Shocks

Tires, shocks, sway bars, air bags... What crosswind?
Post Reply
User avatar
sudec11
Weekend Camper
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1992
WBCCI: 0
Location: Virginia

Shocks

Post by sudec11 »

Hi, Went to buy shocks today at advance auto and they did not have any. He also said he couldn't order them. Where can I buy shocks and which kind would you recommend? I was looking for extra heavy duty shocks.

Thanks,

Joan
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Post by skater »

Places that work on campers should be able to get them.

I'm surprised at the auto parts store, though - they couldn't get shocks for an E350? Wow...
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
User avatar
Eagle
Weekend Camper
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2007 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1990
WBCCI: 0
Location: Rappahannock Academy, VA

Post by Eagle »

I had all four shocks replaced by a mechanic recently. If I can get under the rig tomorrow I wil get the information off them and post it here.
User avatar
Eagle
Weekend Camper
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2007 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1990
WBCCI: 0
Location: Rappahannock Academy, VA

Post by Eagle »

The shocks on my rig are:

NAPA
Gas Grand6 - 60

Hope this helps.
User avatar
Alaskan
Site Admin
Posts: 814
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1999
WBCCI: 0
Location: Alaska and Washington

Post by Alaskan »

There are many good brands of shocks out there....you are just buying shocks for a E350 Ford van.

Don't complicate it by telling the counterman its a camper van or even an Airstream

NAPA has good shocks..either gas or fluid...Monroe and Bilstein are a couple others that are good quality also

Bilstein: (do a Product Search for the numbers)
http://www.bilstein.com

Monroe: (choose Catalog Lookup)
http://www.monroe.com/

NAPA Online:
http://www.napaonline.com/

Find your numbers and consult you local Dealer

I use the NAPA gas shocks... or, you can purchase them at the local Ford Store
User avatar
Alaskan
Site Admin
Posts: 814
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1999
WBCCI: 0
Location: Alaska and Washington

Post by Alaskan »

sudec11....

Perhaps it was the countermans first day...!


I went to the website for Advanced Auto Parts

Click this link below to view all the shock choices at Advanced Auto Parts for your E350 van with 7.5 liter engine....12 to choose from

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductList ... t%2c+Front
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Post by skater »

I got new shocks on mine late last week. Only drove it about two miles, from the shop to my house, and I could feel the difference already. Only problem is that now the steering feels loose...I'm probably going to end up taking it back to the shop and have them diagnose and fix it - could be tie rod ends, steering damper, etc.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
User avatar
85MH325
New User
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:00 am
Location: Tipton, Iowa

Post by 85MH325 »

I put Bilsteins under the B-Van a couple of weeks ago (and had tire-balancing powder put in the Goodyears). What a difference over the Ford stock shocks! I think a couple of new Helwig sway bars will be next...

Roger
1994 Airstream B190
User avatar
Roadhog
Weekend Camper
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:00 am
B190 Year: 1995
WBCCI: 8063

shocks vs loose steering

Post by Roadhog »

Skater ; you said you had new shocks installed a while back and you were experiencing a loose steering feeling. You never followed up on this as to the cause or remedy. The reason I am asking is last year I had new ball joints and heavy duty shocks installed. The steering was perfect before the work was done at the local Ford dealer and since then I have had the front end aligned and rechecked several times and it is in spec. I now wonder if it could be the HD shocks causing a loose or wandering feeling. What did you find out on your B-van?
Howard
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: shocks vs loose steering

Post by skater »

Roadhog wrote:Skater ; you said you had new shocks installed a while back and you were experiencing a loose steering feeling. You never followed up on this as to the cause or remedy. The reason I am asking is last year I had new ball joints and heavy duty shocks installed. The steering was perfect before the work was done at the local Ford dealer and since then I have had the front end aligned and rechecked several times and it is in spec. I now wonder if it could be the HD shocks causing a loose or wandering feeling. What did you find out on your B-van?
Howard
Sorry about that. The shop adjusted the steering box and it tightened up the steering nicely. Certainly it's not as tight as any of the cars we own, but it doesn't wander around, and small corrections in the steering wheel produce a noticeable change in direction on the highway, so I'm satisfied.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
User avatar
funtwodrv
Weekend Camper
Posts: 49
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2010 12:00 am
Location: Raleigh, NC

Post by funtwodrv »

If all the front end components are in good shape, I have had positive response from dialing in a little more positive caster to address the straight line stability of our past vans.
From what I understand, the caster tends to make front wheels want to stay centered or pointed straight ahead...
As a side note, I have had the same adjustment made to the steering box as noted above and that helped a lot with the overall steering "feel" and sense of control.

Gary
Post Reply