Installation Guide - Roadmaster Active Suspension

ROADMASTER ACTIVE SUSPENSION These Fi ng Instruc ons must be read and followed step by step for the following kit.
For Ford Transit 150/250 and 350 Van Item # 3623T Model Ref MK3‐XXEGT
Patent USA 5540417 Canada 2129275
—————————————————‐IMPORTANT ——————————–——————
When installing the Roadmaster kit on the ground, the van must be on a level
surface and the Roadmaster Ac ve Suspension kit must never be installed with
the rear wheels on the ground. In this posi on the rear leaf springs will be under
load and the Roadmaster coil springs se ng cannot be achieved, resul ng in the
Roadmaster not working correctly. Always install with the rear axle and leaf
springs hanging free.
ALWAYS CHECK THE LEAF SPRINGS FOR ANY EXCESS WEAR, FATIGUE, CRACKED OR BROKEN
BLADES OR WORN BUSHES, ESPECIALLY ON OLDER SPRINGS. THESE MUST BE REPLACED
WHERE NECESSARY.
ANY DEVIATION FROM THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL VOID THE WARRANTY. THIS KIT WILL NOT
BE WARRANTIED IF THE REAR SUSPENSION HAS BEEN ALTERED OR MODIFIED IN ANY WAY.
AFTER INSTALLING A ROADMASTER ACTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEM THE VAN WILL BECOME
MORE STABLE AND THE HANDLING WILL BE GREATLY IMPROVED.
THIS KIT FOR THE FORD TRANSIT VAN’S COMES FULLY ASSEMBLED OUT
OF THE BOX, FOR BOTH THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VAN.
THE ILLUSTRATION BELOW SHOWS ONE SIDE FULLY ASSEMBLED.
Page 1
ALL COMPONENTS FOR THE FORD TRANSIT COMMERCIAL AND PASSENGER VAN E F E G H C I D J A K O B L M N A Variable rated coil spring 2 J 1/2” OD x 3 23/8” long tube spacer 2 B Hook eye bracket 2 K Socket head with hex bonded in head 2 C Threaded rod 2 L 14mm hex nut 2 D Roll bracket 2 M 12mm hex nut with nylon insert 2 E Axle bracket with extension arms 4 N 8mm hex nut with nylon insert 2 F 12mm hex head cap screws 2 O Taper bearing 2 G 8mm hex head cap screws 2 H 5/8” OD x 4 5/32”” long tube spacer 2 1 5/8” OD x 3 3/8” long tube spacer 2 Page 2 The Roadmaster kit can either be installed with the van on the ground or on a li that will allow the rear axle and the rear leaf spring to hang free. 1 WHEN FITTING TO THE VAN ON THE GROUND 1) With the van on a hard level surface, place wheel chocks on both sides of both front wheels. This will prevent the vehicle from rolling. 2) Next jack up the rear of the vehicle under the diff using a trolley jack of the correct capacity. When the rear wheels are about three inches off the ground, securely lock the jack and check that the van is safely posi oned. Then locate two jack stands of the correct capacity securely, on either side near the rear of the van to well support the rear of the van. As an addi onal safety precau on, next lower the trolley jack un l the pad on the jack is just off the diff. With the leaf spring now hanging free, raise the jack so it is just touching the diff and then lock the jack. With the van now well supported remove both rear wheels, for be er access to the leaf springs. 2 WHEN FITTING ON A LIFT THAT WILL ALLOW THE REAR AXLE AND REAR LEAF SPRING TO HANG FREE 3 3) Illustra on showing the rear of the van with jack stands suppor ng the rear. 4 4) Illustra on of the rear eye wrap of the leaf spring located on the swinging shackle at the rear of the leaf spring. 5 5) The passenger and driver side kit comes fully assembled out of the box, B with a s cker a ached to either side kit hook eye bracket (B) showing which is the driver’s side and which is the passenger’s side. This van has an eye wrap of the leaf spring located on the rear por on of the leaf spring, and is located very close to the under side of the van. The only way to fit the Roadmaster hook eye bracket (B) over the eye of the spring is illustrated in 5, 6 and 7. This is done with the complete one side assembly a ached. Start by hooking the eye bracket as shown in 5, with the bracket at an angle as shown. Page 3 6 6) Step 2 CONTONUE AS SHOWN. 7 7) This illustra on shows how the hook eye bracket (B) must be correctly posi oned over the leaf spring eye. 8 8) The Roadmaster hook eye bracket must be posi oned in the center of the leaf spring eye. 9 9) With the eye bracket now located, the kit must be posi oned on top of the leaf spring as illustrated, with the two extended arms on the axle side of the assembly astride the U bolts, as shown in 10 below. 