steering sway April 22, 2012, 12:28:26 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130037I am finding that steering my brand new 2011 LD 24 TK is very nerve racking. The Mojave Desert winds and semi-trucks affect steering sway very much. I searched this problem here and read some members have installed Steer-Safe adapters. What solutions have are there to address this problem?
Re: steering sway Reply #1 – April 22, 2012, 01:32:31 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130041"I searched this problem here and read some members have installed Steer-Safe adapters." Just one man's opinion: I had Steer Safe stabilizers put on at the product's factory when I was in Deming a few months ago. I've been disappointed by the results: if there's an effect, it's so subtle that I can't detect it. My 27' midbath rig still gets pushed around by sidewinds and passing trucks. Mind, it's not what I'd call nerve-wracking (perhaps because after ten years of driving motorhomes, I'm used to compensating)... but handling doesn't seem to be noticeably better now than it was without Steer Safe. For my money, the $440.75 cost was not a worthwhile investment. I'd suggest taking your rig to a good alignment shop to make sure there's nothing wrong with the front end adjustments. You'll see in your owner's manual that Lazy Daze recommends doing this after driving a new rig a few thousand miles... and in any case, you need to rule out easily fixable problems before you start looking at add-on solutions.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: steering sway Reply #2 – April 22, 2012, 01:41:26 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130042Quote I am finding that steering my brand new 2011 LD 24 TK is very nerve racking. The Mojave Desert winds and semi-trucks affect steering sway very much. I searched this problem here and read some members have installed Steer-Safe adapters. What solutions have are there to address this problem? RV Friendly I'm presuming that you have had your LD weighed [four corners or axle by axle] and have adjusted the tire pressure to manufactures recommendations for that light a vehicle. Then shift your load accordingly. It can make a big difference.Beyond that perhaps an upgrade in torsion bars would help.Steve S. Lazy Bones & Jiggs
Re: steering sway Reply #3 – April 22, 2012, 05:36:38 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130044I am finding that steering my brand new 2011 LD 24 TK is very nerve racking. The Mojave Desert winds and semi-trucks affect steering sway What solutions have are there to address this problem?RVFriendly After wheel alignment & tire pressure settings left my 2003 MB with noticeable sway from trucks passing, I installed a SuperSteer rear track bar that greatly reduced the tail wagging the dog effect.Lon 2003 MB in Lake County, CA
Re: steering sway Reply #4 – April 22, 2012, 07:09:32 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130045LD, like most RV and auto manufacturers, delivers vehicles with tire pressures set to match the gross vehicle weight rating. That's their best protection from liability because then no matter how you load the vehicle it will be "safe." Many cars no longer even list pressures for partial loads. Maxed out tire pressure will give any vehicle skittish handling compared to "correct" pressure. So the first thing to do is to weigh your rig, each axle (front and rear) separately, and then go into your LD owner's manual to determine correct tire pressure and adjust yours accordingly. Second, when Ford aligns the suspension at the factory it can't possibly know what will be built on its cutaway chassis. And after LD builds the coach the whole rig needs a chance to settle a bit on the new chassis. Then you need to get an alignment. You may need another one before long until things stabilize, then not very often
Re: steering sway Reply #5 – April 22, 2012, 08:42:03 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130047"In the end I think correct tire pressure and alignment and proper driving technique will yield the most bang for the buck."Excellent advice, Terry!Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: steering sway Reply #6 – April 23, 2012, 12:11:06 am Yahoo Message Number: 130054Lon, I have found that adding Steer Safe has helped stabilize my front suspension when trucks pass, winds roar across the road, etc. But, I also find that it's necessary to have the Steer Safe readjusted every few years. I recently had a rear tire blowout, and the Steer Safe worked as intended. After getting new rear tires (Michelen LTX) a few weeks ago, I find the Steer Safe needs another readjustment. And... I agree with others that proper air pressure readings are extremely important.David (1998 LD MB) Eugene, OR__ From: Lon lgould@...