Guajiro Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I took my 89 sunrader 18ft to a mechanic that advertised they specialize in motor homes. I was experiencing a very rough ride when going over anything other than smooth roads. Figured I needed shocks but they told me my tortion bars where bad and need to be replaced. Naturally I did a search after I got home from getting the quote and couldn't find much on the Internet . Unlike shock issues with our RV's, tortion bars don't get mentioned a bunch. Any one out there can shed some light? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guajiro Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 I just read my post and it seems a little vague. My concern is that since I don't see many people discussing tortion bar replacement, (a few adjustments but no replacements), I feel that it may have been misdiagnosed. Does anyone have any experience with this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I cant see total replacement . very commen to replace the bushings. urethane I think it is poly urethane bushings. are a modern and much better replacement for the org . and now worn out rubber. I am not in the know on sunraders but someone will be linda has one . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I took my 89 sunrader 18ft to a mechanic that advertised they specialize in motor homes. I was experiencing a very rough ride when going over anything other than smooth roads. Figured I needed shocks but they told me my tortion bars where bad and need to be replaced. Naturally I did a search after I got home from getting the quote and couldn't find much on the Internet . Unlike shock issues with our RV's, tortion bars don't get mentioned a bunch. Any one out there can shed some light? just a heads up about why you might not be not finding a lot of information on the subject. It could well be because you are using the wrong spelling for the word. The word is spelled Torsion with an S rather than a second T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I took my 89 sunrader 18ft to a mechanic that advertised they specialize in motor homes. I was experiencing a very rough ride when going over anything other than smooth roads. Figured I needed shocks but they told me my tortion bars where bad and need to be replaced. Naturally I did a search after I got home from getting the quote and couldn't find much on the Internet . Unlike shock issues with our RV's, tortion bars don't get mentioned a bunch. Any one out there can shed some light? Sounds like a bunch of BS to me. First of all, you've only got torsion-bars in front and none in the rear. Is it just the front riding hard? Second - torsion-bars have an advantage over conventional coil or leaf springs because they are adjustable. Usually the only time they are replaced is when they break in half. Riding hard like you describe means the suspension is not giving way under light loads. The only way a shock-absorber can cause that is if it is frozen an unable to move (rare). If your rig is riding hard in back - it's not uncommon. May be because of the constant overload and whatever was added to make up for it. E.g. over-load springs, extra leaf springs, air-shocks, air-bags, etc. When a Toyota is in basic pickup truck form - it has two-stage springs in back. So it rides soft over light bumps. But once you load it - the softer springs collapse and sit on a very rigid overload spring. With a motorhome - that is happening all the time unless someone builds a custom set of springs for it. If you are convinced the hard ride is only in the front - the only way a torsion bar can be the issue is if someone swapped in the wrong bars with the wrong rate. They are springs and get softer over time, not harder. They are adjustable so when they get worn, you can crank them up and restore ride-height. That is until they finally snap in two. If any of your's was broken, the truck would be crooked in front and sitting very low. Besides what I already mentioned - anything in the suspension that gets frozen can cause that problem. Shock absorber, ball joint, etc. That would be rare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Have you ridden in another Toyhouse at any time? These things are loaded to the max capacity and they ride kind of harsh. My RV bottomed out on almost every bump due to very saggy rear leaf springs. I added air springs (air bags) to the rear and they made a huge difference. If I inflate them to 100 psi (max pressure) the RV rides just as bad as without the bags, at 70 psi the ride is about as good as it gets. The bags smooth out the bumps pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ctgriffi Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Our rough-rider was transformed by new rear shocks; it seriously feels like a different, much newer vehicle. So, I second the motion to check your shocks, as well as air bags (if applicable). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 tor·sion bar noun a bar forming part of a vehicle suspension, twisting in response to the motion of the wheels and absorbing their vertical movement. I agree if a torsion bar is bad it's broken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 parden me I got confused with the rear sway bar bushings. but I think someone said the sunrader had no rear swaybar. my dolphin does. and bad sway bar bushings and shocks will cause bouncing and handling problems. and I was thinking someone put a rear swaybar on a sunrader and said it made a big difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I have a sway bar on my Sunrader. It has come loose but it made the vehicle sway not rough. Rough ride sounds like shocks to me. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guajiro Posted December 24, 2015 Author Share Posted December 24, 2015 Thanks for the correction on the spelling. I have since done a little research on issues with torsion bars and have seen way more in the way of adjustment vs replacement. With only 50k miles on the vehicle I do find it hard to believe they need to be replaced. I understand that I shouldn't expect a Cadillac like ride but I think mine rides a little too rough. Driving over those reflectors that are on the freeway is way more harsh than it should be. I owned a 84 dolphin with 140k and it felt smoother. I'm thinking of going to another mechanic to see what they say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Try this place in Montclair. They are primarily a mini truck salvage yard but they have mechanics too. Call and see if Manny is still there. He came highly recommended by the owner of the Toyota-campers group on yahoo but it was a few years ago California Mini Truck4002 State St.Montclair , CA 91763909-622-1382 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 FWIW I would replace all 4 shocks and see what happens. Next on the list would be the rear spring shackle bushings, bad sway bar bushings will make a lot of noise but add little harshness. Replacing the front bushing on the rear spring can be a PIA, but the rear bushing get most of the wear. Next would be the front torsion bushings. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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