How can I remedy an imbalance in my Expy's weight?

[cmk59]

I have an '07 Expy with a heavy-duty wheelchair lift attached to the trailer hitch. The lift alone weighs like 400 lbs+, but the mobility chair weighs another 300+. When going down the highway, the front end feels floaty and there's a distinct lack of control to the point where I feel like I'm more guiding it down the road in a crosswind...or sailing...one or the other. I went to the extent of replacing the struts and springs on all corners (due to availability, Bilsteins on front, Ranchos on rear)

It helped SOME, but not as much as I would've hoped. To look at it from the side, the Expy still has the same stance as before the lift was installed.

What can I do to restore the control I used to have, or at least bring it back to a more 'factory' feel? My 'mechanic' opined that the only thing he could think of was air bags, but then the back end would be hiked up so far I couldn't use the lift, as well as complicating my climbing into the driver's seat. As it is right now, I'm to the point where I'd feel better selling it in favor of a pickup - and I just replaced the cats, struts, sensors, plugs, filters, etc, etc to get it ready for another 150K!

I could really use some budget-friendly help here!

 

[Thunderbirdsport]

Heard of those leveling kits? They typically are for example a 3" front, 2" rear...used to fit bigger tires...

Point is...if you want to bring the back end up just a tad, maybe have an inch set put in the rear? They're strut spacers, not a real lift kit, per se. All they do is increase the space between the top of the strut and the frame...puts more distance between the frame and the road, like. I don't know if it would be feasible for you in this case, but it may just be what you'd want to "level" the stance. I don't think there's an option for heavy duty springs for these. Air bags might work too, but they have an added complexity of the lines, pump, etc.

With a strut spacer, it's bolt it in and forget it.

I put a leveling kit on mine, and the rears are pretty easy provided you have air tools and some bigger deep sockets. Undo the bottom shock bolt, then undo the bolt that holds the control arm to the frame near the diff. Let it swing down and wire it up out of the way. Then there's the three bolts that hold the strut/spring assy. Undo those and the strut falls out. Since you have new struts, no need to undo the spring. Just bolt on the spacer to the top and put er back in. Just put the nuts on enough to hold the assembly in place, negotiate the control arm to where you can run the shock's lower bolt through and then using a jack, raise the control arm back up. You'll need a big screwdriver to line the hole up to get the bolt back in. Once all the boltss are in place, torque them down. I think the strut bolts up on top get 30 foot pounds, the shock bolt on bottom gets a bunch...I put mine at 275, and the control arm bolt got 150.

Pretty easy, actually. If you were in north missouri i wouldn't have any issue helping you with it.

 

[Yupster Dog]

My 'mechanic' opined that the only thing he could think of was air bags

The air bags is the perfect solution. There are airbags systems with controls that deflate for loading and unloading then inflate for travel.

Not budget friendly but how much would an accident cost because you cant fully control your vehicle? Defiantly something worth your time looking into.

Extra bonus you can do little adjustments with the push of a button to get back to factory feel you are looking for.

 

[cmk59]

All well and good, but a permanent lift device would render my mobility lift unusable, so it's out. Air bags just aren't in the budget (I'm on military disability pension and my wife's a full-time teacher, so money is more than tight), especially as I'd need the on-board inflation option, and I couldn't afford bags in the first place. It was all I could do to replace the struts.

 

[Yupster Dog]

All well and good, but a permanent lift device would render my mobility lift unusable, so it's out. Air bags just aren't in the budget (I'm on military disability pension and my wife's a full-time teacher, so money is more than tight), especially as I'd need the on-board inflation option, and I couldn't afford bags in the first place. It was all I could do to replace the struts.

Thank you for your sacrifice and your service.

 

[cmk59]

I appreciate that very much, and thank you!

 

[mrbadwrench]

Does the chair stay out on the lift or go inside? If it goes inside, can you move it forward so the weight is more centered? If it stays outside I think you need to ballast the front end. Stronger springs on the rear won't put more weight on the front tires. Do you have any use for a winch or a police cowcatcher like I have or something else heavy that you can mount on the front bumper?

 

[cmk59]

The lift is hitch-mounted, and as it's over 400# it's kinda permanent. The chair doesn't stay on it, but goes inside when I'm home. There's not much room front-to-back, but I try to keep it as close to the hitch as possible when I put the chair on it.

That said, I was also thinking about a bull-bar or somesuch device, but given our incomes, it'll be awhile. I may wind up trading it to someone who has a pickup that wants an SUV, much as I've enjoyed my Expy. Even at 150K miles, it runs as well as ever and burns no oil at all, so maybe...

 

[Thunderbirdsport]

If you just want to get rid of the rake, then dependent on how much sag there is, rear strut spacers would be the cheapest "fix"...

Certainly much cheaper than an air shock, or air bag setup. Do you have a pic of it when it's fully loaded, settled in the rear? Just trying to gauge what amount the rear might need to be brought up...

 

[cmk59]

The rake isn't the issue; it's the weight imbalance caused by the chair and lift. A 'bull bar' seems to be the only option short of a full-on solid-steel bumper...