Steering stabilization products.

[Dreamgolfer]

Has any one had a Safe-T-Plus.com ,or similar, package installed on a Ford E-350 chassis?
It is as good as advertised?

[Paintinfool3]

when I bought my 2011 F250 it had a dual shock front stabilizer system on it ...I know ford had some problems with something they called the death wobble but my truck goes down the road no problems ... I am thankful someone had alreadt installed it as I was going to if I needed one

[abarkl]

I have installed the Safe-T-Plus on my last 3 motorhomes including my current Jayco Seneca. I like the peace of mind if a front tire blowout should happen, and the stabilized feel to the steering wheel.

[Dreamgolfer]

Thanks a abarkl, you're putting the system on 3 motor homes is telling me what I want to hear. Much appreciated.

[Griswald One]

I will be interested in hearing how you make out if you decide to install it. I have been contemplating the same addition after a friend with a Class A recommended it. I have struggled with how loose the steering is on my rig. If I was driving every day it would not be an issue, but only driving maybe 20 days a year makes the adjustment from Chevy Sonic to E450 a little challenging.

My only concern, beyond $$$, is that a few of the reviews I have read suggest if your installer does not know what they are doing they can actually make things significantly worse.

[Jopopsy]

Originally Posted by Griswald One

I will be interested in hearing how you make out if you decide to install it. I have been contemplating the same addition after a friend with a Class A recommended it. I have struggled with how loose the steering is on my rig. If I was driving every day it would not be an issue, but only driving maybe 20 days a year makes the adjustment from Chevy Sonic to E450 a little challenging.

My only concern, beyond $$$, is that a few of the reviews I have read suggest if your installer does not know what they are doing they can actually make things significantly worse.

I'm assuming you have checked your tire pressures, had your rig aligned, and adjusted your Hellwigs right?

[Seann45]

Make sure you also have a wheel alignment done.. the wheels were aligned at the Ford plant before the house was added to the frame...

[Harvard]

OP, you need more +caster. These cutaway vans come from Ford assembly with the caster set at +3.5 (or so) which is OK for city driving. On the highway you want to have +5.5 degrees of caster which eliminates loose steering and wandering.

[Griswald One]

Originally Posted by Jopopsy

I'm assuming you have checked your tire pressures, had your rig aligned, and adjusted your Hellwigs right?

I have had the alignment done twice to get it to where it is now. Tire pressure is good. Have not touched the springs.

[Jopopsy]

Originally Posted by Griswald One

I have had the alignment done twice to get it to where it is now. Tire pressure is good. Have not touched the springs.

The springs will throw more weight forward if they are adjusted correctly. Helps make the rig feel more planted.

[brandysdad]

Am I missing something here? I keep reading statements by contributors on various forums, that by adjusting the tension on the Helwig springs the “weight distribution will be moved forward”. I have not read this in any of Helwigs’ installation material. My understanding is the springs are only an assist to the vehicles main springs by firming the vertical force on the rear axle helping to eliminate sway, unlike the horizontal force provided by trailer weight distributing torsion bars.
Unable to confirm my hypotheses at this time I’ll be weighing my Redhawk 26XD prior to adjustment and again after. I’ll let you know the results.

[NC Roamer]

I had planned on adjusting mine, but if it throws more weight forward I do not dare. The front axle on a 31FK is close to the max allowed weight anyway. When I ran ours across a CAT scale in April the front axle had only 60 lbs. of leeway while the rear had over 400 lbs. of slack.

Please do follow up with your findings. Thanks.

[Dreamgolfer]

Well, I'm having the safe-t-plus system installed oo the Greyhawk in a few weeks after adjusting the Hellwigs, and an alignment.
I'll keep y'all advised on the anticipated improvement.

[Griswald One]

Originally Posted by NC Roamer

I had planned on adjusting mine, but if it throws more weight forward I do not dare. The front axle on a 31FK is close to the max allowed weight anyway. When I ran ours across a CAT scale in April the front axle had only 60 lbs. of leeway while the rear had over 400 lbs. of slack.

Please do follow up with your findings. Thanks.

Just came from the CATS myself... I was a full 5000 on the fronts which is my max and overweight on the rears by 400 lbs... Now I did have 5 adults and the dog on board which did not help. But looks like I need to re-evaluate some of my gear.... I can't really think of anywhere that I have hundreds of pounds to shed.

[Griswald One]

So I spent Sunday playing with the distribution of weight on my rig and then drove 300 miles to Detroit. What a difference.

I removed a few items that I really did not need. Probably no more then a 100 pounds. But those items freed up some forward holds so I picked two of my heaviest items, 100ft of 30amp cables and my tools and moved them from the back hold into forward storage.

Taking into account the effect of a fulcrum, by moving 100lbs from the furthest point back to a spot between the axels I made a significant shift in my weight distribution. I have not gone back to the scales and weighed the difference, but I can tell you the driving improvement was huge. I now feel far more grounded and steering is much tighter.

This was a free "mod" and the impact was invaluable.