[bullfinch]

Hi anyone out there know if you can fit alko shock absorbers to a swift challenger 490 with truma se mover fitted to it and also spare wheel carrier fitted,i am a mechanic so the fitting aspect is ok i was just wondering if there was enough space,dont want to buy and then find i cant fit them any advice would be greatly appreciated

[Eddie]

Hi bullfinch - I've got an '06 Challenger 540 with a Reich mover and spare wheel carrier, and fitted shocks to it without any bother.I'm sure if you bought them and then found a problem, you could sell them again easily enough via the forum or eBay.

[bullfinch]

Eddie, on 08 February 2010 - 08:31 PM, said:

Hi bullfinch - I've got an '06 Challenger 540 with a Reich mover and spare wheel carrier, and fitted shocks to it without any bother.I'm sure if you bought them and then found a problem, you could sell them again easily enough via the forum or eBay.

Hi eddie thanks for your reply,did you find a big difference after you fitted the shocks

[Eddie]

bullfinch, on 08 February 2010 - 08:37 PM, said:

Hi eddie thanks for your reply,did you find a big difference after you fitted the shocks

Definitely. Most noticable was the lack of movement when being passed by coaches etc. on the motorways.Prior to having them fitted, I was constantly watching for overtaking vehicles, and then trying to move over a bit to allow as much separation zone as I could, but since I fitted the shocks, steady as a rock.(I believe Swift are now fitting them to all their 'vans). There's also got to be a significant reduction in the amount of "shock" going through the 'van when passing over pot-holes etc., so, as far as I'm concerned, "money well spent".

[MarkE]

Eddie, on 08 February 2010 - 09:09 PM, said:

Definitely. Most noticable was the lack of movement when being passed by coaches etc. on the motorways.Prior to having them fitted, I was constantly watching for overtaking vehicles, and then trying to move over a bit to allow as much separation zone as I could, but since I fitted the shocks, steady as a rock.(I believe Swift are now fitting them to all their 'vans). There's also got to be a significant reduction in the amount of "shock" going through the 'van when passing over pot-holes etc., so, as far as I'm concerned, "money well spent".

I thought alko shockers were just abit of a money maker for them. Alko tow hitch stabalisers, alko shocks, alko atc, alko wheellocks... is nice that alko have so many means of making money!

That said, I do think tow hitch stabaliers and wheellocks are a good idea

[mack100]

MarkE, on 09 February 2010 - 09:00 AM, said:

I thought alko shockers were just abit of a money maker for them.

I have never seen any reports of Alko shock absorbers having zero effect on towing stability, only positive reports. Perhaps I haven't looked hard enough.

[imwatching]

Hi Bullfinch, as already mentioned all current Swifts have shocks as standard and we do fit Truma S and SE movers to them all the time without any problem so you should be ok

[SamD]

Eddie, on 08 February 2010 - 09:09 PM, said:

Definitely. Most noticable was the lack of movement when being passed by coaches etc. on the motorways.Prior to having them fitted, I was constantly watching for overtaking vehicles, and then trying to move over a bit to allow as much separation zone as I could, but since I fitted the shocks, steady as a rock.(I believe Swift are now fitting them to all their 'vans). There's also got to be a significant reduction in the amount of "shock" going through the 'van when passing over pot-holes etc., so, as far as I'm concerned, "money well spent".

This is going to sound pompous! It's made even worse 'cos I'm not sure I know what I'm talking about!

Hey Ho. I was always taught that the term 'shock absorber' is a misnomer. It's the spring which absorbs the shock and the role of the 'damper' is to control/reduce the amplitude of the spring distortion. There, I told you it would sound pompous! But without a damper, every time a van hits a bump, the van will bounce up and down until its own weight levels it off (overcomes the energy in the spring) and Eddie's comments above about making the van more steady make a lot of sense with a bonus that the addition of the damper will add to the rigidity of the suspension unit. I'm not sure, however, about Eddie's comment on reducing shock going through the van.

This post has been edited by SamD: 09 February 2010 - 01:24 PM

[Eddie]

SamD, on 09 February 2010 - 01:23 PM, said:

I'm not sure, however, about Eddie's comment on reducing shock going through the van.

You could well be correct, but even so, for the safe of much better stability alone, for me, "money well spent".

[Ellen42]

SamD, on 09 February 2010 - 01:23 PM, said:

This is going to sound pompous! It's made even worse 'cos I'm not sure I know what I'm talking about!

Hey Ho. I was always taught that the term 'shock absorber' is a misnomer. It's the spring which absorbs the shock and the role of the 'damper' is to control/reduce the amplitude of the spring distortion. There, I told you it would sound pompous! But without a damper, every time a van hits a bump, the van will bounce up and down until its own weight levels it off (overcomes the energy in the spring) and Eddie's comments above about making the van more steady make a lot of sense with a bonus that the addition of the damper will add to the rigidity of the suspension unit. I'm not sure, however, about Eddie's comment on reducing shock going through the van.

I suggest you inform Al-Ko that they should be called dampers, because they seem to think they are shock absorbers http://www.caravantalk.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif



http://www.al-ko.co....tech-shocks.htm

Ellen x

This post has been edited by Ellen42: 09 February 2010 - 04:34 PM