Help with over steering conditions while driving

[Extreme]

Correction: G 159 tire

[Jerry Burks]

Installed my rear trac bar today. What a pain in the behind...
At least I could raise the coach to a reasonable ground distance with the hydraulic leveling system. But I am not that young anymore and crawling for 2 or 3 hours under the vehicle with wrenches and inpact driver was no fun.

I did manage to (literally) screw up one of the axle bracket nuts by cross-threading but fortunately had an M12 tap to fix it.

One thing that worries me I had to thread out the chassis side bushing eye end so that it holds on by only 1/2" to the bar. But I guess that is still O.K?

Let's see what it does to the handling. While I noticed the big rig wiggle on the freeway, I could not say so far it was not manageable or tiring for a 200 mile drive.

[NickM]

Originally Posted by berwin

NickM - I thought there would be a label there too but there is only one stating that not keeping the tires aired to the level on the certification label is dangerous. I'm still looking for the certification label. There is one to the left of the driver's seat showing how the serpentine belt is supposed to be routed - like that helps.

What strikes me as funny is that all of the tires are at 70psi. Somebody obviously set them at that level.

Bill

Maybe a former owner removed it? If you look at the sidewall of your tires the max pressure is also given there, but it's harder to see.

[NickM]

Originally Posted by Jerry Burks

Installed my rear trac bar today. What a pain in the behind...

Let's see what it does to the handling. While I noticed the big rig wiggle on the freeway, I could not say so far it was not manageable or tiring for a 200 mile drive.

Jerry, hope your trac bar helps. I don't mind the big rig wiggle so have not given consideration to additional stabilizing other than the CHF.

My chief issue is the wandering and slow response to steering input. After a period of not driving (months) I tend to overcorrect for the first hour or so of driving. Eventually I settle down and concentrate farther out the windshield which helps but 300+ miles is a tiring experience.

[viking42]

I went to the big RV show in Hersey PA and talked with a Ford rep about the awful sway of the F53 chassis. He said he was unaware of the problem. How can that be? Almost everyone I talk with that have that chassis have the same problem. I have the Safe T Plus and Trac Bar. This has been a problem for so many years and I can’t believe Ford doesn’t do something about it. I’m sure the long overhang on my Alante add to the problem but there must be some actual solution. Shame on Ford. This can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Maybe the Feds. can put some pressure on Ford.

[NickM]

Originally Posted by viking42

I went to the big RV show in Hersey PA and talked with a Ford rep about the awful sway of the F53 chassis. He said he was unaware of the problem.

I would expect nothing less from that Ford rep. Whether he knew about the steering issues or not, a good factory guy is not going to admit to anything negative, he has to toe the line if he expects to feed his family.

Friend of mine bought a 2013 Allegro gasser Saturday and drove 100 miles back home. I asked him to comment on the steering and his answer was the same as every other F53 owner. He has never driven a Class A before so it was pretty much a white knuckle experience.

The only people happy about the F53 are the aftermarket product manufacturers who are making tons of money selling upgrades to fix a Ford issue.

[Jopopsy]

Its a shame to have to put out big bucks to make it track straight going down the road. It shouldn't be that way.

[Extreme]

I went to a Ford Big truck service in Sacramento, ca, Bakersfield, ca, &
Glendale ,az for this exact same steering problem and they all made me feel like I was stupid and acted like they did not know what I was talking about even after showing them a video of the steering play. They were given all the specs of my alignment and work done. All they did was inflate my Michelin R.V. 22.5 ‘s to 90 psi on all tires and said there was no steering adjustment & “You will get used to driving it”

[Jerry Burks]

Originally Posted by NickM

Jerry, hope your trac bar helps......

Yes, it does help, judging from the few dozen miles so far. For some reason it seems to improve the general sway feeling when going over uneven roads or around corners. But it does not mean the effect of big rigs going by is totally eliminated. FWIW I am not planning to do the CHF unless I get (or fabricate) longer link rods to keep a reasonable angle of attack with the sway bars.

Anyway, for me the trac bar was worth the effort.

Also had the Duallyvalve crooked stems installed today which will make it much easier to keep tire pressure checked with normal equipment and without removing the hubcaps/simulators and added a rear ladder for roof access. The thick plywood bolster plates in the rear wall were actually where the Jayco diagram showed (I checked with a stud finder first).

Slowly but surely I am getting the MH where I need it to be...

[Vicr]

[QUOTE=Jerry Burks;752786]Yes, it does help, judging from the few dozen miles so far. For some reason it seems to improve the general sway feeling when going over uneven roads or around corners. But it does not mean the effect of big rigs going by is totally eliminated. FWIW I am not planning to do the CHF unless I get (or fabricate) longer link rods to keep a reasonable angle of attack with the sway bars.

There is a guy on IRV F53 Chassis forum who makes a link rod extension plate. He goes by Tejay.