> To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2012 2:36 PM Subject: [LD] Re: steering swayI am finding that steering my brand new 2011 LD 24 TK is very nerve racking. The Mojave Desert winds and semi-trucks affect steering sway What solutions have are there to address this problem?RVFriendly After wheel alignment & tire pressure settings left my 2003 MB with noticeable sway from trucks passing, I installed a SuperSteer rear track bar that greatly reduced the tail wagging the dog effect.Lon 2003 MB in Lake County, CA[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: steering sway Reply #7 – April 23, 2012, 11:57:55 am Yahoo Message Number: 130059I have seen many Steer-Safe and Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizers that have either slipped out of position or the springs have snapped or loosened. Neither is ready prime-time IMO. Recently, a friend wanted me to remove her troublesome Safe-T-Plus. I found the Safe-T-Plus's frame-side mount had been permanently welded to the frame, making it impossible to return it to a stock steering stabilizer. Beware of what you have installed. Realize that you are driving a big truck, not a car and that Ford's twin-I-beam steering has a different feel to it that will become second-nature after driving a thousand miles or so. If you still want to install after-market devices to 'improve' the handling, do them one at a time so the effect can be determined. Too many folks end up at Hendersons, or some other big RV shop, and get a whole shopping list of upgrades and never know what helped and what was a waste of money. Remember, these shops are in business to sell us stuff, no matter if it is needed or not. FYI, when our LD was new, it steered poorly until it was fully loaded, weighted, aligned and the tire pressure set. Afterwards, it felt like a different vehicle.Larry
Re: steering sway Reply #8 – April 23, 2012, 02:41:53 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130064Loose shock absorber bushings will produce terrible sway problems. The driver's side front shock has a well documented problem with loose or destroyed upper stem bushings, due primarily to its lack of access. The rear shocks also have upper stem bushing that need to be checked periodically.Larry
Re: steering sway Reply #9 – April 23, 2012, 03:33:13 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130066After adjusting all 6 tire pressures, if you still find it nerve racking, try driving another nearly new Ford E 450 based motorhome. If it is much better than yours, yours has an issue that should be covered by Ford's warranty, it's their chassis and responsibility. If not, you will likely learn to feel comfortable with some additional experience behind the wheel. As a truck passes you, steer towards it as its wind pushes you away, then steer away as its wake sucks you towards it. You are moving the steering wheel at most an inch or so. It becomes automatic after a while,Eddie
Re: steering sway & tires Reply #10 – April 23, 2012, 05:25:05 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130070After purchasing my 26ft LD
Re: steering sway & tires Reply #11 – April 23, 2012, 05:56:03 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130071"Tires: I also just picked up Circus Wagon from America's Tire in Palm Desert" When buying tires today, search the net for an online seller of your selected tire. Print the lowest price you can find and take the printout with you. America's Tire, and many other tire dealers, advertise that they match online prices. A $10-20 difference, per tire, adds up quickly when buying 6 or 7 tires. It is becoming more common for local retailers to match internet prices, so it's always worth to try asking for a match. I buy local goods whenever I can if the price is close to internet prices. The local economy needs all the help it can get.Larry
Re: steering sway & tires Reply #12 – April 23, 2012, 07:41:57 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130073Thanks Larry! I usually do check out internet prices but just stuff was happening & I needed to get it done. Woe is me I may have saved a little more but still feel I got a fair price.Betty Jean
Re: steering sway Reply #13 – April 23, 2012, 07:54:00 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130074On Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:41:50 -0000, "Larry" lw5315us@...> wrote:QuoteLoose shock absorber bushings will produce terrible sway problems. The driver's side front shock has a well documented problem with loose or destroyed upper stem bushings, due primarily to its lack of access. The rear shocks also have upper stem bushing that need to be checked periodically. Our rig tracks well, really no different than the E150 vans we owned before. Getting pushed by 18-wheelers and cross-winds is due more to the surface area of the rig, than suspension. Drive the US highways if Interstate speeds concern you.Fine advise Larry, but inspecting bushings is beyond most of us. I don't even know what one looks like. That makes most of us rely on mechanics who may or may not know a worn bushing. Then to add fat to it, shocks are commonly recommended for replacement when there is nothing wrong with them. I have been taken on suspension parts before and so I am leery of taking just any mechanic's say so on it.
