F53 suspension mods and what worked

[DaltonG]

So I've been posting on here and doing a lot of reading. I didn't like the way my 08 Pace Arrow on the F53 chassis handled on the highway. Felt like a lot of play in the wheel, swaying, etc and I wouldn't dare go over 60mph with a lot of cars/trucks around.

I did a few things to the RV and spent a little money. About $1300 actually. The coach feels totally different now. I just drove it 20 miles and hit 75mph without even realizing it and using just 1 hand part of the time (could have the whole time). No swaying, no pushing when being passed, the ride wasn't as harsh, steering felt tight. It felt like I was cruising in a giant suburban and not an RV anymore and I'd have no problem or fatigue driving this coach across the country. It was maybe the best $1300 I've spent.


So after reading quite a bit I decided to do these things.
1) Roadmaster steering stabilizer
2) sumo springs front and rear
3) front cheap handling fix
4) adjusted tire pressure to correct psi or close to it

I'm not exactly sure which one made the biggest improvement but I think it was #1 and 2. The cheap handling fix may have been redundant after doing sumosprings. My tires were 15psi over so that may have been a big factor.

Anyway, I'm posting this for any future forum members who have the same handling issue. It was something I didn't want to get used to so I bought the RV and did all of this 2 weeks later. It all made a very significant improvement and like I wrote above, I can drive at 70-75mph with one hand and not even think about it now. Even when trucks pass me.

[creativepart]

I can echo your results with the Steering Stabilizer and Sumo Springs. Both made a huge improvements. When I finally got weighed and lowered my tire pressures about 15 psi it all came together for the good.

What I don't know is how you did all of that for $1300? Did you do the labor yourself? I spent approx $1,700 to buy the parts and have them installed. I purchased the Sumo's online and saved a good $200 on them even with my higher overall cost.

[DaltonG]

Originally Posted by creativepart

I can echo your results with the Steering Stabilizer and Sumo Springs. Both made a huge improvements. When I finally got weighed and lowered my tire pressures about 15 psi it all came together for the good.

What I don't know is how you did all of that for $1300? Did you do the labor yourself? I spent approx $1,700 to buy the parts and have them installed. I purchased the Sumo's online and saved a good $200 on them even with my higher overall cost.

I got a good deal on the springs and I believe labor was only 3 hours for all. It may have been $1300-$1400. I didn't break it down exactly. I had oil changed, fuel filter, etc etc. I think the steering stabilizer was easily under an hour for them and the front sumo springs were quick bolt ons. The rear had to get 4 holes drilled.

I did the cheap handling fix. I normally do mechanical work myself but with the RV I don't have a good place to work on it. Wish I had some property but that's another story.

[WBA]

I have a 2018 Winnebago Sunstar LX30T.

I have installed the following:

Roadmaster sway bars (front & rear)
Roadmaster Steering Stabilizer
Sumo Springs (front & rear)
Koni Shocks

The ride before I made these improvements was not good at all. I really didn’t feel safe at times.

After the installation of these suspension upgrades, the ride is fantastic!!!! I am very happy I made the investment.

I highly recommend them for the F53 chassis.

[ThomB]

2008 Chassis with a Winnebago Vista 32K atop it.

I started with the CHF.
5000 miles later was a rear track bar
About 5000 miles after that was new from shocks and Sumo Springs all around.

All the work was done by me and my brother mostly in his driveway so that really did save me some decent money on the labor. I think the biggest bang for the buck was the rear track bar. It settled our RV enough that my wife could drive it. The Sumo’s did make the ride a bit more cushy but I don’t think they really helped the handling as much as the addition of the track bar.

The previous owner installed something on the front that helps if a tire blows out but I’m not sure it’s a steering stabilizer which I guess I’d like to add next.

[DaltonG]

Originally Posted by ThomB

2008 Chassis with a Winnebago Vista 32K atop it.

I started with the CHF.
5000 miles later was a rear track bar
About 5000 miles after that was new from shocks and Sumo Springs all around.

All the work was done by me and my brother mostly in his driveway so that really did save me some decent money on the labor. I think the biggest bang for the buck was the rear track bar. It settled our RV enough that my wife could drive it. The Sumo’s did make the ride a bit more cushy but I don’t think they really helped the handling as much as the addition of the track bar.

The previous owner installed something on the front that helps if a tire blows out but I’m not sure it’s a steering stabilizer which I guess I’d like to add next.

I was told mine had a track bar in the rear. That was something the shop insisted on more or less, I agreed then they said it had one. So I gave them my own stuff to do.

The sumos on mine stop the lean. I can turn a corner now and it barely leans which is what I've read in other posts. That thing in the front of yours is probably a steering stabilizer. It either looks like a big spring going horizontal or a blue shock. (just 2 different brands) So you may not need anything. But it does more than just make it safe for blowouts. I believe it's what makes mine feel like the steering wheel is tighter on the highway (no play anymore) so I'm pretty happy.

I honestly think a person could do a variety of things and they all will help. For instance, sway bars and no sumosprings or viceversa. The chassis just seems so loose or unstable that any of these things tighten it up. That's my thought anyway. I was prepared to get the bigger sway bars but I'm happy with the way it drives now.

[Waiter21]

Before spending any money on aftermarket suspension upgrades, I highly recommend doing four items first:

1) Perform the CHF, front and rear. While doing the CHF, extend the front links by three inches to accommodate better geometry, Also verify the rear torsion bar mount bracket bolts are tight. (I recommend re-installing them with blue locktite.

2) Tire pressure is set to the weight of the vehicle.

3) Front end alignment is checked, Set the Toe-in to the maximum allowed in the spec.

