Well, I'm still attempting to turn the ole bus into a nicer ridin' vehicle. I would like to eliminate some of the springs in the rear because it rides so rough. I took it to a local shop to get an opinion on what they thought, and they think that elimination of two of the rear leaves should help to smooth out the ride.

Anyone out there attempted such a thing before? He said he needed to replace some of the hardware to have less springs. I was just wondering if this was do-able in the drive way one afternoon, or just easier to go let this guy do it for a couple hundred.

I'm not sure what your spring configuration is, but that doesn't sound very smart. Do you have platform springs (overloads)?

Suspension is not my spechy-ality. Platforms? There is just a set of leaf springs, no auxillary springs. It's a 1ton van. The rear rides up in the air quiet a bit, and never really gets loaded with anything but kids. It's a handicap van with a wheelchair lift that's coming out (don't need).

Any thoughts on whom may use/need a wheelchair lift? It only fits in Braun bus applications, not the average van or conversion van.

I've rebuilt leaf springs before. It's pretty easy. There are no specialty tools required. Just make sure that you've got new center bolts and u bolts before you begin (You should NEVER re-use any of your old suspension bolts). The whole project may take 2-3 hrs depending on your set up. If the ride height changes drastically, you may have to get different shocks. Hope that helps.

Are you sure that you are not hitting a hard stop? Again I am shooting from the hip. Are you sure that stiffness is the problem? How amny leaves in the pack? A lot of arch? Are your shackle vertical at neutral position?

a 1-ton with no platforms? Is it possible you have a platform spring under the main pack? If the main pack was resting on it, it would be hard to tell. The platform on the bottom will be much thicker than the rest in the center...

It must be the weight. Instead of making the rear suspension weaker, add airbags to dampen the load. The kind that go between the axle and frame should take the harshness out of the busses suspension.

I helped a friend add two leafs to a 6 leaf 1ton stack.
It goes like this:
lift it and Remove hardware, read breaker bars with extensions and the hot wrench if need be, and get the vehicle frame up high on jackstands with the axle free under it. Then adding leafs to a 10 year old stack is work in itself and yes, have the new hardware first, the old stuff was on it's last leg. Finally it all goes back together.

If his pack is resting on a platform, that (airbags) will only worsten things by adding spring rate in parallel.

If he doesn't need load carrying, the platform (if there is one) removal will solve the problem and lower the van a bit.

Hmm... I thought the airbags were veriable and could be increased to the desired dampning/ride heigth. Arn't they sort of an active bumpstop?

They are those things. But they also add spring rate. I put them on and like them. They are good for having load carrying capacity when you start pulling leaves out.

I have a sneakin feeling (looking at the age) he is dealing with sagging springs resting on a platform spring. If so, the platform feels like a bump stop (when empty). The cures are removing or flipping the platform, or new springs. Add-a-leaf may be cheaper, but IMO less effective. Removing the overload and adding the airbags is a nice combination. That way you don't have the expense of replacing the springs. You get a nice progressive response back.

Again, without knowing exactly what this van has, it's hard to diagnose.

Any thoughts on whom may use/need a wheelchair lift? It only fits in Braun bus applications, not the average van or conversion van.
Could be a good money maker on ebay? $10 and your advertising to hundreds of thousands.

The one picture is of the springs in the back, and the other is just for fun to see this thing looks like.

Exactly as I thought. That bottom leaf is your problem, it is not attached to the main pack, and acts like a brick wall to the main springs. If you remove it you MAY have another problem, the springs bottoming, with that rubber stop hitting the axle. Another option is to flip it over (if it has curvature, some are flat). This may be the most affordable cure, and what I would look at first. It costs nothing except a little labor and u-bolts. Not suppose to reuse old u-bolts.

Otherwise, you can rearch them. Adding a leaf is not a cure it is a bandaid

How long would re-arching last? How 'bout taking one of the top springs out?

Not too familiar with re-arching. But if ythey are tired springs, they will just sag again fairly quickly I think.

No on the top springs, it will have almost no affect. You see, that one bottom spring doubles the stiffness of the pack. Truth. The way it is designed from the factory is that the main pack is to sit 1-2" off of the platform spring. So you have a soft ride until you load the vehicle up. Your problem is you no longer have any soft ride with the pack riding right on top.

You think that the springs are tired and that's why the stiff ride?

I was thinking of maybe taking out some of the spring and doing the air bag idea if I could figure out just the way to do it.

Your bottom spring looks twice as big as my K3500.

