Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: acura on 02 May 2010, 15:23:37
-
Just returned from a week in the Lake district with my new pikey wagon. The humble 2.2 coped well despite it being a heavy van but the rear springs let the jockey wheel of the van ground over speed bumps etc.
For those of you who tow with a saloon, what if any mods do you make for this? Are there heavy-duty springs I could fit or should I just go with the aftermarket spring assisters?
:y
-
What nose weight are you towing with? i.e. how heavy is the towhook?
-
I had the jockey wheel grounding out on a previous caravan. I simply removed it whilst towing.
-
I've got my eye on these, but for the estate of course
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VAUXHALL-OMEGA-SALOON-AIR-SHOCK-ABSORBER-KIT-NEW-/230232503729?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item359aed35b1
My estate doesn't suffer so much with grounding as I think a saloon would.
I had 2 bags of sand in the boot of the saloon yesterday and it grounded on speed bumps, the mudflaps that is :-?
Someone suggested the above coupled with spring assistors, (I think those rubber doughnut type coils) worked well together. :y
Mick ;)
-
You definitly need Monroe pump up shocks you just connect your van and pump up useing the ground to top of wheel arch as a reference
-
THere the ones that Mickap's mentioned get them fitted and connect a 12v compressor in the boot via a t connector to the air supply lines to the shocks Monroe used to do an accessory kit with all you need including a pressure guage I had them fitted to my previous estate and could load the estate rear inc my wife's buggy,and caravan, and the shocks never failed in 2 yrs of fairly heavy loading,for outfit stability most single axle outfits need a minimum of 70kg caravan noseweight. DON'T REDUCE THIS BY MUCH,as a snakeing outfit is hell to get out of :y
-
We only have a small van, but because of the grounding problems have taken to removing the jockey wheel when towing. Some of the sleeping policemen are really vicious, and by removing the jockey wheel, this eliminates all the problems.
-
I've got my eye on these, but for the estate of course
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VAUXHALL-OMEGA-SALOON-AIR-SHOCK-ABSORBER-KIT-NEW-/230232503729?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item359aed35b1
My estate doesn't suffer so much with grounding as I think a saloon would.
I had 2 bags of sand in the boot of the saloon yesterday and it grounded on speed bumps, the mudflaps that is :-?
Someone suggested the above coupled with spring assistors, (I think those rubber doughnut type coils) worked well together. :y
Mick ;)
'Twas me Mick dear boy! :y
I've also got Grayston coil-spring assisters too - basically to take some weight off the shocker air bellows.
Click: http://www.springassisters.co.uk/menu.htm
The set-up works exceptionally well! :y
-
Thanks for all the replies guys.
The van is fairly heavy @ 1500Kg max laden. Not sure what the noseweight is but I don't want to alter it as the van tows exceptionally steadily as it is. When I get some further kit in the boot and my 60Kg Bullmastiff on the back seat the arse end of the car does sag a bit ;D
I'd decided to bite the bullet and fork out for the Monroe air shocks but can see on here that some of you use the rubber donuts as well. Wouldn't the shocks themselves be up to the task?
-
You still need to accurately set the nose weight each time you move the caravan by redistributing the contents. A weight guage is cheap to buy and very simple to use.
-
I had the same problem with my previous V6 but never removed the jockey wheel because I wondered if this is legal. Do tired rear springs need replacement
-
Thanks for all the replies guys.
The van is fairly heavy @ 1500Kg max laden. Not sure what the noseweight is but I don't want to alter it as the van tows exceptionally steadily as it is. When I get some further kit in the boot and my 60Kg Bullmastiff on the back seat the arse end of the car does sag a bit ;D
I'd decided to bite the bullet and fork out for the Monroe air shocks but can see on here that some of you use the rubber donuts as well. Wouldn't the shocks themselves be up to the task?
I fitted the coil-assisters purely to ease the load on the shockers.
As previously said, this combination works extremely well on mine.
Assisters are cheap enough and straightforward to fit too!
;)
-
You should be OK with just the shocks I used to load the back of the estate with wifes buggy and sometimes awning + 70 to 80Kg noseweight of caravan and also should mention that that Miggy was a MV6 with lowered suspension as I said in my previous post measure ground to top of wheelarch on normal load then pump up to same measure when hitched and ready to go I think you'll find you will be pumping up to well below Monroe's max allowed quoted psi.
-
Can anybody give me some idea of the correct( normal) ride height at the back ie floor to wheel arch or even a figure off of their car. Isnt the ride height set by the springs rather than the shocks. If you are hitting sleeping policeman what is your ride height without caravan and what is your height to centre of tow ball without caravan
-
Would gladly measure and give you the info on mine, but it's an estate with the towbar. I have a saloon also and just looking at them both without measuring, the saloon looks to sit lower at the rear.
