More than Perturbed with Greyhawk ride/handling!

[thenne1713]

Originally Posted by Bullitt6283

I'm sitting here in the Texas Motor Speedway campground after four days of driving down from central PA. I gotta tell ya, I've just HAD IT with the way my 2016 Greyhawk 29MV rides and handles. It only has 17,000 miles on it.

So far, I have:

• Front end aligned with bushings added for caster adjustment
• Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer
• Helwig larger diameter front sway bar
• Adjusted rear helper springs to 2" gap

It's bad enough that I get pushed by large trucks as they pass... sometimes it's even by pickup trucks...

And every expansion joint, small pothole, and bridge transition results in large 'crash' noises...

But the steering wheel... how can I describe what it does... I know the alignment is good, the wheels were just balanced, all front end components are tight... but depending on the road surface I feel every little bump in the road in the steering wheel. Most of the time it shimmies just like if a wheel was out of balance. Could the shocks be too harsh? The shocks are the ones Jayco supplied in the JRide Plus package.

I'm at my wits' end with this. I keep throwing money at this thing and I hate to keep doing that.
Does a rear panhard bar really help?
Would going with alternate shocks help? KONI FSD?

.

TWO Thoughts come to mind. You do NOT mention TIRE INFLATION PRESSURES? (Most) Tire Techs Inflate to MAX COLD from sidewall, and (on MINE) would mean spare also, but I would DEFLATE to 65, if installed on FRONT, and leave at 80-PSI on REAR. My daughter drove a 15-passenger Chevy w/ her 5-kids/ ball teams for a # of years. until (new to her USED tires installed), and inflated to 80 front, when it needed 65 or less. HUGE DIFFERENCE IN RIDE/ COMFORT BETWEEN 80 AND 65. They changed those tires, then she complained again, and I found front inflated to inflated to 80 instead of 65 (or less, by weight, since seldom driven loaded) but (someone) had changed her alarm setpoint to the 80, DESPITE the door jamb label. Bye, bye Chevy shortly after :-); SECOND: buy TWO TRUCK tire gages, and compare occasionally, to verify accurate. Get a 3rd if difference develops. I recently found my auto-shutoff digital compressor Overinflating about 6+PSI?

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Weatherman1

Michelin’s look neatly brand new!

Just remember it's more about the age of the tire than tread or appearance.

[sullivanclan]

Does it drive completely different then when you drove it for the first test drive?

[PhilT0]

For me Koni shocks took the harshness out of the ride and reduced the sway.
I went to a shop where they test drove my unit before making recommendations.
1- Install Koni shocks. I only did the front ones.
2- Steering such as safe-t-steer. I installed the Roadmaster. An improvement but not a lot.

They weighed my unit and recommended low 70s for inflation based on Goodyear calculations.

Definitely check your weights front and back

[Bullitt6283]

Originally Posted by thenne1713

TWO Thoughts come to mind. You do NOT mention TIRE INFLATION PRESSURES? (Most) Tire Techs Inflate to MAX COLD from sidewall, and (on MINE) would mean spare also, but I would DEFLATE to 65, if installed on FRONT, and leave at 80-PSI on REAR. My daughter drove a 15-passenger Chevy w/ her 5-kids/ ball teams for a # of years. until (new to her USED tires installed), and inflated to 80 front, when it needed 65 or less. HUGE DIFFERENCE IN RIDE/ COMFORT BETWEEN 80 AND 65. They changed those tires, then she complained again, and I found front inflated to inflated to 80 instead of 65 (or less, by weight, since seldom driven loaded) but (someone) had changed her alarm setpoint to the 80, DESPITE the door jamb label. Bye, bye Chevy shortly after :-); SECOND: buy TWO TRUCK tire gages, and compare occasionally, to verify accurate. Get a 3rd if difference develops. I recently found my auto-shutoff digital compressor Overinflating about 6+PSI?

I have always inflated the tires per the door jamb sticker (65 front 70 rears) and I have checked across two different gauges, one being digital.
Thanks for the input!

[Bullitt6283]

Originally Posted by sullivanclan

Does it drive completely different then when you drove it for the first test drive?

It is better, due to to the changes I have made so far...

[Russ]

I own a 2016 31ul with the J Ride+, I have not had any problems with the handling or ride on this unit. I do get pushed a little bit by semi's and any potholes, expansion joints or the like is going to send a jolt!

