Thor axis ride

[Elvisjdr]

I have 2015 thor axis and i feel ride is horrible-when hit bump in road or bridge connection feels like coach is falling apart-added sumo springs but actually think made it worse but did help wandering-will shocks help this problem and should i go with koni or bilstein
Thanks

[revjeffrey]

Brand is personal preference. "Ford Chevy Dodge" I did just have my shocks changed. The shop said stock shocks were no comparison for what I put on. I have not had a chance to test out yet. He said they do mostly Bilstein. I did supply my own shocks and they installed them..

[Long & Winding road]

What he said.....I have not replaced my shocks yet (only have 5000 miles on my Axis) but I thinking of replacing them next year since the factory puts cheapest parts they can on the chassis.

Another member posted great results with new shocks (and only a few K's on his ride). Just pick the one that fits your Axis and that you like best. I have had good luck with Bilstiens in the past.

Also consider HD front sway bar and Saftey Plus steering stabilizer. It did wonders on the handling of my Axis.

It would not hurt to put some sound / heat insulation (Might help with the "Falling apart" if you have excessive noise - just a thought - also go around and tighten/zip tie everything you can).

Plus IMO try the FRONT sway bars since the sumos tend to stiffen up the ride and make it worse (limits travel).

[Elvisjdr]

Originally Posted by Long & Winding road

What he said.....I have not replaced my shocks yet (only have 5000 miles on my Axis) but I thinking of replacing them next year since the factory puts cheapest parts they can on the chassis.

Another member posted great results with new shocks (and only a few K's on his ride). Just pick the one that fits your Axis and that you like best. I have had good luck with Bilstiens in the past.

Also consider HD front sway bar and Saftey Plus steering stabilizer. It did wonders on the handling of my Axis.

It would not hurt to put some sound / heat insulation (Might help with the "Falling apart" if you have excessive noise - just a thought - also go around and tighten/zip tie everything you can).

Plus IMO try the FRONT sway bars since the sumos tend to stiffen up the ride and make it worse (limits travel).

I do have safe t plus but not hd sway bar-should i add along with sumo i have already

[mcr1010]

I replaced the rear shocks a year or so ago with large magnums that required the exhaust be moved slightly to make room. I think it made an improvement in the ride and overall in handling. I installed Hellwig HD sway bars front and rear and that helped also.
I had the same results as you with the sumo (not so smooth) springs. I removed them. HD sway bars are the smoother way to tame the roll.

[gnach]

Replace your shocks. You'll kick yourself for not doing it sooner. And get the alignment done. Ditto the swaybars. I drove the Pacific Coast Highway last month, OR and CA, and I loved it. Not a Jaguar but not white knuckled either.


Need more convincing? http://www.thorforums.com/forums/f27...-x5-15051.html
-oops, you did. <grin>

[Long & Winding road]

Do you think it would improve the ride if I just replace the front shocks on my Axis? The front coil springs are much softer than the rear leaf springs so I figured they have more movement.

I like the way mine rides now overall (with OEM shocks) but I noticed on like overpasses/bridges it bobs slightly in the front. Not bad but I think new shocks will help. On my other car I replaced with Bilsteins front and rear and it removed this same feeling on the overpasses.

Plus I dont want to reroute exhaust on my RV.... but perhaps the Bilsteins are 100 bolt on on the rear?

[mcr1010]

Not sure if the exhaust on the 25.2 is the same as the 24.1. You may not have to relocate the exhaust on yours. Maybe someone who has replaced shocks on the 25.2 could chime in on this.

[djc290]

ACE 29.2, i replaced the stock Blistins with KONI's - the truck shop thought i was crazy --- what a huge improvement - really improved the ride

[Mr Sunshine]

First, before you spend any $$$, do the alignment. Front sumo springs and Koni shocks all around were all worth the money for me. Like someone said, what you bought was a RV kit. Some assembly required!

[EddieA]

I have a 2019 Axis 25.6 (E-450 Ford chassis). Most of the owners of older Axis models claim miraculous handling improvements by adding:
1. Steering Stabilizer (my 2019 comes with one)
2. Sway Bars
3. upgraded Shocks

My question is this: have some of the above improvements ALREADY been Factory built in to my 2019?

All thoughts valued. Thanks you guys. EddieA

PS. Some owners have recommended an alignment --- do they mean the factory spec?

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by EddieA

I have a 2019 Axis 25.6 (E-450 Ford chassis). Most of the owners of older Axis models claim miraculous handling improvements by adding:
1. Steering Stabilizer (my 2019 comes with one)
2. Sway Bars
3. upgraded Shocks

My question is this: have some of the above improvements ALREADY been Factory built in to my 2019?

