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Pirate · 07-14-2012, 04:51 PM

I am trying to find out from other Windsport owners, 2006 & later, if they have had any issues with their RV's being unlevel, particularly lower front ends. Additionally, I am wondering if any Windsports have spacers to level the unit out between the front axle and spring. PS: I don't want any lectures or advice re: use of spacer blocks, just if you have them. Thanks.

HabitatGuy · 07-14-2012, 08:26 PM

Hi Pirate. I checked today for bushing blocks between springs and axle. There are blocks on our Windsport but they are the same on both sides so I don't believe they were for leveling side to side.

Pirate · 07-15-2012, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HabitatGuy

Hi Pirate. I checked today for bushing blocks between springs and axle. There are blocks on our Windsport but they are the same on both sides so I don't believe they were for leveling side to side.

Thanks. Next time your are under there, which will be soon, can you measure each side for me? Mine are pretty close side to side, a half inch difference I think, but I have a stack of about 3" on each side. Thanks.

Pirate · 07-15-2012, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pirate

I am trying to find out from other Windsport owners, 2006 & later, if they have had any issues with their RV's being unlevel, particularly lower front ends. Additionally, I am wondering if any Windsports have spacers to level the unit out between the front axle and spring. PS: I don't want any lectures or advice re: use of spacer blocks, just if you have them. Thanks.

I should have added that this is for the F-53 and please say how many inches. Thanks again.

HabitatGuy · 07-15-2012, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pirate

Thanks. Next time your are under there, which will be soon, can you measure each side for me? Mine are pretty close side to side, a half inch difference I think, but I have a stack of about 3" on each side. Thanks.

Wow! That's a significant stack up. Ours has two pieces on each side totaling 1-1 1/4". A thought that I had on your unit, it is the accessible unit with the lift, right? Did the lift create enough extra weight toward the front that they needed to lift it? I don't know as I have not been around a unit like yours to see what the lift mechanism looks like. Just a thought.

Pirate · 07-15-2012, 08:11 AM

Yes, the wheelchair lift, right behind the passenger seat, is a significant weight, as with the slide and generator on the driver side. Before I had the spacers put in, it seemed like the front end was plowing into the ground. I spent a lot of time thinking about spacers vs. air bags and questioned as many experts as possible. Many folks said that was way too much and unsafe. My truck repair place, and they work on a lot of them, says it is very common to see that much. The u-bolts are 3/4" and are torqued at 260lbs. I check them yearly and with a center bolt, I don't think I could "spit" out a block. I'm not even sure an air bag would lift it that high. It is what it is.

Pirate · 07-15-2012, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pirate

Yes, the wheelchair lift, right behind the passenger seat, is a significant weight, as with the slide and generator on the driver side. Before I had the spacers put in, it seemed like the front end was plowing into the ground. I spent a lot of time thinking about spacers vs. air bags and questioned as many experts as possible. Many folks said that was way too much and unsafe. My truck repair place, and they work on a lot of them, says it is very common to see that much. The u-bolts are 3/4" and are torqued at 260lbs. I check them yearly and with a center bolt, I don't think I could "spit" out a block. I'm not even sure an air bag would lift it that high. It is what it is.

I should add that I had the axle weighted and it is just below specs.

HabitatGuy · 07-15-2012, 10:20 AM

It sounds like you did your due process and a strong professional installation. Should be a safe and reliable set up as well as giving you a better "feel" going down the road.

Pirate · 07-15-2012, 10:35 AM

LOL, yeah, real professional install. Luckily have a big torque wrench at home as they were only around 150 or so from the repair place.

I can't help but wonder if Four Winds did something to get that front end lower, thus I keep asking about spacers. The lower the front end is, the more vertical range you get from the wheelchair lift. Now that I have the RV level fore to aft, the range on the wheelchair lift is right at it's limit of downward travel. Well, I just rechecked the torque the other day. I told the wife, if I find any one nut that requires ANY retorque, it's all coming off. Any retorque in my opinion would mean that the u-bolts have undergone some stretching. Everything was nice and snug, not movement at all with the wrench, this was after about 3 years and around 10K miles.

HabitatGuy · 07-16-2012, 07:07 PM

Pirate,
Had MH pulled into work building to do sway bar link mod. I'll address that under the correct thread. While I had MH on level floor I measured around the unit. As I said earlier there are approx 1 1/4" spacer blocks in the front end. It seems that the front end is about 1 1/2" lower than the rear. I wouldn't have thought so if not for measuring. I don't get that feel of plowing that you mentioned. Hope this adds a little more info to your bank.