if I have the 350 or 450 chassis. But there still one sticker on left side of the front cabin stating E-450. If the sticker is the original one then I should have a E-450.
It came with a moldy booklet which said Econoline at the front.
Maybe you can enlighten me here and help me find out what I really have. . .
On the same token you mentioned the parabolic springs and I read some articles about those.
I don't know, if I have them installed. My spring package consists of five leaves per side. Is this a indication for something?
The rear sway bar looks newer than all the other rusty metal parts underneath.
Kind egards
Bornie

[Don Cannistraro]

Bornie,
When I had my 24RB(2003) I had it weighed at the FMCA rally in Brookville,Fla. If memory serves me I needed to carry about 78# in the rear tires and 67# up front. I also carried approx 50# in the airbags.
That seems my ride should have been stiffer than yours -however, I was concerned with the rear weight!!. I also had put on new Monroe shocks.

When going down the highway we could still notice a bit of sway in strong winds and if a big truck passed by. Some friends of ours with the same model added larger sway bars and they seemed to do quite well.

Good luck
don

[whemme]

Bornie,

There should be a Ford emblem on each fender area just in front of the left and right side doors that indicates whether the chassis is an E350 or a E450. Sounds like one of your emblems is missing but the other one indicates that it is a E450 chassis.
The normal rear leaf springs for the E450 as standard by the factory had 11 leafs in it. If your springs have 5 leafs then apparently the former owner may have installed the parabolic springs modification. My parabolic springs have only 5 leafs. The other characteristic of parabolic springs is that each leaf is separated from each other with an air space except at the two ends and at the middle to reduce inner-leaf friction.

[Bornie]

Hi Bill,
thanks for your hints.
looks like a 450 chassis and not factory springs.
I measured also the sway bars and they seem to be the Hellwig ones or at least any other after market set of bars.
They are 1 3/8 in the front and 1.5 in the rear.
As for the springs again, from what I read, my understanding was that one feature of the parabolic leaf springs is that they are getting thinner or smaller towards the end to soften the ride . My installed 5-leaf package is spaced through spacers at the end and in the middle like you mentioned before, but the individual leaves have the same thickness or width. . .

I was also considering replacing my tires in the near future and am not sure which ones give me the smoothest ride. I was reading the recent thread about the tires and you are going with the Firestones and others prefer the Michelins. I have the Firestone Transforce HT installed right now but they are from 2005. The tread is not too bad but I am a little concerned about the age. I know you are a Firestone guy :>) but are there any others with a good reputation for a light truck like our Free Born is?
Any input also from others interested in this thread is welcomed.
Cheers
Bornie

[whemme]

Bornie,

My parabolic springs are not tapered near the ends either.

Concerning various tire choices for your Born Free coach, I copied a selection chart that I had posted earlier in Dec 2008 and reposted it below. The prices may no longer be accurate because this info is 14 months old at this point. Also, the prices listed were obtained from the Tire Rack website and are probably lower than what your local tire dealer will charge. Other brands of tires in this size may also be available that I am not aware of.

[Bornie]

Great!
Thanks so far Bill.
You are a great help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!