# Air Assist Suspension on Alko chassis



## smifee (May 17, 2005)

Hymer 614 Camp GT Fiat 2.8jtd Alko chassis & Alko rear axle plated at 3900kg

i'm very low at the ass end  and so is the van. 

van is within all plated weights but rear end down and front end up :roll: 

have read that this will lead to traction problems on steep hills. will be travelling through the alps sept/oct.

contacted a company in Lancs (used to be Drinkwater) - "nothing can be done as the chassis & axle are operating at their maximum capability"

Alko - "Air assistance for this axle can not be retrofitted"

Airide - " Insufficient movement for air assistance to be effective"

Essanjay - " A German company make a system and we have had a van in here with it fitted. Cost £600 + fitting."

I forgot to ask Steve the name of the company.

Anyone ever heard of such a system?

mike


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Evenin' smifee,

Could be Goldschmitt...

http://www.goldschmitt.de/ft/shop/en/index.htm

pj


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## 88782 (May 9, 2005)

smifee

Your Alko chassis will almost certainly have an amc axle and will either have three internal torsion bars each side or if it is an Amc air suspension axle two torsion bars each side, if these bars have taken a heavy pounding or one of the bars has boken it could give the effect you have now, if you have not had it properly checked ( not sure if you just made phone calls about it) it may pay you to do so.

I have just returned from a 5 week trip to the highlands ( should have been at least 2 months)where i lost my rear suspension and had to be brought back on a low loader from the other side of Inverness, I could find no one to repair it quick enough, so I did the job myself, 6 torsion bars, 2 shockers and its better than its ever been and higher off the ground.

KenS.


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## smifee (May 17, 2005)

hi peejay - looks too pricey to be the one but i'll check the price i've been quoted

hi ken - you are right i've only spoken to steve at essanjay on the phone about this but essanjay are approved agents for fiat and alko. they have had the vehicle for several days to do some work on it but that was before i fully loaded it. i will ask steve to check the bars before he fits the air assist system.

problem is caused by too many heavy goodies only being able to be fitted behind the rear wheels. i'll just have to go the LARD diet toi get some weight up front :lol: 

mike


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## 88782 (May 9, 2005)

smifee
In my case its too much heavy weight behind the rear wheels and the steering wheel as well !!!!!!.

Steve at S&J is very familiar wth these axles, he was fitting one a couple of weeks ago when I was in there ( I'm only up the road from him) he mentioned something about stronger torsion bars for the heavier vehicles, I didn't query it at the time and Alko didn't say anything about it when I ordered my parts from them, they are one of the most helpfull companies I've dealt with, the sales and the service team are first class.

Hope you get it sorted ok 

KenS.


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## smifee (May 17, 2005)

hi Ken

have asked steve to order the air assist and have booked the van in for 8th august.

he reckons it will raise the rear by 1 - 2 inches.

i'll let you know if he's right

mike


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## smifee (May 17, 2005)

well despite the 'experts' saying it couldn't be done Steve at Essanjay has done it.

the kit fitted is by Driverite and is marked 'Alko Chassis Semi Air Suspension' cost £575 + VAT + Fitting

before i tell how many extra inches i've gained would all comedians please form an orderly queue & take a numbered ticket. Pusser you have ticket No. 1.

Steve thought it would raise the rear of the van by 1 - 2 inches but i've got an extra 4 inches with no saggy end :roll: 

the rear of the van is now slightly higher than the front. more movement on poor road surfaces but less bangs. bonus is that cross winds & passing juggernauts seem to have no effect.

the instructions say to set the air pressure so that there is 45mm between the bottom of the 'rubber envelpe' & the piston. that was about 70 psi. have tried it lower but went back to 70.

now don't care if mr plod is behind me. before i was expecting to get pulled over & weighed. haven't weighed van since the fitting but the kit didn't seem too heavy. have one more weigh in scheduled before going to italy next month.

mike


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## 88782 (May 9, 2005)

Mike

Thanks for the response to the PM, I have passed the details on and I beleive he's going to fit the kit, looking at the fitting instructions, it seems a straight forward job.

Mant thanks for the info.

KenS


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## smifee (May 17, 2005)

hi ken

watching the professionals it always looks easy :lol: but i'm to DIY what England are to football  

the instructions are clear with photos. a tech savvy mate says fitting would be a 'piece of cake'

i'm very pleased with the result

mike


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Thanks for the update, so often we don't see the follow up to something like this
which is a great shame. Good to read you had a result.

peedee


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## 99255 (May 16, 2006)

anyone had their torsion bar suspension go solid? Our swift kontiki 6006 has gone solid over winter and wont move at all.


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys

would love to see a pic of this as i think i may do this also .

josse : jack the rear of the vehicle up and pump grease into the nipples at each end of the rear axle tube . that should help .


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## 99255 (May 16, 2006)

thanx flying scot, will try and then post results.


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## 110074 (Feb 21, 2008)

For all your Alko needs try the only UK supplier:

_Mod edit: possible advertising URL removed_


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