[Ricmasten]

Surprising to me, it was the back end which needed help. We own a 2020 Entegra Odyssey 25R, on a Ford E-450 cutaway chassis, which is much the same as your Jayco. We bought it new thinking, mistakenly, that the suspension package raved about by Jayco would be sufficient. You have found, just as have I, that the vehicle was unsafe to drive! We added everything you added, with only slight improvement. In asking about it on the Forum it was suggested that I install a SuperSteer® SS450 Rear Trac Bar for Ford E450 - SuperSteer -- https://supersteerparts.com/products...-sway-bar.html. It still doesn't drive like an SUV, but I actually enjoy driving it, and we've covered over 5,000 miles since I installed it.

[Tgroves526]

I agree about door Jam sticker, Our 2017 29MV says 75 front 80 rear . strange yours is different pressures than ours . they might have changed tires from 16 to 17 . Goodluck

[GABob]

Originally Posted by Bullitt6283

I have always inflated the tires per the door jamb sticker (65 front 70 rears) and I have checked across two different gauges, one being digital.
Thanks for the input!

Whoa?!? I have to ask…I have a 2019 Odyssey 31L, and mine says 75 upfront and 80 rear?!? Why so different? Mine is 32’6”” long, likely the same as yours. I added the Safe-T-Plus up front and their track bar in the rear and love it.

Have to add a comment on the crashing sounds. We had things hanging here and there, and the smallest bump would give you a WTH moment. We used the Command strips to rehang things and now its much quieter.

[Bullitt6283]

Originally Posted by Tgroves526

I agree about door Jam sticker, Our 2017 29MV says 75 front 80 rear . strange yours is different pressures than ours . they might have changed tires from 16 to 17 . Goodluck

Originally Posted by GABob

Whoa?!? I have to ask…I have a 2019 Odyssey 31L, and mine says 75 upfront and 80 rear?!?

I must admit to a senior moment...

My door jamb sticker does indeed say 75 front and 80 rear, and that's what I've been inflating the tires to.

I'm in the process of adding the SuperSteer rear track bar and changing the shocks to KONI FSD. I see that some owners are adding timbrens or sumosprings, but personally I'm not convinced that stiffening the suspension is what I want to be doing.

I found out something that may have been causing my steering wheel shimmy. The front shocks upper bushings had been damaged. I assume that leveling the RV by raising the front wheels off the ground a few times may have caused this.
.

[GABob]

I think we all share those moments .

Glad you mentioned that, as it will be good to check this weekend as I need to do an oil and lube. Although I really try to avoid taking the wheels off the ground I’m afraid I’ve done that a few times while leveling…hate that crap.

[Bubblehead]

Originally Posted by Bullitt6283

I'm sitting here in the Texas Motor Speedway campground after four days of driving down from central PA. I gotta tell ya, I've just HAD IT with the way my 2016 Greyhawk 29MV rides and handles. It only has 17,000 miles on it.

So far, I have:

• Front end aligned with bushings added for caster adjustment
• Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer
• Helwig larger diameter front sway bar
• Adjusted rear helper springs to 2" gap

It's bad enough that I get pushed by large trucks as they pass... sometimes it's even by pickup trucks...

And every expansion joint, small pothole, and bridge transition results in large 'crash' noises...

But the steering wheel... how can I describe what it does... I know the alignment is good, the wheels were just balanced, all front end components are tight... but depending on the road surface I feel every little bump in the road in the steering wheel. Most of the time it shimmies just like if a wheel was out of balance. Could the shocks be too harsh? The shocks are the ones Jayco supplied in the JRide Plus package.

I'm at my wits' end with this. I keep throwing money at this thing and I hate to keep doing that.
Does a rear panhard bar really help?
Would going with alternate shocks help? KONI FSD?

.

We have a 2021 Red Hawk 24B with J Ride. The J is for Joke Ride. I was aware of this before the purchase. I looked at all the 'fixes' and went with the WeldTec Designs Baja Grocery getter suspension with a 6" lift. We drove to El Cajon, CA from SW Florida to have the work done. The trip out was stressful to say the least. We lost two hubcaps in Texas. The rig was completely transformed and is now a pleasure to drive. No affiliation, just a happy customer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs2xZeQnRNk