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Ford E Series Wandering Review
When we first drove our LD the rather significant amount of RV wandering was a huge disappointment and made me wonder if we made a mistake.  After reading about Ford E series wandering problems I knew we had to make some corrections.  I remembered reading guidance from Larry Wade on this issue which was to make corrections slowly and to be aware of  what one is trying to correct with the various suspension adjustments and upgrades.

When we bought our LD it had mismatched tires with the rear tires showing considerable wear.  So our first step to resolving RV wandering was new Michelin tires.  This step included weighing the LD and adjusting tire pressure accordingly.

The second step was an alignment which included an after-market caster kit and an increase in caster.  These two (2) changes made a measurable difference in improving the steering and reducing the wandering issue.

Our next step was to install a rear Hellwig Sway Bar which was a great help with managing wind gusts and wind waves from large passing trucks.   Before we installed the rear sway bar, large passing trucks would push the towed vehicle to the right causing the front of the RV to move towards the passing truck.  After the installation, large passing trucks would cause the LD to gently push to the right side of road similar to a gust of wind.  In addition, the rear of the LD was more settled in a variety of road conditions to include off-camber curves, rolling bumps, and so forth.

Our next step was to install a Bilstein Steering Damper which helped with steering in a variety of sudden changes in road conditions.  I didn't notice much difference in handling as compared to the other changes.

A few weeks ago, Margee and I installed a new front Hellwig Sway Bar.  We've put about 600 miles on the LD with the new front sway bar and I'm very pleased with the results.  There is almost no tendency of the RV to follow irregularities in the road which means that we drive in a straight line.  The front end is much calmer with rolling bumps, dips, and cornering.  The bursts of wind from large passing trucks has been reduced to a gentle nudge which we handle with barely any thought or effort.  The steering adjustments are about the same as in our car.

Recently, I asked Margee if she could tell any difference from the navigator's seat.  She said the LD feels calmer and without sudden jerks, bumps, pushes or corrections.  I actually find it more pleasant to drive the E450 than our Subaru.

Our Rig has no measurable wandering, tracks straight down the road, and feels calm in all the conditions that we've experienced.   As a result, Margee and I are driving relaxed and without road induced anxiety.  For a long time, we drove tense because of poor handling which made a 200-300 mile day a beast.  Our LD doesn't tire us out … old age and sitting too long make us tired.

I hope this summary might help some of the newer members to our LD Neighborhood.
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #1 –
Your post is very much appreciated.  Jane

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #2 –
Never had any problem with wandering or driveability. Would never ever alter the suspension. But many feel the need.

The need for adjustable casters and an alignment with loaded weight is little known.
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #3 –
My LD has good matching tires but none of that other stuff and to me it drives like a dream. Very relaxing on long trips and not the least bit tiring. It also handles turns extremely well IMO. It could be just the perception of each individual though and since I used to drive log truck my perception of a nice easy driving rig may be a bit jaded
Discuss anything with anyone and disagree agreeably. Always be polite and respectful.
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #4 –
We were pleasantly surprised at how much better our 2017 MB handled compared to our 2005 MB.  At present, we see no need to purchase any handling options.
Ross Taylor
2017 MB
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #5 –
The E450 has many suspension and steering parts that wear with age and contribute to poor handling and ride issues.
I believe a lot of after market suspension 'improvements' are installed when there is an underlying issue with worn suspension parts or an out of alignment front end .

LDs, fresh from the Mothership have Ford's generic alignment. Most rigs need to be fully loaded and then driven a couple thousand miles before the final alignment. Before alignment, you need to have the rig weighted first and the tires adjusted, using the tire Manufacturer's recommended pressure, for the weight of each axle.  This is a great time to make sure neither axle is overloaded. Try to get each wheel weight individually, to make sure the load is evenly split from side to side. Overloading one side can cause handling issues.
There is a tire pressure/weight chart in your LD Owner's Manual.