Can measure the wheel to arch clearance on that, but not towball measurement, it ain't got one.
Mick
-
Thanks Mick that would be helpful
-
Me again Mick The height of the tow baron the estate would also be helpful
Ron
-
If you want a readily available weight measuring device, just look in the bathroom :D lift front end of van and lower the jockey wheel on to the scales, although there might be a minimum nose weight, you also don't want to over do it, to balance out the van, when loading the car and van you can put some things at the back of the van, i.e. behind the axle to help balance the load out.
-
Me again Mick The height of the tow baron the estate would also be helpful
Ron
Ok sorry for the delay
Saloon measures 69cm from ground to wheel arch edge rear of course.
Estate measures pretty much the same but nearer 70cm, I have a toolbox and trolley jack in there though, and a tank full of diesel :o (ready for a trip to Yorkshire tomorrow ;D)
Estate towbar measures to the top of the ball 41cm
Hope this helps :y
Mick ;)
-
No Wagon , But skiboat & trailer c 1500kg . Nose weight 105 kg Bathroom scales !997 Elite self leveling no probs with jockey but sometimes ground the bottom of the detachable hitch exiting the driveway. You'd prob buy an elite for the price of add on shock helps.
-
... Nose weight 105 kg Bathroom scales ! ....
Omegas towball have max nose weight of 70kgs, but I struggle to get that low with my caravan, so it could often be more. ::)
-
hi
I`m also thinking of buying this kit but was wondering what you actually get and is it easy to fit and set up?
Any info would be a help as I dont want to end up wasting £190.
I`m towing caravan from Leeds to St Ives at end of month so I need to get and fit them asap if there any good
Thanks
-
Is the nose weight supposed to be 10% of overall?
So 1500 Kg is!!
-
Is the nose weight supposed to be 10% of overall?
So 1500 Kg is!!
I think they used to say 7% of the caravan's weight as a nose weight on the car up to the max stated for your car. But as caravans have got bigger & bigger over the years, you'd be lucky to find a caravan light enough for these numbers to work. :y
-
... Nose weight 105 kg Bathroom scales ! ....
Omegas towball have max nose weight of 70kgs, but I struggle to get that low with my caravan, so it could often be more. ::)
mine too,two gas bottles and a spare wheel in the front locker don't help much,just changed to the new fibreglass propane bottles and thats helped some
-
....
mine too,two gas bottles and a spare wheel in the front locker don't help much,
Same as mine then
just changed to the new fibreglass propane bottles and thats helped some
I've thought about doing the same, but that's as far as I've got. ::)
-
....
mine too,two gas bottles and a spare wheel in the front locker don't help much,
Same as mine then
just changed to the new fibreglass propane bottles and thats helped some
I've thought about doing the same, but that's as far as I've got. ::)
its worth doing as they are very light even when full
-
....
mine too,two gas bottles and a spare wheel in the front locker don't help much,
Same as mine then
just changed to the new fibreglass propane bottles and thats helped some
I've thought about doing the same, but that's as far as I've got. ::)
its worth doing as they are very light even when full
I'll ask next time I need a gas re-fill :y
-
another plus is that you can hold them up to the light and see whats left inside :y
-
another plus is that you can hold them up to the light and see whats left inside :y
I didn't realise that!
-
another plus is that you can hold them up to the light and see whats left inside :y
This is true,I have changed to plastic bottles and they are so much lighter and can be seen through for gas reamaining. :y
-
I used to row a trailer tent years ago, it used to snake like hell at times. The wife would be sat there frightened to death, screaming her knickers off, and all I could do was carry on driving with tears of laughter pouring down my cheeks. Oh happy days. ::)
-
I had the same problem, fitted after market spring assistors, what a waste of money they were so i just removed the jockey wheel and put it in the boot till we got to the camp site and put it back on, Problem solved.
-
Me again Mick The height of the tow baron the estate would also be helpful
Ron
My 2001 saloon with Grayston coil spring assistors measures 71cm to top of rear wheel arches.
Before I fitted the assistors I use to have to remove the jockey wheel but can now leave it on the van whilst towing :y
Oh and I've got the 10kg BP gas light bottle in the front locker which is a lot lighter than a steel Calor gas bottle 8-)
-
I used to row a trailer tent years ago, it used to snake like hell at times. The wife would be sat there frightened to death, screaming her knickers off, and all I could do was carry on driving with tears of laughter pouring down my cheeks. Oh happy days. ::)
I am not surprised it snaked if you were rowing ;D ;D ;D