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Teamaron · 05-08-2014, 03:44 PM

Well in that thinking of a little at a time I just ordered Konis for the rear.

Let's see how that goes.

PSchw · 05-08-2014, 08:47 PM

Ok now I am convinced and order the Koni's form the Sprinterstore for the rear and will try to install them myself. My MB-Sprinter Service quote me $750.00 to change the rear shocks. guess everything is a little more expensive at MB.

73shark · 05-09-2014, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PSchw

Ok now I am convinced and order the Koni's form the Sprinterstore for the rear and will try to install them myself. My MB-Sprinter Service quote me $750.00 to change the rear shocks. guess everything is a ~~little~~ lot more expensive at MB.

Fixed it for you.

PSchw · 08-30-2014, 01:25 PM

I did install SUMO spring-support in the rear first and only notices a mild difference. It still would move but without an after shock or sway.

Now installed the rear Koni and did the adjustment myself 75% of max which worked well. Sway is reduced but as Mario experienced the front still fells a little wobbly.
They really install easy.

Now I did order the front Koni and the front Sumo spring-support.
I am still wondering if I should ad the sway bar and which one.

Anybody any ideas?

Boxster1971 · 08-30-2014, 06:53 PM

Not sure heavier sway bars will help ride comfort. Also the Sprinter Store just announce, on the Sprinter-forum, that they now have new 7-leaf rear springs for our 3500 Sprinters. I'm considering them along with new Koni shocks when is stop there next month. Have call them for pricing.

- - Mike
2013 AS Interstate on 2012 MB Sprinter

Jeff64 · 08-30-2014, 10:13 PM

More food for thought.. I installed all four Koni shocks, the sway bar and the spring assist kit, all from the Sprinter store. I will say that the spring board effect seems to be gone, however as Protag mentioned the ride is very firm. I've been thinking it was due to the spring assist kit but after reading Protags comments (he didn't install the spring assist kit) perhaps it is the firm Konis. The handling around curves and pulling a heavy trailer is very good. One more advantage to the spring assist kit is that it will raise the rear of the van back to it's original stance as it was before Airstream added their equipment. The spring itself is about an inch and it's added support of the existing springs will add another inch giving you a total lift of around two inches. You could always skip the spring assist, give it a try and add it later. I think as someone else mentioned, the real solution is an air ride suspension and at this point there doesn't seem to be a good source.

Jeff

Jeff64 · 08-30-2014, 10:27 PM

One more thought. I checked on the Sprinter store website and they do have a new shock available for the Sprinters that is supposed to address the harsh ride. This may be a great option for you. Forgive me if this has already been discussed. The following verbiage is from the Sprinter store site.

Koni NA and the Sprinter Store teamed up to bring Koni's FSD technology to the Sprinter world. You cant find a better shock for your motorhome than FSD: KONI frequency selective dampers. We have combined the benefits of performance and comfort into one shock absorber. FSD is firm for control over large bumps and corners, but soft for comfort over expansion joints and rough roads. While KONI is known to reduce bouncing in motorhomes, our FSD shocks include a special valve that filters out annoying vibrations before they enter the coach. The result is an incredibly smooth ride, with plenty of shock left to control pitching and swaying.

Jeff64 · 09-04-2014, 05:35 PM

For those of you who have done the Koni shock upgrade: I replaced mine and also added the spring assist kit, after doing so I felt the ride was too firm for my liking but wasn't sure if it was the shocks or the spring assist kit. I spoke with Foster from Upscale auto/Sprinter store yesterday, he assured me that the ride is due to the shocks and said they set them very firm before sending them out. He suggested that I back them down to the softest setting and go from there. He says it will soften the ride but will still far out perform the factory shocks. He said the new FSD shocks are the all around best but since I've already dropped the cash on the standard Konis' I'm going to try and get the desired ride from them. More to follow!

Boxster1971 · 09-05-2014, 04:30 PM

I just had the Koni FSD shocks put on rear and the Koni Adjustables on the front. No changed to springs. The ride is now more stable with no more porpoising as it was doing with original shocks after 40,000 miles.

