Quad Shocks
Should you install Quad Shocks on your RV?
You may be asking yourself,” Why would I want to put quad shocks on my motorhome? Isn’t that overkill? Didn’t the chassis builder get it right? Great question!
One of our commitments at Henderson’s Line-Up is to all give a noticeable improvement or "bang-for-the-buck" as they like to say. We have tested products that we decided not to build because we could not see a significant difference. We started doing quad shocks in the 90’s on the Workhorse P32 Chassis, and about four years ago on the Ford F-53 Chassis.
As the weight and height increase with basement-model motorhomes (there is a big compartment for storage where long items that pass through from one side to the other) the center of gravity went higher causing more “rock & roll" and an increase in the RV porpoising.
We started doing a lot of Safari Treks with the basement model and also the bed in the ceiling on the P32 Chassis. (We own a '98 Trek and 2,000 Trek with the wide-track front end.) Quad shocks make a dramatic difference in the reduction of sway, bounce and porpoising.
On our Company Allegro Open Road Ford F-53 we started with the rear since most of the weight is in the rear of coach.
Barb drove first after we had one of our dealers (Straight-Line Steering in Mesa) install in Phoenix AZ. She really likes the reduction in sway and bounce at all speeds in and out of town. I noticed a marked improvement over the bridge transitions.
I would say about a 25 percent improvement in body roll reduction and 50 percent less porpoising and bounce. (Thank you John Henderson for making a great design that is easy to install.)
We offer 20K-26K quad shock kits for the F-53 Ford chassis coaches, and we are more than happy to answer your questions about them. They are not hard to install and are bolt- on with no welding required. (see photo)
For the GM Workhorse P30/P32 we have a rear bolt-on kit, and new control arms for the front that have the quad shock mounts already welded on them. If you send in your control arms, we can rebuild those for you and weld the new quad shock mounts on them.
Talking about the F-53 Fords, one of the real common complaints is harsh ride. We have special KONI hydraulic shocks with FSD valving for this application that help soften the ride while helping reduce body roll. For example, when you hit a highway expansion joint, that's a quick high frequency vibration, the Koni will actually bypass for a split second, reducing the jolt.
If you get the quad shock kit, drop us a line or post on our website how you like them. Best wishes for safer and happier driving.
~ Robert Henderson