W20 DIY Trac Bar

[Dunner]

I go from Phx to Yuma and on my first trip ever, mother nature threw me a curve with a strong cross wind. I had done the anti-sway bar mod, but didn't have one between the MH and my 20' enclosed. If a cop was following me, I would have been pulled over for DWI. If I went to change radio stations, I would change lanes. That bad.

[George Schweikle]

DriVer,

This is somewhat off topic to the track bar discussion, but I gotta comment on bump steer:

Bump steer is a condition where the steering and suspension part geometry doesn't quite match; as the suspension moves through it's travel, the steering arm moves differently and the road wheel actually changes angle or "steers". If a bump, rut, or other road condition is on one side, that wheel will be affected and the vehicle will either move or tug at the steering wheel. This occurs mostly on independent front suspension vehicles, but I suppose a solid front axle suspension could also have bump steer. Bump steer is a mechanical condition of the suspension and steering arms and can only be reduced or eliminated by changing the geometry of the steering components (sometimes by moving the steering box and arms to be more in line with the suspension). This is common when fine tuning race cars.

Steering dampers, wheel-centering springs, etc. can not eliminate bump steer but, as you said, isolate the feeling and maybe reduce the tug on the wheel or help return steering to straight ahead after a bump.

Unfortunately, more than one condition can affect vehicle handling and require a steering correction: RUT TRACKING tracking is when the tire wants to follow a groove in the pavement. BUMP STEER is when the suspension moves, steering arm geometry isn't quite correct, and the vehicles either moves or you feel a tug on the wheel. SWAY is where a leaf-spring mounted solid axle moves sideways in relation to the chassis, especially at the rear. ROLL is when the vehicle leans to one side. And, of course, sometimes everything happens at once and it's hard to isolate the root cause of the instability.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriVer ...Bump steer is unrelated to the use or not of a track bar. Bump steer is created as a result of rutt tracking whereby the steering gear is bumped by the tires as they negotiate road surface irregularities. Bump steer causes the steering wheel to fight driver input where at the end of the day a driver can wind up exhausted. Effectively isolating bump steer and rutt tracking is accomplished using a steering damper such as the Tru-Center, Steer-Safe or Safe-T-Plus AND a track bar such as a Tru-Track, Tiger Track, Ultra-Trak and or Super Steer as a dual system. I have a track bar & damper system installed on my rig and its been doing an excellent job for over 7 years. I initially wrote about the installation however those were lost when we switched over from the old to the new iRV2 interface.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by George Schweikle This is somewhat off topic to the track bar discussion, but I gotta comment on bump steer

Thanks for adding content to this thread.

[mgscott4]

Again a little off topic, but since it is my thread.

I wonder how much my crossfires are helping to reduce Rut Tracking or are they fighting my trac bar. I know I still feel ruts at times.

I bought the crossfires for peace of mind. I drive approximately 25k year and stop every 2-3 hours to stretch and get gas. I can just look down and see red (Heat induced overinflation) and know my duallys are not flat.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgscott4 I wonder how much my crossfires are helping to reduce Rut Tracking or are they fighting my trac bar. I know I still feel ruts at times.

mgscott, I would suggest that the Crossfires do not contribute significantly or at all toward controlling rut tracking as installed on the drive axle.

The simple benefit is to assure that both tires when properly inflated are paired and share an equal load which reduces to nil the likelihood that one tire will overheat and rupture. Monitoring pressures is quickly accomplished by looking at the pre-set pressure window however dynamic observation is best accomplished using a TPMS such as the TST system.

Rut tracking as it is being discussed impacts a vehicle primarily through the steering gear and the Crossfires do not come into play.