- - Mike
2013 AS Interstate on 2012 MB Sprinter

weirdstuff · 09-10-2014, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weirdstuff

Only people riding in the back of ours, are our doggies, and they haven't complained about the quality of the ride...yet

Ok, the dogs complained :-(.

After more than 11,000 miles on our current trip, the pups are now refusing to ride in the back. Can't really blame them. I've tried to nap back there and have, at times, nearly been launched to oblivion!

73shark · 09-10-2014, 07:03 PM

I told my grandkids it was an E ticket ride in the rear seating and they just looked at me.

Jeff64 · 09-10-2014, 07:56 PM

For anyone who has switched to the Konis. I adjusted the rears all the way to the softest setting on mine. I am much happier with the ride now, they are not mushy or bouncy it just provides a softer ride. Of course this is a personal preference and some may like the real firm ride. Just wanted to remind everyone that the option exists.

MILATV · 09-10-2014, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff64

I adjusted the rears all the way to the softest setting on mine.

What did that involve? Is it just spanner wrench to lengthen spring like on ATV?

Were getting things ready to head to SEMA in a few months.

Mike

Jeff64 · 09-11-2014, 03:57 PM

I actually had it done but I called the Sprinter store guys and got the instructions from them first. They said to loosen the top bolts, remove the bottom bolts, swing the shock out or back, push the shock in and turn to the right till you feel it catch or lock, then turn counter clockwise all the way till it stops and that will be the softest setting.

MILATV · 10-26-2014, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff64

I actually had it done but I called the Sprinter store guys and got the instructions from them first. They said to loosen the top bolts, remove the bottom bolts, swing the shock out or back, push the shock in and turn to the right till you feel it catch or lock, then turn counter clockwise all the way till it stops and that will be the softest setting.

Had my shop adjust the rear shocks per above, service generator and rotate tires. Heading to Vegas in 2 weeks via US36 will update how it goes.

Thanks

Mike

InterBlog · 10-21-2015, 05:51 AM

A word on those all-important adjustable Koni rear shocks:

Apparently there IS such a thing as infant mortality. We put them on and, like many others, noticed an immediate significant improvement in handling. That is, until about 10 days ago when I had to limp home through the entire IH-10 corridor between San Antonio and Houston, an experience that was beyond miserable.

I informed my husband that "something" was clearly wrong and that I didn't know what, only that the handling had degraded to become almost unmanageable. He pulled off the shocks and found that one of them had somehow lost its adjustment ability. So effectively, I think I may have driven 200 miles with shocks at different settings.

He ordered a new one, put it in, and the Interstate was instantly back to normal. We drove it 300 miles this past weekend to a college football game and National Forest camping and it behaved perfectly the entire time.

Moral of that story - if you think there's something wrong with your Interstate, there probably is something wrong with it, even if it seems like the key parts are so new that there couldn't possibly be anything wrong. The shock apparently failed with just a few hundred miles on it. Now we have to pursue a warranty claim.

73shark · 10-21-2015, 10:08 AM

You just experienced the leading edge of what the manufacturing world calls the "bathtub curve".

Marks71 · 12-31-2015, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

I just had the Koni FSD shocks put on rear and the Koni Adjustables on the front. No changed to springs. The ride is now more stable with no more porpoising as it was doing with original shocks after 40,000 miles.

- - Mike
2013 AS Interstate on 2012 MB Sprinter

I'm not sure if you ever conveyed whether the Koni FSD's also made the ride SMOOTHER in the back?

Boxster1971 · 12-31-2015, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marks71

I'm not sure if you ever conveyed whether the Koni FSD's also made the ride SMOOTHER in the back?

I wouldn't say the ride is smoother. It just has a more stable feeling. In truth I doubt anything short of full air suspension will make the Interstate ride smoother.

- - Mike
2013 Interstate Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

BurntAsphalt · 01-01-2016, 08:49 PM

I second Boxster's conclusion. For crosswind handling improvement purposes, I did front/back SumoSprings, Front Koni Reds, Rear Koni FSDs, Roadmaster swaybar, Michelin XPS Ribs in front, Michelin LTX Defenders in back. While my knuckles are no longer ivory white 95% of the time...rear ride is unbearable as ever.