1998 Safari Conversion Van.......?

[Texjbird]

I've had this van for nearly a year and spent some time and $$$$ on it getting it ready to tow my Aliner. TT.

It has a 4.3 Vortek engine and 4spd  auto. tranny  It seems to "wallow" at times however the springs/shocks/suspension has been checked out.  When the class III hitch was added I also had helper springs added and the rear was lifted 2in with them.  My mechanic says there is up to another 2in adjustment we can use.  However we're waiting until its actually rigged and hooked to the Aliner with a load in both of them for a final adjustment.  If there is still a suspension problem what would be the next step?

Has anyone here dealt with this style of van with that engine/tranny or know someone else's experiance with one.  It only has 106,000 miles on it and I know that's the true mileage because this was my Moms van since it was new.  
I'm wondering about how it will tow.  It is a high top, called a "TV" top I've been told.

I know that engine has some get up and go to it as once recently someone in a big pickup nearly ran a red light as I was completing a turn on a green light.  I heard his brakes/tires squealing and barely saw the front of his truck heading my way.  I gave that Safari a kick in the butt and nearly popped my neck when it took off.   The last time I heard those sounds while crossing a road I looked to see who was having a wreck.....and it was me    My little red Falcon station wagon was totaled by being hit broadside.  It could have been worse.  I was going forward and the impact pushed me to the left & I was headed right towards a head on collision with a guy sitting at a stop sign........ he had that deer in the headlights look going on.   I just put mine in the ditch.  I figured one wreck a day was my limit  

Jewellann

[Blacktank]

your engine is fine,basically a small block chevy with 2 cylinders removed,auto transmissions are always suspect because people dont change the fluid and over heat them,a transmission cooler is highly recommended $40 at rockauto,com  http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?...59&jsn=559

now the "wallow" when does it happen?
do you have trailer brakes?

[Texjbird]

your engine is fine,basically a small block chevy with 2 cylinders removed,auto transmissions are always suspect because people dont change the fluid and over heat them,a transmission cooler is highly recommended $40 at rockauto,com  http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?...59&jsn=559

now the "wallow" when does it happen?
do you have trailer brakes?

A tranny cooler and a flush and fill is on my to do list.  No one in the family knows if the tranny has ever been serviced.  My mechanic checked it out when I got it and we made a list of obvious things I needed to use it for a tow vehicle and he said the fluid looked good and didn't smell bad.   <or something like that on the smell part.

The wallow is only when one wheel hits a dip or low spot when the other 3 have missed it.  This town has some of the worst places going into parking lots or crossing from one road onto another.  This county and some around it have really bad flooding issues.   A 5 star rated mobile home park my family lived in back in the late '70s and early '80s and much of the surrounding area was condemed due to flooding sometime in the mid or late 80's.  Just since I have been back a few years ago we were  cut off from another town by flood waters.  This town about 3 years ago resurfaced many roads and raised them 1 to 2 inches in places.  Many intersections have dips to funnel high water away from the streets and into road drains.

Between the heat and humidity here I could be living in south Louisiana and enjoying some cajun cooking and music.

The trailer does not have brakes.  I have a new GMC controller put up for future use, that was a gift.  I like practical gifts

Jewellann

[Motrukdriver]

I've always like those Astro/Safari vans. Hope you can get it all jello pudding smooth before heading out.

[Blacktank]

the first thing to check is the air pressure in your tires

do you feel it in the front steering or in the rear?

[Texjbird]

the first thing to check is the air pressure in your tires

do you feel it in the front steering or in the rear?

I'll have the pressure checked again.  I had a heavy load in it a month or so ago and was worried about the tire pressure, it was O.K.

I don't feel it in either place. It's more like a body dip or squat towards whichever tire is in the low spot then a roll back up when it's level.  Think of one of those Hula Dolls stuck on your dash board with a dip and swing in slow motion.

I intend to have the suspension checked again when I can.

Thanks for your input.

Jewellann

[Optimistic Paranoid]

To me, that sounds like worn shock absorbers or worn out McPherson Struts, if your model has them instead of shocks.

Might be something else, though.

[Texjbird]

To me, that sounds like worn shock absorbers or worn out McPherson Struts, if your model has them instead of shocks.
 
Might be something else, though.

 
       Are the shocks standard or the struts?  Or both?  I'll have someone take a look.  I miss the days I could slide under vehicles to have a look/see.  Mostly looking for drips...I didn't always need to crawl under a car to find a DRIP or a JERK 

 The last time I did that was when I had a "emergency Christian" moment.  I took a coat hanger to wire up the whole exaust system on the Ranger when it fell off going down the road.  All except where it bolted to the engine had dropped.  
     
My prayer was  
If you're up there and paying attention...PLEASE LET ME BE ABLE TO GET UP OFF THIS ROAD"  and I did!   

Jewellann

[TWIH]

Your Safari (Astro twin) should only have leaf springs and shocks on rear, not sure if front was coils.

First obvious question is tires - are they LT or passenger?  If passenger you need the max air pressure, to increase load capacity.  LT tires are better due to a stronger/stiffer sidewall. That can reduce "wallow". The soft sidewall of the passenger tires causes wallow.

Second to consider is shocks, which control the up and down as opposed to side to side.  If your shocks don't rebound up and settle down quickly, then they are worn out. Shocks are only to damper the up and down and help keep tire contact with the ground.  Some trailer haulers use air bags to increase capacity and stiffen up soft springs, but you can overload your axle this way.

Third is your rear leaf springs, if they are sagging they need replacement or overloads or helpers in order to take the load of a trailer (tongue weight). Leaves carry up and down weight, they really don't help with side to side transfers unless the tie down brackets/ubolts are loose, then they are allowing slippage.  If you have coils in the front and they are worn, they will sag and due to metal fatigue won't carry the ft end up correctly.

Fourth is an anti-roll bar (roll bar/sway bar). This does a good job of controlling side to side but it shouldn't be slapped on if there are problems with the others above, as you are just overlooking an easier problem to fix.