Big Modification for the Road Warrior

[david-steph2018]

Well today at around noon we dropped the Road Warrior off at Morryde for the installation of the Independent Suspension. We are suppose to get her back on Friday morning. We could had stayed in the RV at night but during the work hours we had to be out of the rig. Plus the fact they start at 6 am doing the work, was a big deciding factor in were to stay.
Due to the weather up here right now we decided to stay in a motel room instead of the truck/RV. It did spit some snow flakes on the way to the Morryde plant, we had to wait on a train and then snow started to fall.
Will let everybody know on the experiences of towing with the new system. After we leave here we will be in Lake Conroe, Texas until November 17th, then move to Medina Lakes until December 4th, then head to Phoenix, arriving December 15th.
So this trip, 2000+ miles, will give a good ideal on the difference experience in towing.

 

[jnbhobe]

Are you getting Disc brakes too ??

 

[david-steph2018]

Are you getting Disc brakes too ??

Had disc brakes installed last year at the National Rally by Performance Trailer Braking. Morryde is going to take our discs and transfer these over saving us about $4500 for brake job.

 

[jnbhobe]

Now you will have the best of both worlds.

 

[david-steph2018]

So far as the work goes:

Well as I am writing this the Road Warrior is sitting in Morryde getting the new Independent Suspension(IS) installed under her. We took her in Tuesday at around noon and after they finished measuring things I backed her into the work bay, unhooked and then headed to the motel.
We could had stayed in the rig at night, but during the work hours we have to be out of the rig and the building. With the weather being highs in the 40's for Tuesday/Wednesday we decided a motel would be the best.


One issue that came up when they were doing the initial measurements was the rear was 5" higher than the nose. The top measurements were as follows:
front AC - 13'
middle AC - 13'3"
rear AC - 13'5"
but the truck was level and I still had 5" between the bedrails and the 5th wheel. So we decided to check and the hitch was on the lowest mounting hole, so they raised it up 2 bolt holes for a total of 4" in height difference. I could never tell the rig was not level as it pulled great and the Ram did not squat more then 3-4" when hooked up.
So here is the work process that we observed so far:
After Morryde gets the rig inside they do measurements in several areas then the IS is custom-made to your unit. You are assigned 1 tech to work only on your rig, he is your point of contact and he calls and updates you daily and keeps you in the loop while the work is being completed.


Tuesday pulled it in the work area


Wednesday the tech cut the old axles and leaf springs off then grinded the shackles off and primes the frame. The tech pulled our disc brakes off and is going to install on our new IS system. The tech had to install some new brake lines because of the added movement of the wheels now.


Thursday morning they had all 3 new IS systems ready to go on and at 9 am were getting ready to start the installation process. After welding the new IS in place the tech will prime and paint the area on the frame were he worked.


Friday we should be able to get it from Morryde and hit the road again for Texas and Arizona at around noon or 1pm.

UPDATE:
After we picked up the Road Warrior from Morryde we were heading east toward Goshen and hit the brakes well smoke came up and locked the wheels. So we called Morryde and they wanted us right back, so we turned in the Walmart parking lot and headed back. As soon we pulled in they crawled all over it and started looking. When they hooked the brakes to test on the truck, it seems somebody bumped up the gain to 6 1/2. Now we all know that 6 1/2 gain will lock the brakes on the Road Warrior.
But the trip back it rode really great, no excessive bounce, no bounce on concrete roads, or at bridge joints.
The final measurements for the replacement was:
front AC 13'2"
middle AC 13'2"
rear AC 13'1"
with 8 1/2" bed rail clearance to bottom of nose