4) If its an older couch, more than 10-12 years, and the shocks are original, consider new shocks front and rear, the old ones are probably completely worn out. I used standard ole Monroe's, but you may want to install something else..

After you completed these four items, then drive for a day or so and get a feel if =yo need to do anything else. I suspect that in the vast majority of cases, you'll find these four items will satisfy your requirements.

[ThomB]

You know something that we all probably did and no one mentioned...


Sway bar bushings.



My rears were melted away and I replaced with poly bushings. I'm told that it's not a problem on newer coaches as they went to poly but the older coaches might still have the rubber bushings (if they didn't melt like mine.

[DaltonG]

Originally Posted by ThomB

You know something that we all probably did and no one mentioned...


Sway bar bushings.



My rears were melted away and I replaced with poly bushings. I'm told that it's not a problem on newer coaches as they went to poly but the older coaches might still have the rubber bushings (if they didn't melt like mine.

I had an old camaro where the rubber bushings were totally gone. I would turn a corner and you'd hear metal on metal sometimes. I replaced them all with poly which involved lifting the body off the chassis just enough to get them in there. It was a different car after doing that!

I checked my RV bushings and they seemed ok for now. They are rubber but look in really good shape.....for now.

[DaltonG]

Originally Posted by Waiter21

Before spending any money on aftermarket suspension upgrades, I highly recommend doing four items first:

1) Perform the CHF, front and rear. While doing the CHF, extend the front links by three inches to accommodate better geometry, Also verify the rear torsion bar mount bracket bolts are tight. (I recommend re-installing them with blue locktite.

2) Tire pressure is set to the weight of the vehicle.

3) Front end alignment is checked, Set the Toe-in to the maximum allowed in the spec.

4) If its an older couch, more than 10-12 years, and the shocks are original, consider new shocks front and rear, the old ones are probably completely worn out. I used standard ole Monroe's, but you may want to install something else..

After you completed these four items, then drive for a day or so and get a feel if =yo need to do anything else. I suspect that in the vast majority of cases, you'll find these four items will satisfy your requirements.

These are all good things and necessary to do as a starting point but I'm very confident it still wouldn't have been to my satisfaction. The steering stabilizer adds a safety element to it also. I've done the above (aside from shocks) and I still see room for improvement in the drive. But it becomes $ vs the amount of improvement at this point. Shocks and bigger sway bars would be $2000 or so but would probably do little compared to what I've done.

I believe caster is the thing that is important in the coach wheel alignment. Toe in would cause more tire wear and I'm not sure what advantage it would give but caster will change the ride with no tire wear change.

[DaltonG]

On another note, when working under my coach on some things I noticed the steering stabilizer they just installed and the angle it was at. Also, how it hung down lower than anything else on the RV. It caught my eye instantly but I had other things going on so I thought I'd come back to that.

it doesn't seem safe to have this hanging down like this considering its a steering component right?

See the picture I've attached.

After doing some picture/google research I can see they put this on wrong

Why the angle! There are a few options with the brackets to have this spring go totally horizontal and there is no reason to do it the way they did it. I just went and looked at it again to verify. I contacted the company, but honestly, it will take me longer to go to them, have them fix it, wait for it, etc when I can just go undo a few bolts and move it to the proper angle.

I normally wouldn't worry too much but with other pictures I have you can see at this angle, there is stress on one end of it. This is exactly why I do the work myself on most things I own but thought I'd treat myself this time (in my 50 yr old age) and pay the $100-$133 per hour for this fine work.

Lesson learned...I'm going back to doing stuff myself.

[mrwrench]

75 mph with a F53???? at how many rpm???

[vsheetz]

Ensure all stock steering and suspension are ok. Ensure tire pressures set by weight.

Then aftermarket stuff. Here's what I did to our previous coach on F53. Took it from uncomfortable and tiring to drive at 50-55 to one handed and solid at 65 cruise.

Steering stabilizer
CHF
Rear Track Bar

Did them one at a time. By far the biggest improvement was the rear track bar. Fixed the tail wagging the dog problem.

Dunno why Ford or coach builders to provide a rear track bar. It needs one...

[1Motorhome]

Originally Posted by DaltonG

So I've been posting on here and doing a lot of reading. I didn't like the way my 08 Pace Arrow on the F53 chassis handled on the highway. Felt like a lot of play in the wheel, swaying, etc and I wouldn't dare go over 60mph with a lot of cars/trucks around.

I did a few things to the RV and spent a little money. About $1300 actually. The coach feels totally different now. I just drove it 20 miles and hit 75mph without even realizing it and using just 1 hand part of the time (could have the whole time). No swaying, no pushing when being passed, the ride wasn't as harsh, steering felt tight. It felt like I was cruising in a giant suburban and not an RV anymore and I'd have no problem or fatigue driving this coach across the country. It was maybe the best $1300 I've spent.


So after reading quite a bit I decided to do these things.
1) Roadmaster steering stabilizer
2) sumo springs front and rear
3) front cheap handling fix
4) adjusted tire pressure to correct psi or close to it

I'm not exactly sure which one made the biggest improvement but I think it was #1 and 2. The cheap handling fix may have been redundant after doing sumosprings. My tires were 15psi over so that may have been a big factor.

Anyway, I'm posting this for any future forum members who have the same handling issue. It was something I didn't want to get used to so I bought the RV and did all of this 2 weeks later. It all made a very significant improvement and like I wrote above, I can drive at 70-75mph with one hand and not even think about it now. Even when trucks pass me.

I made the exact same mods on my 2004 Georgie Boy Pursuit F53. So far VERY Pleased but I think I can still make it better, Mine is still pretty harsh on bumps and bridge seams.
Researching to see which direction to take to soften the ride a bit.