Re: steering sway Reply #14 – April 23, 2012, 08:43:08 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130076Quote I am finding that steering my brand new 2011 LD 24 TK is very nerve racking. The Mojave Desert winds and semi-trucks affect steering sway very much. I searched this problem here and read some members have installed Steer-Safe adapters. What solutions have are there to address this problem? Your experience with your Lazy Daze probably has been duplicated by countless drivers of Class C Motorhomes. The first step should be correcting your tire pressure - but to do that, you should first be loading your LD correctly. Typically, one should load the Ford E450 close to, but not exceeding the maximum front axle load rating and match your tire pressures to your weighed loading. Why?, this, experience shows, results in the best steering stability. Second, follow the owner's manual suggestions with regard to a first wheel alignment. Then see what your thoughts are regarding your handling.Only then should you start considering physical changes to your LD. I can advise you that what one person's successful experience may be with chassis changes will bring quick and negative comments from many experts - be prepared to evaluate lots of sincere and differing comments. That said, here is a summary of what worked very successfully for me: My belief is that there is no good substitute for a good chassis shop for most of us motorhome owners. I am convinced that the most appropriate first question the experienced, reputable chassis shop could ask is what is the owner's desired change in handling / ride - And the second item is the chassis shop's expert inspection, weighing and road test with the owner on board to get a first hand input regarding the condition of the motorhome and the results expected. Only after necessary repairs have been made and loading / tire pressures adjusted and a road test performed is any meaningful discussion of chassis modifications for changing handling / ride really appropriate. We took our LD to Henderson's Line-Up in Grant's Pass, Oregon, based on Recommendations from many RV owners of all types. I told them what I did not like about the way our LD handled and steered and as best I could, what changes I'd like to feel in the handling and steering. After checking out our LD, they took me on a test drive where I could explain exactly what I did not like and wanted changed. They took notes. After returning to the shop, they told me what I could expect and how much it would cost. I authorized the work. After the work was completed, we went for another test drive where I evaluated the change in Steering and handling. It achieved every thing I asked for. We returned to the shop where I gladly paid the bill. I won't go into the 'improvement's' they removed or changed, but will say that they agreed with my steering stabilizer change, except to note that I did not go far enough, as they replaced the one I had installed with a more forceful one. This is the final configuration of our LD: Loaded Well, weight bias toward front limit; balanced within 400lbs left to right. Bilstein Comfort shocks. Henderson's Rear Track Bar. Stock Front Sway Bar replaced with Larger (ipd) Rear Sway Bar. Center Play Adjusted to minimum Ford tolerance on Steering Box. Tire Pressures correct per Michelin pressure vs axle loading. Replaced Safe-T-Plus Steering Dampener with higher capacity Safe-T-Plus Steering Dampener. One comment on the Henderson's Rear Track Bar: I has the effect of eliminating side to side movement of the rear body and frame on the rear axle. This greatly reduces the steering effect of that movement and the reduction in the amount of corrective steering wheel movement needed was almost unbelievable! I found the most difficult part of the above process was to learn how to describe exactly what I did not like about the steering and handling of our LD on our initial test drive with the Henderson's technician.I wish you well.Don McGlothlen, Ex-2001 LD MByou well.
Re: steering sway Reply #15 – April 23, 2012, 10:00:35 pm Yahoo Message Number: 130077When I took delivery of our used 2006 mb I felt the same way. We just upgraded from a travel trailer setup and I expected a total 180 as far as the effect of passing vehicles. I was truly disappointed. After reading the advice of several members on this forum I did the easiest and most inexpensive thing first: weighed the ld and adjusted pressures accordingly. It was night and day. What a difference. Our case was a bit extreme, I had 25 lbs too much
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