35-40 MPH Gusts May 13, 2016, 05:54:18 pm Driving across I90 in South Dakota with 35 to 40 mph cross winds. A white knuckle day at the wheel. We were pushed out of our lane once, which was once too many. We're tucked into Left Trailrace COE. A gem.
Re: 35-40 MPH Gusts Reply #2 – May 14, 2016, 03:53:46 pm +1 Stay safe. After all your prep for this adventure it's a shame to be traveling in such high winds. Do the winds die down in the evening? If so, that may be the time to hit the road. Enjoy your LD adventure. I can't wait to get out there for more than a week at a time. -White knuckle rides are for roller coasters. Hang in there.Kent
Re: 35-40 MPH Gusts Reply #3 – May 14, 2016, 04:54:20 pm I don't know if these things work or not, but I saw this post and had just been watching a youtube video by RV guy Mark Polk talking about a steering stabilizer. Here is his video about it. I haven't gotten our new LD yet so I don't have any way to crawl beneath and see if what's shown in the video matches up with how the LD front end is designed. But, I thought it might be something of interest if it would work.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cual2q2y2I
Re: 35-40 MPH Gusts Reply #4 – May 14, 2016, 05:38:57 pm You might want to look at these:Safe-T-Plus - The Steering Control Specialists | Helping motorists' vehicles...SteerSafe.com
Re: 35-40 MPH Gusts Reply #5 – May 14, 2016, 06:18:45 pm As it happens, a number of years ago I had a Steer-Safe unit installed at the company's factory in Deming, NM. My impressions follow. I know some people are happy with the Steer-Safe, but I was unimpressed.For those who are new to this product category, Steer-Safe is just a set of hefty coil springs that try to keep your steering centered. This is supposed to minimize the effect of sidewinds, passing semitrailers, and blowouts.I was disappointed to find that the Steer-Safe device made little perceptible difference in the way the rig handled. Gusty winds and passing trucks still pushed it around. I haven't had any blowouts, but I wouldn't put much faith in its ability to handle that event. And all the Steer-Safe hardware (pivoting arms, springs, etc.) bolted onto my E450 chassis looked klugy and seemed like a potential failure point. (Steer-Safe claims the unit is failsafe even if one of its multiple springs should break, but I wouldn't want to put that to the test.)Last week I visited Henderson's Line-Up in Grants Pass, Oregon. I had the Steer-Safe removed and replaced with a Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer. It's a neater-looking installation, as Safe-T-Plus incorporates a coil spring and a hydraulic damper (similar to a shock absorber) in one cylindrical housing. It does the same job as the Steer-Safe, but in addition to helping return the steering to center, the damper absorbs sudden sideward thrusts from wind gusts, road hazards and the like.That's the theory. I'm happy to say that it seems to work in practice as well. On my 200-mile drive after leaving Henderson's, I noticed that gusts of wind and passing trucks seemed to have little or no effect on my rig, unlike before. Now, I have to qualify that by saying that Henderson's also installed beefed-up anti-sway bars, a rear tracbar, and new shocks all around, so I can't say that the Safe-T-Plus alone was responsible for the improvement. But from what I know, those other improvements should mostly affect handling on curves, lane changes, etc. So I think most of the newly acquired immunity to sidewinds and passing trucks probably came from the Safe-T-Plus.That's my experience, for what it's worth. The Safe-T-Plus installation cost $705 (parts and labor), while the Steer-Safe installation cost around $400... but that was seven or eight years ago, so the cost may be closer to Safe-T-Plus now. In any case, I found Steer-Safe a waste of money, but I'm happy with Safe-T-Plus and feel that it was a worthwhile improvement to my rig. 1 Likes
Re: 35-40 MPH Gusts Reply #6 – May 14, 2016, 06:29:50 pm P.S.--Blue Ox makes a steering stabilizer product called "TruCenter" that sounds as if it may be similar to Safe-T-Plus, but with the addition of electrical controls:"TruCenter® works like a horizontally-mounted shock absorber. Just push and hold the button, adjust the wheel and let go of the button. The system applies the force needed to keep your motorhome on course." I just stumbled upon it on their website and don't know anything more about it, but Blue Ox is a well-respected name, so it might be worth investigating. I have to say that I'm a little leery of the added electrical controls... it seems like one more thing to go wrong, and I don't see a benefit in turning off a steering stabilizer. But perhaps I'm misunderstanding the way it works. 1 Likes
Re: 35-40 MPH Gusts Reply #7 – May 14, 2016, 08:03:15 pm Through the years, I have found many Steer-Safe units with loose bolts and/or broken springs. I have no use for them. Safe-T-Plus are OK as long as the u-bolts, securing the rod end to the Center Link, are checked for tightness regularly, to prevent slipping. Slipping will cause the steering to pull off center, just the opposite of what the device is supposed to do. Mark the location of the rod end piece, that is bolted to the center link, so any movement can be observed. Do make sure the front suspension and steering are in in good shape and in proper alignment before the Safe-T-Plus is installed. It is not suppose to cover up or compensate for alignment and steering problems.An issue I have with Safe-T-Plus is many that many installers weld the the frame side mount in, rather than bolting it in.One friend was tired of dealing with wear and looseness problems and wanted the stock steering stabilizer reinstalled which was not possible since the stock mount was gone, replaced with welded-on Safe-T-Plus mount. There was a forum member, several years ago, that has a TruCenter installed. He drove on the plains a lot, where steady side winds are common. The TruCenter has a trim control that can compensate for a steady wind, which he found useful during long drives that had previously wore his arms out.Larry 1 Likes
Re: 35-40 MPH Gusts Reply #8 – May 14, 2016, 08:47:15 pm "An issue I have with Safe-T-Plus is many that many installers weld the the frame side mount in, rather than bolting it in."----I agree; removing or replacing the Safe-T-Plus requires that the weld be cut; removal or replacement would be a lot easier if it were bolted.Henderson's installed a Safe-T-Plus on my 2003 TK 90k miles ago; I had driven the rig for 5000 miles to assess the stock ride before I added the unit. The rig already had Bilsteins from the factory, and I added heavy duty front and rear anti-sway bars at the same time as the Safe-T-Plus . The Safe-T-Plus has worked as advertised for me for over 12 years. One caveat about the Safe-T-Plus is that it does require periodic adjustment, particularly if one drives rough roads (or anywhere in California). The adjustment isn't particularly difficult, but it can take a few tries, i.e., test drive > stop > crawl under with a hammer and wrench>test drive>stop>hammer and wrench tweak to get it adjusted. I ask the mechanic to do this at each alignment, and anytime in between that I feel it is a little "off" or pulling slightly. As ever, YMMV. 1 Likes
Re: 35-40 MPH Gusts Reply #9 – May 15, 2016, 02:42:08 pm For what it's worth, Henderson's did weld on the Safe-T-Plus's frame side mount. This didn't bother me, since I don't expect to ever want to return to the stock Ford stabilizer. They did mark the attachment point of the rod end piece, and showed me how to adjust it.I can see how in the plains, where sidewinds can be steady, the TruCenter's ability to apply a constant bias to the steering could be useful in reducing fatigue. I spend most of my time in the southwest, and when I encounter sidewinds they are usually gusty, so a constant steering bias probably wouldn't help much.
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