[HJ Rosch]

Jerry and Vicr....I did the CHF last year on my Alante and it helped a lot. The rear links move to the back holes easily and the geometry is just fine. The front geometry is terrible but helped the sway a bunch on my first trip. I ordered the extension brackets from TEJAY and installed them, much better geometry. I also installed a Roadmaster steering stabilizer. My ride is pretty good, definitely not white knuckle.

However, I am installing a rear trac bar and having the front end aligned prior to leaving on June 5 for a four month, 11,000 mile trip to Alaska and Minnesota. Looking forward to even better handling.

[Foretm]

HJ Rosch, I did all the same mods you did except the new helwig struts from Teejay, and I did the safe-t-plus stabilizer instead. I added the tracbac and in my opinion it made a huge difference as did the CHF. Would recommend both to anyone considering them. the CHF really helped with the sway, the tracbar helped the push from crosswinds and semis, and the steering stabilizer helped with the wandering.

[JesseS]

Originally Posted by Foretm

HJ Rosch, I did all the same mods you did except the new helwig struts from Teejay, and I did the safe-t-plus stabilizer instead. I added the tracbac and in my opinion it made a huge difference as did the CHF. Would recommend both to anyone considering them. the CHF really helped with the sway, the tracbar helped the push from crosswinds and semis, and the steering stabilizer helped with the wandering.

X2, did the same and was a huge help, I can actually drive with one hand now.

[Woldum]

Wind is one of our biggest barriers to driving and the hourly weather app is something we refer to everytime we have a drive planned. If the wind were only at our backs that would be NO issue at all (and might even help with gas mileage &#128077 but it's those cross winds where it shoves you into the ditch or into another lane of traffic that sucks. We will often cut our drive time short depending upon wind. A few days ago we stopped early (at 9am wind was over 20mph!) and just yesterday in fact we sat for about 3 hrs in a Walmart parking lot because of wind (over 18mph). The weather app forcasted that wind would lessen by 3pm (11mph) it did, and so we resumed our trip after that. We have witnessed a horrible travel trailer literally ripped apart in hundreds of pieces of debree and belongings everywhere on the side of the road due to wind. We we're so glad we had already decided to pull over and call it a day with the camper, but we still had to keep our appt about an hour a way so we drove the toad to the appointment. Nothing wrong on the side of the road the first time we passed by, but the next day we saw the wreakage and it was a sombering sight. We said a prayer for whoever's TT that was, and we vowed to always pull over and not drive in wind if we felt it wasn't safe. At around 15mph we are considering stopping early and by 20mph we are off the road . It's just not worth the stress and danger. We always allow ourselves lots of time for travel and are flexible depending on conditions.

[Vicr]

However, I am installing a rear trac bar and having the front end aligned prior to leaving on June 5 for a four month, 11,000 mile trip to Alaska and Minnesota. Looking forward to even better handling.[/QUOTE]




HJ, have a great trip!

[hawkster]

Had the trac bar installed and have over 800 miles with it, but not pulling toad. Thru West Virginia mtn interstate (lots of curves and elevation changes) I was driving with one hand. Lots of truck traffic on I 81 and I could feel the trucks some but no white knuckle. Got some wind one day about 15 mph and had to use two hands but no white knuckle. So far I say a noticible improvement.

[Johnynorthland]

Hawkster what brand track bar did you install?

I am having my Super Steer installed as we speak on my class C, RedHawk.

[hawkster]

Johnynorthland, I've installed the ss400 super steer. It works for my 18k precept chassis. Mounts to the sway bar axle mount, not the rear differential housing.

[NickM]

Spent 5 hours at Sumerel Tire Service in Newport, KY this morning with a service manager that seems to know his way around the F53.

My Precept 35US was supposedly aligned in October of 2016 by Fuller Ford in Cincinnati.

What Mark found was left side camber was .3 degrees, adjusted to .1. Spec says should be within -0.5 to positive .5. (within spec)

Right side camber was .7 degrees, adjusted to -0.2 degrees. (out of spec)

Total toe was set to .09 degrees, originally was .16 degrees.(within spec)

Left side caster was 6.1 degrees, right side was 5.7 degrees, above the Ford spec of 4.6 +/- .75.

Mark said to drive it and if I didn't like he he would reduce the caster so I drove it 21 miles back to our seasonal site on the Ohio River. I could tell immediately handling was better and had no see-sawing of the steering wheel.

We have a 750 mile trip June 1st so I'm anxious to get it on the road and have DW try her hand. She is more sensitive to the see sawing than me so hoping for success, need a relief driver.

I wasn't watching my rear view mirror, an 18 wheeler passed me and I did not notice he was there until he came even with my window. Speed was just over 62 and I usually feel the push. Fingers crossed

[beachvic]

Went out this past weekend. I put 90 pounds in the front tires and 85 pounds in the rear tires. I also had a full tank of fresh water and no toad. the push from wind and the trucks when they pasted was greatly diminished, but the front end road very hard.so I don't like that every bump was felt up into the steering wheel. I will not be leaving the front tires at 90 pounds. My father-in-law feels the water was what helped the most with the push, not the missing toad...……. Still planning on front end alignment and adding trac bar to rear end.