The springs and other parts need to seat in before aligning, if not,  this can effect the camber and toe in settings. Both change as the front ride height changes.
As the rig ages and the springs slowly collapse, the toe-in and steering wheel centering will change and needs to be reset, possibly along with the camber.
Both camber and caster adjustments are made by changing the alignment adjustment bushings. They are not a big deal to change and any decent alignment shop should be very familiar with them.

For our 2003 E450, Ford specifies a caster setting of 4 degrees on the left and 4-1/2 on the right hand side, plus or minus 2.75 degrees, with a 1/2 degree maximum split or difference between them.
When new, our LD was Factory set to 3-1/2 degrees on both sides and was prone to wander. I soon reset it to 4-1/2 degrees, reducing the wander significantly.
Several years later, I set it to 5 and 5-1/2 degrees and saw even better results. Maintaining the extra 1/2 degree offset to the passenger side seems to eliminate any pulling to one side or the other.
If, during an alignment the caster is found found to have change from an earlier alignment, suspect worn ball joints.

Beyond the alignment, there are several rubber bushings that cause handling problems.
 Shock bushings , especially on the front shocks very often are blown out. This is particularly an issue on Bilstein or any other aftermarket shock, primarily due to the inaccessibility of the driver's side upper shock bushing. These bushing are often not tighten enough, allowing the bushing to mover and wear out. The rear shocks also have the same type of bushing and need to be check periodically for tightness.
Loose top shock bushings, front or rear, can cause very poor handling and sway problems.
Shock bushings | Flickr

Both the front and rear Factory sway bars have rubber bushing that can be badly worn by 50,000 miles.
Replacing them with inexpensive polyurethane bushings will removed the play in worn bushing and will provide a performance upgrade, due to their greater resistance to flexing, compared to the soft Factory rubber bushings.
Low buck suspension improvements for higher mileage LDs
 
The Twin-I-Beam suspension has four bushings that allow the two radius arms to move up and down. The rear radius arm bushings are prone to wear in higher mileage E450.
Radius arm Bushings | Flickr

Wheel bearings wear and loosen with miles of use and can cause steering looseness and tracking problems. They should be check regularly for proper tightness and either cleaned and repacked with grease or replaced when the front brakes are serviced.
 
With higher mileage or poor maintenance, ball joints wear out, allowing uncontrolled movement of the front wheels.
This can cause a multitude of ailments including drifting to one side, pulling to one side when braking and overall looseness in the steering.
With new LDs, have grease (zerk) fittings installed in both the upper and lower ball joints and lube them every time the engine oil is changed. Doing this allowed our LD's ball joints to survive 112,000 miles before being replaced.
Beside the ball joints, the tie-rod ends and pitman arm can wear as well as the steering box, producing steering looseness..
A good alignment tech should check all of the above items for wear, there is no way to accurately alignment a suspension with worn suspension parts or loose wheel bearings.

While usually not causing handling problems, the steering stabilizer can wear and allow more action in the steering wheel.
Our Factory stabilizer was bad at 50,000 miles, the Monroe HD replacement lasted about 40,000 miles.
Our LD now has a Biltsein HD stabilizer, we will see if it stays intact any longer.

Taking care of the possible issues above allows our 2003 lD to drive and handle as well as it did when new.
With Bilsteins, upgraded polyurethane sway bar bushings and a proper alignment, I have never seen a need for bigger sway bars, steering centering devices or a rear track bar. YMMV

Larry

Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #6 –
Larry’s post should be added to the Companion!  — Jon
(Former) ‘06 TK “Albatross.” And (former) Vespa 250.   Alas, no more; both are gone.😕 Great memories remain! 😄
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #7 –
Clearly, some LDO's have not needed any changes to their suspension to obtain satisfactory handling and that's just wonderful.  However, as I've already mentioned, our 2009 LD 27' MB was not one of those RVs.   Shortly after we got our LD, we had a highly regarded truck suspension mechanic examine our LD and he reported our suspension was in excellent condition.   So we ruled out the possibility of worn parts which then allowed us to go forward with a series of upgrades and adjustments.

