Melbourne Prestige Sprinter Stability upgrade recommendations

Prestige Wiz · 03-15-2023, 08:45 AM

Hey Folks, We took our first trip this weekend, 7 hours to Savannah. We had a significant amount of sway and instability on the trip. I’d like to hear from any of you that have had the same issues and recommended upgrades/improvements. My naive impression that the 3500 HD chassis with upgraded anti sway bar would have fixed this but it hasn’t.

Thanks

The Gritz Carlton · 03-15-2023, 11:04 AM

Those little Sumo bump stop pads up front will help. I will install those on mine when weather warms up a bit...but...these things are built to near max weight capacity, then mostly overloaded by owners. Sitting right up front enhances the effect of the sway. I only feel it when slowly turning over unlevel surfaces such as entering parking lots, etc. Mine seems pretty stable on the highway, even when passing trucks. I am packed in pretty lightly though. Lots of weight packed higher inside will cause instability also.

Prestige Wiz · 03-15-2023, 11:31 AM

Thanks Gritz. I’ll look those up.

Pfflyer · 03-16-2023, 06:49 AM

Sumo springs and the heavy sway bar made a big difference for me. That was what I started out with. I then found a deal from a user on the Sprinter Forum for a rear set of tuned Fox shocks for a Class C Sprinter. That made the original set up even better. When I got the shocks they were shipped to me compressed and wouldn't extend. Originally thought the deal wasn't such a good deal after all until I called the manufacture Agileoffroad.com. They will tune the shock to the weight of your rig. I weighed mine and shipped them back and they fixed the original issue and shipped me shocks tuned to my weight no charge. I just looked at the website and it looks like they no longer offer shocks for a 3500 Sprinter class C but you may want to call if you decide to go that route. They had a section just for Sprinter Class C's but I couldn't find it anymore. here is the link anyway.
https://agileoffroad.com/

Good luck

Prestige Wiz · 03-16-2023, 07:04 AM

Thanks very much. What brand sway bar did you go with?

Pfflyer · 03-16-2023, 07:13 AM

I went with the Heliwig brand.

Prestige Wiz · 03-16-2023, 08:59 AM

Cool. Thanks again.

timthetoolman · 03-17-2023, 07:28 AM

I installed Sumo springs. Yellow on the rear and blue on the front. Defiantly a noticeable difference especially with a high crosswind. Also driving in and out of gas station driveways there is less rocking. My 2022 Melbourne 24L has a sway bar so I did not replace it. I was hoping someone would chime in on whether the Hellwig sway bar will make a difference.

FYI replacing the springs is a easy DIY. I lifted the front with the levelers, to get the wheels off the ground, and then placed jack stands (I didn't trust the levelers). Popped the old out and the new in. Repeated on the rear.

Prestige Wiz · 03-17-2023, 10:03 AM

Thanks Tim, good info. The sway bar on mine which is a 3500HD model appears to be pretty beefy. I’m not sure that replacing with the Hellwig would improve much. I’m interested to know if anyone else has had it replaced as well.

Pfflyer · 03-18-2023, 07:07 AM

On my 2016 Melbourne and my 2013 Sprinter cargo van the Helwig was a larger diameter. Maybe 1/4" larger than stock. Not sure what size they put in current models. In both cases I installed Sumo Springs and the sway bar at the same time so I am not sure which made the biggest difference or if one option was just a waste of money. On the Sprinter forum I believe there is a post where someone installed the sway bar first and then the Sumos and they believe each contributed to a better ride. That is why I installed both at the same time.

Pfflyer · 03-18-2023, 07:21 AM

There is also an old post on the Sprinter forum where the poster tested the issue of rocking like when coming out of a gas station at an angle. He had testing equipment and measured the rocking and if I remember correctly beefier sway bar made this worse. Only thing he found that helped was upgraded shocks. I haven't eliminated rocking with upgraded rear shocks, Sumos and the Helwig but it shortened the length of "stroke" and the duration of the rocking. The rig does handle crosswind and semi's passing like a champ though. The later, to me, makes it worth the expense.

Prestige Wiz · 03-18-2023, 06:50 PM

Agree. Thanks. That’s really what I’m looking for. The reduction of stress on the highway is more important to me than a bit of sway in a gas station. Thanks again.

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