10 10) The extended arms located on either side of the U bolts with the gold colored extension brackets a ached to either side of the two. Page 4 11 SHOCK ABSORBER 12 11) This illustra on shows a view of the gold colored extension brackets (E) taken from the bo om looking up. The exact angle of the two brackets have been factory set to the exact angle and must not be altered. Due to the loca on of the shock absorbers that are located very close to the extension brackets, before loca ng the hex head cap screw (F) and the tube spacer (H) the axle bracket (E ) must be moved forward so that the two holes in the extension brackets will be posi oned as shown in illustra on 11. This will allow the hex head cap screw (F) to enter the two holes in the extension brackets. In order to do this the kit may have to be lengthened. To do this, hold the long threaded rod (C ) with one hand and turn the coil spring with the other hand, this will screw the threaded rod (C) out of the coil spring un l the correct length has been reached. 12) Next locate the tube spacer (H )between the two extension brackets and then insert the hex head cap screw (F) through the tube spacer (H) IMPORTANT the cap screw must enter it from the shock absorber side as illustrated in 12. 13 13) Next screw on the nut with the nylon insert (H), at this stage do not ghten the nut all the way, as the tube spacer has to be correctly located against the leaf spring perch, only then must the nut be ghtened. 14 15 14) Illustra
on showing the Axle bracket with extension arms correctly located. 15) Before adjus ng the tension of the coil spring (A) the eye hook bracket (B) MUST be posi oned in the center of the leaf spring eye and the two nuts (L) located on the threaded rod (C ) must be posi oned about two inches away from the coil spring (A). These nuts will be used later and will be locked against the coil spring a er the coil spring has been set to the correct tension. Page 5 HOW TO TENSION THE COIL SPRING 16 With the rear of the vehicle s ll well supported, the leaf springs must s ll be in their maximum arched posi on and hanging free. 16 ) To adjust the coil spring to the correct tension, use a ratchet fi ed with a 12mm socket. The socket must be located on the small hex that has been bonded into the head of the socket head cap screw (K). When turning the socket head cap screw locked to the coil spring, the threaded rod will screw into the coil spring. 17 17) The two nuts on the threaded rod must be posi oned as shown about two inches from the coil spring. These nuts will be used later and locked against the coil spring, once the coil spring has been adjust‐
ed to the correct tension. two nuts 18 18) To prevent the threaded rod from turning use a 22mm wrench on the two nuts locked together at the end of the threaded rod. By holding the threaded rod sta onery and turning the coil spring the gap between the coils will start opening. 19 19) Included with the kit are two small plas c discs, that are to be used as feeler gauges, to achieved the correct tension on the variable rated tension coil spring. The white disc is 1mm thick and the black disc is 2mm thick. The white disc must be used for 25% addi onal load carrying and the black disc for 40% addi onal load carrying. 20 20) With the correct tension now achieved, next turn one of the two nuts on the threaded rod ( C ) and lock hard against the coil spring, follow with the second nut and jam hard against the first nut. Finally ghten and lock all nuts and check to see that the Roadmaster is 100% secure. WITH ONE SIDE NOW INSTALLED REPEAT ON THE OTHER SIDE Page 6 ILLUSTRATION SHOWING THE INSTALLATION COMPLETED ON ONE SIDE WITH THE ROADMASTER ACTIVE SUSPENSION INSTALLED ON THIS VAN, NOT ONLY WILL THE HANDLING AND STABILITY BE IMPROVED, BUT WHEN CORNERING THE LEAN WILL BE GREATLY REDUCED, MAKING THE VAN SAFER. Should you require any technical assistance please call our head office 800‐398‐5036/704‐524‐2646 Roadmaster Ac ve Suspension 330 D East Hebron Street Charlo e, NC 28273 Page 7