You just have to get your main pack off the platform, preferably 2". With an arched platform, this is commonly done by flipping it.

Unless you are going to have heavy loads, airbags are kind of a waste. You could put in the bags hoping to elevate the springs, but trust me, the pressure needed to do this makes for a very stiff air ride.

Try www.activesuspension.com (http://www.activesuspension.com) did wonders for me easy install

So thats why they were upside down.

not following you

If you feel the ride is to stiff already re-arching, replacing springs or adding air bags will only make it stiffer. I have removed the over load spring on many of my own vehicles because I never tow anything and I need a soft suspension for four wheeling. To smooth your ride out I would remove your over load spring, add 2" lift blocks to replace the lost ride height and prevent bottoming out, and upgrade shocks to the new smart valve technology like Edelbrocks.

Good suggestions. For Knkreb I want to help clarify the overload and platform are interchangeable terms meaning the same thing in this case.

Thanks for the info there guys. Will look into this a bit further.

Sticker on the side of the door says GVWR is 9500. Empty it wieghts in at 8000.

Well, I just got all excited here about looking at active suspension's website. Went to Whitney's site, and it said on the one kit I looked at that will not work with factory installed overload springs. I wonder if it was just that kit, or all of them?

edit: oh, wait a minute, do they mean the "overload" springs that mount on top? Not the thick platform spring that mounts on the bottom? Just wondering out loud here. Can't seem to figure why they would not work with my set up.

I think you figured it out. There are overloads on the top of some vehicles springs, some of them even have a platform on the bottom.

But I honestly don't think that the roadmaster is going to solve your issue, though it may help alot if it gets your springs off the platform. I think for your case, it is better than add a leaf. I know I am being repetitive, but look at the platform leaf closely and note the curvature in it. Do you see how flipping it over will get you more clearance to the main pack?

This is a kind of old thread so I hope you are still reading it. These 1-ton vans are notorious for rolling over killing everyone inside. Also, you have a raised roof which makes it a bit more top heavy even than its normal high CG. The Chevys with the 1-ton chassis and extended wheelbase are more stable than the Dodge and Ford 15-passenger vans, which are just modified short-wheelbase 3/4 ton vans, but they are still roll-over risks - particularly in emergency maneuvers. Removing any of the rear leaf springs will probably make your van uncontrollable in even moderate-speed emergency maneuvers.

I notice that the people giving you advice here to remove springs do not drive these vans but have vehicles with lower GVW and lower CG. Their hearts are in the right place I am sure, but they may not be aware of the very particular problems associated with these vans. I strongly recommend that you do not remove any rear springs.

I have one of these vans, and I may let everything else go to hell on it, but the suspension, tires and inflation pressure are critical. Resist the temptation to soften the ride by removing a spring leaf or by reducing the tire inflation pressure. Recently I even changed my tires for a higher load range, which I strongly recommend. Doing so did not effect the ride except to make it more stable and confident at all speeds. I have also discovered the www.ActiveSuspension.com modification and I will be installing a set on my G30 soon - at about $215 total they are a steal.

Since, you're sitting on the overloads. I believe that that is you reason for the stiff ride. I also agree with removing springs to be a bad idea on your particlular van. I still recomend removing the overload springs, Installing blocks to replace lost ride height and prevent bottoming out, Installing smart valve shocks, AND installing an aftermarket anti-roll bar for safety against roll-over. On my Tahoe I removed the overload and the two (of the four leaves). this was great for off-road but did not feel comfortable on the road so I put one of the springs back on, this turned out to be the best combination for me.

Well, it's been so long since I've been in here, I forgot how to sign in.

Anywho, haven't even touched the suspension on the van. Next project on it is converting to alternative fuel (WVO). That project will be adding some weight to the back end now, so the idea of lessening the suspension, is out the window. Rough figuring here, a 36 gallon tank will add about 250-300 lbs alone.

I would like to look more into an air ride of some sort. I've seen air-shocks, and then the air bag setup. Pro's and con's or either? Expensive vs. benefit?

air bags would be my choice. Carries the load over a larger area instead of a single bolt.

No matter what you add to or take off your van, you have to get the overloads from being in contact with the springs. Whether you re-arc, add leaves, or airbags. Not only is the contact making your suspension stiff and uncomfortable, it probably is unsafe as the overload offers little or no cushion, which would probably help your truck flip in a panic manuver.

Your main spring pack is shot which I think is probably most of your problem. However, I had the same harsh ride (still good arch in springs though) and just replaced the shocks with good quality aftermarket shocks and the difference is immeasurable!