- Location
- Massachusetts
I was looking at the bump stops on the one I am driving and it looks to me like the 'bump stops' are intended to be an active part of the suspension.
2015 Ford Transits, anyone using one yet?
- Thread starter iwire
- Start date
- Status
I was looking at the bump stops on the one I am driving and it looks to me like the 'bump stops' are intended to be an active part of the suspension.
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
They actually are. But on my old Chevy van, as the suspension wore out, the pounding on the stops broke off the cushion part of the bumper. All that was left was a bolt hitting the axle, at every bump!
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
That cushion part is just to keep your teeth from getting jarred loose at every bump, once the suspension is bottomed out.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Dude ...
I understand what bump stops are for on an American design I think this European design treats them differently. I would be willing to bet at full load those large stops are used like helper springs.
- Location
- Massachusetts
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
Dude ...
I would be willing to bet at full load those large stops are used like helper springs.
Yes, that's the design. But a better design is NOT needing them on a regular basis, which I'm close to being needing.
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
So we went from heavy duty American designed work trucks to wimpy European designed trucks with small engines. Awesome. :roll:
PetrosA
Senior Member
- Location
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
I added a leaf to my rear suspension in my Transit Connect after a few years of use tired the original ones out a little. I paid it off after five years last December and I don't regret getting it at all. While other guys were spending $10k or more on fuel per year, I was cruising along for less than $6k. That's not a wimpy difference.
There's a principle at work here that goes beyond wimpy or heavy duty. When you look at efficiency, traditional US trucks suck in every respect. They weigh a lot, they use a lot of fuel just to haul around all the weight they need to qualify as "heavy duty," the suspension, brakes, engines and basically the whole vehicle is rarely if ever used to it's maximum capacity. Efficiency is usually considered good when you're using above 90% of what something is designed for. So if you have 10 million trucks on the road running at 35% of their rated load, you're wasting fuel and the materials that went into making the vehicle. Swap out those 10 million trucks for "wimpy" European ones that are running at 90% or more of what they were designed to do, and you're getting your money's worth out of them and using a lot less fuel to do it. Millions of gallons less fuel per day at the national scale.
So if you need to carry 3000 lbs of tools and materials on a regular basis, by all means get a box truck. It's the appropriate vehicle for that.
Tony S
Senior Member
- Location
- Resting under the Major Oak UK
I’ve only driven transits for 40 years so just ignore me as usual.
They are work horses, flog or overload them they die as any van/pickup does.
I’ve managed to ruin the suspension on only one pickup and that was through stupidity. Too much load going too fast over a speed hump.
The stops are to protect the suspension not aid it.
They are work horses, flog or overload them they die as any van/pickup does.
I’ve managed to ruin the suspension on only one pickup and that was through stupidity. Too much load going too fast over a speed hump.
The stops are to protect the suspension not aid it.
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
I bet I carry that on a regular basis. Then if I have to load up a few thousand feet of pipe and fittings, I bet I'm overloaded. The scale will tell.
PetrosA
Senior Member
- Location
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
If you're carrying 3000 lbs. in a 1-ton van on a regular basis, you're already a quarter ton over the limit to begin with. Aside from damage to the vehicle, don't get in an accident. I'll bet most insurance companies will deny your claim if you knowingly are that far over the weight limit of the vehicle. You need a box truck with a bigger weight limit.
If your getting by with a transit connect, then your right you were buying to much truck for what you do. It won't work for everyone but it can work.
I know plenty of guys running the 1500 or 150 vans with no issues. They get better mileage and the ride better.
I have been trying to limit what I carry, to much in the van I can't even move around in it. It rides better, handles better and milage is up. I have to plan my day better but I like being able to get in my van. I don't keep cases of everything in it any more, they stay in the garage and I replenish daily. I'm anticipating my next truck in a few years and these euro vans will probably be the only thing out there.
Why wouldn't you get it delivered? I find that was my biggest time waster, going to get stuff vs having it delivered. It doesn't work all the time but it does save.
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
We stock a TON of stuff at the shop, so I rarly have to make a trip to the supply house. Keeping a well stocked van sure makes for easy and more professional service calls.
A job that needs a few thousand ft of pipe is not a service call though. I keep all the basics on board as well as stuff that's not, but there are many things I just can't keep on the van. My area has a supply house within 15-20 minutes of my typical service area so I don't get to crazy keeping stuff on board.
cadpoint
Senior Member
- Location
- Durham, NC
Rub some dirt on it, get over it...:happyyes:
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
It's surprising to find the stuff you accumulate on your truck over the years. I'll bet I had close to 100 lbs. of circuit breakers alone and I periodically emptied a lot of them out. I now have half that on my new truck. Things like excess conduit fittings are also overweight culprits. If it's not something you use on a regular basis unload it. Looking back on the 23 years that I've had my own business I didn't think I upgraded that many services that required a galvanized mast. I'll bet I found 12-15 2" gal couplings throughout the truck. What am I going to use them for.....counter-weights ? No wonder my transmissions didn't last.:lol:
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
Yeah, I trimmed down a few years ago too. I put the quick find drawers on a diet too, only filling each compartment up half way with fitting, straps and so forth. The three biggest weighty items i carry is probably the quick find, my normal stock of pipe and the assorted flavors of 500' spools of wire.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Not everyone has same situation. I am 40 minutes away from the supply house, they do deliver to me but only on certain days of the week. Go further into the boonies from where I am and those guys are 3 hours from same supply house I am using (that is closest one for them). Supply house only delivers to them once a week and you need the order called in the day before they leave as they will have truck loaded and ready to go the night before. Forget an item, UPS or FedEx is your friend, but does cost additional shipping charges.
Add: I take back the (that is closest to them), for people in north Central NE same supply house has a closer store - but has less potential stops along the route so they get serviced by the store that is 3+ hours away.
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
Yeah, it sucks when you're on a service call an hour or more from the shop or supply house and the customer throws you a curve ball "Oh, while you're here can you do such and such". Having that well stocked van has saved my butt many times.
- Status