Leaf springs on a Redhawk26xd

[craigav]

Originally Posted by Travel

I made about 17 calls on Friday looking for the Roadmaster RSSC steering stabilizer. I finally found a new on sitting on the shelf at a truck repair shop. I snatched it up and he’s supposed to ship it Monday. We’re taking a short couple day trip the middle of May and I will be real anxious to see how everything works out. Hopefully all my hard work will make a big difference in the handling.

Keep in mind that most places sell the required brackets separately from the stabilizer itself. Hopefully they are included with what you ordered. I installed the same stabilizer on mine around ~5 years ago and it helped, but only to an extent, I plan to install the SS450 trac bar soon and a few other upgrades.

[Travel]

I found the right bracket set on Amazon last week. They are ready to go on as soon as the stabilizer gets here. Trac bar is on my list too.

[craigav]

If you are installing it, one thing to know is that I have read from others that it is easy to strip the bolts, so I would use a torque wrench or just not "overly" tighten them. When I installed mine, it was very noticeable that the steering "return to center" was a night and day improvement especially when coming out of sharp turns and it helps staying on center when going down the highway when in winds or on a crowned highway. ~CA

[Dgibbster]

Yes all the read leaf springs hellwig helper springs are not adjusted from factory, spring saddle should be adjusted to no less than 2 inches from top of spring pack. With just that adjustment and Roadmaster reflex steering stabilizer made a huge difference in handling.

[Dgibbster]

Oh and i also installed hellwig front sway bar, not much difference noticed there but a little bay sway control at slow speeds

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by craigav

If you are installing it, one thing to know is that I have read from others that it is easy to strip the bolts, so I would use a torque wrench or just not "overly" tighten them. When I installed mine, it was very noticeable that the steering "return to center" was a night and day improvement especially when coming out of sharp turns and it helps staying on center when going down the highway when in winds or on a crowned highway. ~CA

FWIW, the bolt to watch out for that strips easily is the passenger side rear sway bar bracket bolt.

I had no problems with the steering stabilizer bolts/brackets because they use U-bolts with nuts and washers to attach to the tie rod.

[craigav]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

FWIW, the bolt to watch out for that strips easily is the passenger side rear sway bar bracket bolt.

I had no problems with the steering stabilizer bolts/brackets because they use U-bolts with nuts and washers to attach to the tie rod.

I didn't have any issues with the steering stabilizer installation either, however I plan to install a heavier rear sway bar along with a trac bar, so I will be very careful at that location. Thanks for the tip. ~CA

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by craigav

I didn't have any issues with the steering stabilizer installation either, however I plan to install a heavier rear sway bar along with a trac bar, so I will be very careful at that location. Thanks for the tip. ~CA

I haven't seen/heard of installation issues on the rear sway bar other than it being difficult to get in there and bolted up. But if you encounter self-tapping Ford OEM bolts into the frame, be careful with them. Mine came with the Hellwig as part of J-Ride Plus, so I have no experience with the rear yet.

I am curious, when you get to installing the track bar, if you have any issues (like clearance or interference) between the upgraded rear sway bar and the track bar. That's the one part of the potential install of rear track bar on my rig I'm a bit nervous about.

[craigav]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

I haven't seen/heard of installation issues on the rear sway bar other than it being difficult to get in there and bolted up. But if you encounter self-tapping Ford OEM bolts into the frame, be careful with them. Mine came with the Hellwig as part of J-Ride Plus, so I have no experience with the rear yet.

I am curious, when you get to installing the track bar, if you have any issues (like clearance or interference) between the upgraded rear sway bar and the track bar. That's the one part of the potential install of rear track bar on my rig I'm a bit nervous about.

Hopefully I will get to the installation in the next few weeks. I have everything I need now and plan to do it all at once so I don't have to get under the RV multiple times. Trac Bar, Hellwig 7180, and Bilstein B6 shocks x4 and the heavier Hellwig sway bar for the front. I will report back afterwards about the install and if I encountered any issues. ~CA

[Weatherman1]

Yeah, it does seem weird and goes against what we learn leaf springs should look like!

[Johnynorthland]

I did the rear air ride on my 2019 RH, 25R. It made a huge difference in the ride. And I can level out the load on the suspension as needed left to right, and now it sits level front to back, breaking is also much more even. A bit pricey to do but I highly recommend.

[qnghiem]

Hi Camper_bob,

I did install the super steer track bar ss450 on weekend. There is no issue with clearance. You need to drive your rig on the block then have a lot of room to do the install. I had sumo spring on the last year and adding this track bar I really can’t tell the different when I did the short test drive. I will take long road trip to Florida next month for 2,500 miles each way then I might can tell the different.

[Travel]

Just put a note on the thread about snapped bolts on the sway bar. Wasn’t able to find a Roadmaster steering stabilizer anywhere so I used A pair of Monroe stabilizers. Find out this weekend how it all works.

[Jim Doll]

Thanks for posting all this! I agree, right or wrong, this frowning look of the leaf springs seems to be standard. I was recently back at our RV dealer and looked under a Grey Hawk 31 with J-ride and they look the same as well... and it also had the factory 4 inch gap. As long as no one is reporting broken leaf springs I guess it's all okay. Thanks again for all your input!

[ltcboyd73]

Hi everyone;
I have been following the suspension upgrades here and completed most. Now started the leaf adjustment and when trying to loosen the locknut it would not move. I way afraid I was going to break the u-bolt. How did you loosen the nuts.
Thanks

[Docsouce]

2 7/8" wrenches. If the nuts are lined up so you can slip a box end on the top nut, great. If not use an open end wrench on the top and box end or deep socket on the bottom. Just be sure that the bottom wrench doesn't slip over the top nut. Then hold the top nut from turning and loosen the bottom nut. Some penetrating oil on the nuts the night before might help. As described in a previous thread I cut a small block of wood to the size I wanted the adjustment to be then slipped it between the spring and the Jayco leaf . In my case I cut a block of wood 2 1/2'' square. Very handy. Also if possible pick up a 7/8'' ratcheting box wrench to move the adjusting nut. Soooo much easier. It took me 5'' to adjust each corner with that wrench. Hope this helps.

[don_kleinschnitz]

I'll ad more detail when I return from trip across Midwest. I added a sway bar and sumo bump stops to the front and cranked the rear springs to 2 "'.

Remarkable improvement in stability. Rocking on turns is dramatically less, passing trucks have gone from a push to a nudge. Much less push from wind on I80.

Not sure what addl. benefit I would get from steering stabilizer.

[frog]

They will help with a front tire blowout! Just saying!

[Rebel112r]

I have a 2022 30z. I measured the gap in the Hellwigs to be 3 1/2 inches, u-bolt saddle to top of OEM spring. Reading Hellwig literature, seems they want you to tighten nut 2 inches from the just snug. What I seem to read here is that I should tighten till there is only a 2 inch gap between saddles and top of spring. What should I do.

[Scoutmaster253]

Originally Posted by Rebel112r

I have a 2022 30z. I measured the gap in the Hellwigs to be 3 1/2 inches, u-bolt saddle to top of OEM spring. Reading Hellwig literature, seems they want you to tighten nut 2 inches from the just snug. What I seem to read here is that I should tighten till there is only a 2 inch gap between saddles and top of spring. What should I do.

I believe that the gap after tightening should be two inches or less. Keep the threads lubed while you do the tightening, and get the gap on both sides the same, then test drive it. Tightening mine made it ride so much better.