Torsion Bar Suspension Systems
Submitted Article
If you have a Class A motorhome from Foretravel or Safari, odds are you have a torsion bar suspension system. For those of you unfamiliar with the different types of suspension, what you typically see in light duty trucks are leaf/coil spring suspensions while many motorhomes and heavy-duty trucks use airbag suspensions. Air bag suspensions use automatic pressure regulators to dynamically adjust the air pressure in each air bag to compensate for the tipping forces the coach is experiencing.
Torsion bar suspension systems use a steel bar in a sleeve connected to a lever arm to provide the up and down action. Newer torsion bars are encased in hard rubber inside the sleeve to further buffer the road noise and vibration between the axle and the chassis.
Eagle passenger buses made this suspension famous and many entertainers will only use Eagle buses for touring because of their ride characteristics. Torsion bar suspensions are less affected by porpoising and have excellent resistance to tipping.
American Sulastic builds replacement parts for these torsion bar systems. No component requires lubrication, only periodic height adjustments are necessary, and adding or removing shims easily accomplishes these, or loosening or tightening threaded adjustment rods. Its’ simple and proven engineering design ensures that the system will operate virtually maintenance free. Your vehicle will never be stranded or inoperable due to a catastrophic spring failure, which can happen when operating air bag systems.
To determine if you need to replace any torsion bar suspension components, or for more information on parts for your torsion bar suspension system, visit www.sulastic.com and search under ‘Motor home’.
If the truck you use for towing has a leaf spring suspension, you should also watch the video demonstrating how Sulastic rubber spring shackles can affordably and dramatically improve the ride quality, towing, braking distance and stability in your truck. An awesome product to smooth out the ride on your long drives. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSfyyy9cRB4