RVBusiness, November/December 2017

SupplySide BY B O B L I V I N G S T O N New CLASS Suspension System from LiquidSpring Helps Improve Ford F 53 Chassis Handling Prowess The LiquidSpring CLASS suspension system squelches body roll particularly noticable in low speed situations such as entering and exiting driveways While Fords Class A chassis have a proven track record for reliability their handling traits which more closely emulate those exhibited by commercial vehicles have seen limited change over the years Standard underpinnings for gasoline powered Class A motorhomes are exclusively provided by Ford with good reason For many years the F 53 platform has been the only game in town and motorhomes perched on Fords venerable chassis represent the biggest segment in the motorized RV industry But while Fords Class A chassis have a proven track record for reliability their handling traits which more closely emulate those exhibited by commercial vehicles have seen limited change over the years Compromises are made in a number of areas to control costs and offer higher gross vehicle weight ratings GVWR to handle ever larger motorhomes with more amenities On the suspen sion side leaf springs and shock absorbers are the quintessential components in handling weight and providing relative driving comfort Still owners of motorhomes on the Ford chassis have oftentimes complained about a rough ride imprecise steering input and body roll Lightly loaded these motorhomes usually demonstrate decent handling characteristics but once loaded to maximum GVWR and especially when heavy items are stored in higher positioned compartments body roll becomes much more apparent Generally at this point its difficult for passengers to move about while on the road and the driver will have to maneuver defensively to keep the motorhome on an even keel Before the CLASS components can be installed the existing leaf springs brackets shocks and hardware are removed Only the factory sway bar remains in place After removing the factory suspension components the net gain in weight is around 200 pounds determining axle and tire capacities before the installation is important A few aftermarket products designed to improve the ride and handling of the F 53 chassis have entered the scene over the years but the latest from Lafayette Ind based LiquidSpring LLC known as a Compressible Liquid Adaptive Suspension System CLASS appears destined to change the paradigm of how owners view and drive motorhomes built on the F 53 chassis The patented CLASS rear suspension is a fivelink system that takes the place of the standard leaf springs and shocks and uses sophisticated electronics to manage compressible liquid silicone via specially designed struts and control arms improving stability while reducing road shock and vibrations Vehicle handling problems are not new the auto industry has been working on solutions for more than 100 years Shock absorbers have been the auto industrys bread and butter solution for years with air bags entering the scene 50 years ago Shock absorbers are expected to be suspension superheroes but they can only provide limited control and once they heat up damping is compromised While air bags help somewhat they are still subject to the same tradeoffs between ride quality and handling The essential components of Liquid Springs CLASS componentry and how the system fits on a Ford F 53 Class A gas chassis 164 RVBusiness N O V E M B E R D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7