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Old 11-23-2017, 10:12 AM   #6
Tinman
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 18
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I purchased a used 2006 5290 BT January 2017 with 50,000 miles. It porpoised when towing, rocked and rolled and wandered. It was a 2 hands on the wheel white knuckle ride. Couldn,t go over 60. I replaced the rear Monroe shocks and original fronts with Bilsteins and that drastically cut down on the porpoising. I installed Airlift air bags and replaced the original sway bars with ones made by Helwig. This cut down on the rock and roll. I then took the BT in for a front end alignment and they found I needed ball joints. After all that work the ride is much improved but not perfect. I can drive one handed but passing at 70 it becomes a handful. The company that did the alignment told me the 30' Bt's need heavier springs and that solves the problem and that I would not have to install the air bags. There is an older post somewhere on this site where a former owner recommended the same fix. Gulfstream didn't recommend the air bags for fear the owners would overload the BT and the stiffness and weight would crack the welds on the extended frame. Again I think I saw that on an older post. I know this is an old post but I am listing this information for any future members who purchase used BT's and experience the same conditions. Heres a helpful hint. If you are replacing the front shocks on the ford f450 the drivers side upper fasteners are accessed from the cab, look under the brake pedal under the floor mat there is a cut out in the floor.
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