Bitsy Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 I have an 1990 Odyssey and have just discovered that the rear leaf springs are not the same. The passenger side has 5 leaves in the spring and the driver side has 7 leaves. Is this common? Thank you for any information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Not sure if it would have been done by Odyssey, but someone might have added leaves to compensate for heavy items (water/fuel/propane/batteries). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitsy Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 I agree with your thought but I do have a concern that with one side more rigid than the other, the imbalance could cause strain on the passenger side. I have had the rear shocks changed out this last week. Both sides needed replacement and the passenger side was in worse condition--to the point of having gone through both passenger dually tires within 300 miles of changing them. I did change out shocks about 18,000 miles back (5 years ago). The new shocks are specifically made for motorhome usage. Thinking about changing the front shocks, too. Do you have any suggestions for brand, type, etc. Thanks, Mike (Bitsy is the name of our MH so I guess I am Mr. Bitsy) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanAatTheCape Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 11 hours ago, Bitsy said: I agree with your thought but I do have a concern that with one side more rigid than the other, the imbalance could cause strain on the passenger side. I have had the rear shocks changed out this last week. Both sides needed replacement and the passenger side was in worse condition--to the point of having gone through both passenger dually tires within 300 miles of changing them. I did change out shocks about 18,000 miles back (5 years ago). The new shocks are specifically made for motorhome usage. Thinking about changing the front shocks, too. Do you have any suggestions for brand, type, etc. Thanks, Mike (Bitsy is the name of our MH so I guess I am Mr. Bitsy) Curious, you mentioned going thru 2 tires in 300 miles - how did those tires wear out so fast? The only way I could imagine that happening is a rear axle alignment issue - which can happen, especially after someone had the leaf springs off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defrag4 Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 i noticed this on my winnebago as well, one side has an additional leaf than the other, have heard of others noticing the same thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrel Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 My 84 Dolphin had more leaves on one side. That side also had more weight on it. The tires wore evenly right to left-front to rear. Put two sets of tires on it and 58,000 miles Darrel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwilliam1 Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 I highly recommend Bilsteins shocks all around. Pricey but worth it. On my Granville I have the battery, refrigerator and fresh water tank all on the drivers side along with a large pullout storage area and including me. So the weight is not distributed equally. Since I had my leaf springs re-arched, added 2 new heavy-duty leaves on each side and new Bilsteins all around she now sits level! I have 7 leaf springs on each side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 agree with Markwilliam 100%. in fact i now have bilsteins on all of my vehicles, not just the toy.; they are vastly superior. They shine particularly on HD truck applications like 3/4 ton + I also run a set on my Cummins Ram 2500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitsy Posted June 9, 2017 Author Share Posted June 9, 2017 Thank you for your responses. Turns out it was the front shocks that were changed out five years back and this time it is the rear shocks that needed replacement. When I got underneath and up close to the springs, I found that I have 7 on the driver side (heavy side) and 6 on the other which makes more sense considering what others have said here. Motor home is still at the Les Schwab store--when the technician was putting the tire back on, after replacing the shock, one of the bolts broke. The story is medal fatigue but who knows, so waiting for new bolts to arrive. Decided to change all six to avoid any further "medal fatigue" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 wait so your rig had differing number of leafs on each side of the rear suspension? that's a new one for me, sounds like it could cause geometry issues in addition to tired medals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitsy Posted June 14, 2017 Author Share Posted June 14, 2017 Turns out it is not so unusual to have one more leaf on the side carrying more weight. Surprised me, too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.