All thoughts valued. Thanks you guys. EddieA

PS. Some owners have recommended an alignment --- do they mean the factory spec?

Sorry, your steering dampener is not a steering stabilizer.

[Pete'sMH]

I do not believe there were any chassis changes until 2021. You have a steering damper, not a stabilizer. The former is just a small shock absorber, he latter adds a stout spring that helps keep the steering centered. Look at the Roadmaster Reflex to see the difference. The Safe T Plus has a similar spring but it is inside the housing. Either will work fine and makes a sizable difference. Many folks replace the roll bars with a thicker ones but I personally think simply adjusting the front and rear factory bars to the firmer settings (called the CHF) is just as effective and certainly easier and cheaper. I have never heard of anyone who has made that adjustments and later replaced the bars say it was worth it. You already have Bilstien shocks and while some people report vast improvements in ride comfort by replacing them I’m (personally) skeptical. The suspension is likely near it’s limit so the ride always is going to be pretty hard. But I’ve never tried it so certainly could be wrong. When I had my E450 based Class C I just did the CHF on both ends and added a steering stabilizer and after a few thousand miles of getting used to its truck-like nature I was perfectly happy. Same changes and satisfaction on my current F53 class A. Many folks don’t make any changes at all and never have any problems. Good luck.

[EddieA]

[QUOTE=Long & Winding road;155149] What he said.....

Also consider HD front sway bar and Saftey Plus steering stabilizer. It did wonders on the handling of my Axis. ......[/I][/I]
__________________________________________________ _________

Hi. EddieA here: Which EXACT model Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer did you use? Any reason it wouldn't be the same for my 2019 Axis 25.6? Thanks for all responses.

[vegas25.5]

2019 Vegas 25.5

Same E450 chassis and drivetrain. We had some pretty good "passing truck" movement on the freeway. Alignment was good from the factory. We can let go of the wheel at freeway speed and little drift or wander-tracks pretty straight.

To tighten things up here is what we did and pretty satisfied. The "passing truck" effect has drastically decreased and much more stable at freeway speeds.

-Sumo Springs (front)
-Hellwig Sway Bar (rear)
-Air Pressure (near max 65/70psi)

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

I do not believe there were any chassis changes until 2021. You have a steering damper, not a stabilizer. The former is just a small shock absorber, he latter adds a stout spring that helps keep the steering centered. Look at the Roadmaster Reflex to see the difference. The Safe T Plus has a similar spring but it is inside the housing. Either will work fine and makes a sizable difference. Many folks replace the roll bars with a thicker ones but I personally think simply adjusting the front and rear factory bars to the firmer settings (called the CHF) is just as effective and certainly easier and cheaper. I have never heard of anyone who has made that adjustments and later replaced the bars say it was worth it. You already have Bilstien shocks and while some people report vast improvements in ride comfort by replacing them I’m (personally) skeptical. The suspension is likely near it’s limit so the ride always is going to be pretty hard. But I’ve never tried it so certainly could be wrong. When I had my E450 based Class C I just did the CHF on both ends and added a steering stabilizer and after a few thousand miles of getting used to its truck-like nature I was perfectly happy. Same changes and satisfaction on my current F53 class A. Many folks don’t make any changes at all and never have any problems. Good luck.

CHF only works on the F-53 chassis and not the E-Series the Axis/Vegas units are riding on.

[Jimbo56]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

CHF only works on the F-53 chassis and not the E-Series the Axis/Vegas units are riding on.

That’s what I thought as well.

[EddieA]

2019 Vegas 25.5 #20441
... E450 chassis and drivetrain.

-Sumo Springs (front)
-Hellwig Sway Bar (rear)
AIR Pressure (near max 65/70psi)
__________________________________________________ _______
EddieA here with 2019 Axis 25.6 info: both labels on the inside of my coach say tire pressure cold = 75 Front, 80 Rear. I know most all of you already know this, but I want to point out that the RECOMMENDED tire pressure for the E450 2019 Axis 25.6
is 75 Fr/80 Rear; the pressure shown by previous post above is probably personal preference.

[vegas25.5]

Correct. My personal preference. Noted "near max" on air pressure.

Different opinions and experiences. I run a few PSI less than sticker says. No tow vehicle, no real extra weight as the Vegas has little storage space, drive with tanks empty and try to keep around the 55-60mph for "better" fuel economy with the 6.8l.

Under inflated = issues.

Over inflated = issues.