Our LD drives and handles much better than when we started and it's not our imagination ... it's my on-the-road driving experience of 55 years of driving everything from 2 wheels to 5 ton trucks.  I thought that sharing our experience might help others who might have a RV with handling or wandering issues. 
 
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #8 –
Ed & Margee, thanks for posting about your many improvements including your search for better handling.

From re reading this post, do I understand that you two did the installation of the front sway bar yourself?! If so, on a 1-10 scale with 1 being this was almost as easy as it was when yiu installed your new toilet seat to 10 being inflating your tires with a bicycle tire pump, where would you rank this job?

Our 2003 has not seen any front end work other than a new Bilstein steering damper 3 years ago. We decided to get a new set of Bilstein shocks this year and will give them their first trip this week. I think I could have installed them except for the driver side front one, so I paid to have them put on.

A question for Larry, what is involved in replacing the sway bar bushings? Is there a visible way to tell if they need replaced?

Thanks,
Steve K
Steve K

2003 Mid-bath
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #9 –
Quote from: Steve K.  - 

what is involved in replacing the sway bar bushings? Is there a visible way to tell if they need replaced?

First, replacing the front and rear sway bar bushings with the listed polyurethane bushing kits is an inexpensive performance upgrade for even a new LD.
On our LD, both the front and rear sway bar bushing were visibly distorted. On the front, if you can see any space or light around where the sway bar passes through the I-Beams, it's worn.

The rear sway bar bushings are easy to replace, once the LD is lifted high enough to allow access. Unbolt each bracket, one at a time, and replace the bushing before moving on to the next.

The front sway bar requires removing the sway bar so the the bushings in the I-Beams can be punched out and replaced.
It's a little more complicated and requires two workers or the use of jack stands to hold the front bar in position.
Changing both the front and rear sway bar bushings was a Saturday morning project.

I definitely felt a change in handling and sway control after installing the new bushings, which wasn't surprising considering the stock bushings were worn and replaced with much better polyurethane bushings
Sway bar bushings- E450 2003 LD | Flickr

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #10 –
Quote from: Steve K.  - 
From re reading this post, do I understand that you two did the installation of the front sway bar yourself?! If so, on a 1-10 scale with 1 being this was almost as easy as it was when you installed your new toilet seat to 10 being inflating your tires with a bicycle tire pump, where would you rank this job?

Hello Mr. K.  The front sway bar on our 2009 MB is secured with six (6) bolts which are easy to access.  There is more room to work under the front of the Rig than when we replaced the rear sway bar.  So we removed the 6 bolts and used the same bolts to re-install the new sway bar.  The replacement is heavier than the OEM so I held it in place while Margee started to install some of bolts.  Hellwig would not give us torque specifications so I used an on-line bolt torque chart.  So anyone who can remove larger size bolts and then use a torque wrench can do this job ... maybe a 5?

P.S.  The front sway bar on our 2009 is much different than Larry's description.  For example, the bushings are not in the I-Beam.  Easy to access, easy to remove, easy to install the the rubber bushings.   I've  attached the Hellwig installation instructions.  Hope this helps.
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #11 –
Larry, I got a "404" when trying to access the Flickr page. ?
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #12 –
Thanks Larry for the explanation and Ed & Margee for the info about installing the new bar.

Ed, you are one lucky guy to have a good woman willing to crawl under your rig and attach the bolts! I hope you bought her some tools of her own and a got her a manicure :)

Steve K
Steve K

2003 Mid-bath
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #14 –
Ed and Margee, perhaps that "highly regarded truck suspension mechanic examine our LD" was Henderson. That guy is snake oil to me. I know he has many satisfied Lazy Daze customers. I am just not one of them.

I have added Larry's EXCELLENT and complete account to The Companion.
The Lazy Daze Companion: Suspension
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Ford E Series Wandering Review
Reply #15 –
This link may be helpful to provide "visuals" of many suspension components. The link reflects products specific to a 2003 E-450, but check the site's home page to the appropriate model year from 2003 - on. For products for 2000-2002 E-450s, use the "E-450 Econoline" link.

Ford E450 Super Duty 2003 Suspension Parts

 
2003 TK has a new home