Community Forums

fayrankin · 10-31-2008, 12:03 PM

I would like to call everyone's attention to another post on this group for the 2006 Workhorse Chassis Guide. I've included another link below or Google for it W8003032 finds it. It pays to educate yourself.

Link to HTML Worhorse Chassis Guide

On page 26 of the guide you'll find the following:

MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION
The steering linkage under normal conditions should be lubricated with any water-resistant EP-type chassis lubricate every 3,000 miles or three months, whichever occurs first. Inspect linkage for looseness and/or damage during lubrication. Inspect all joints, grease boots on tie rods, adjusting sleeves, steering supports/bell cranks (if equipped) and linkage for physical damage, wear or movement. All grease fitting locations are shown in the lubrication section of this manual and your Owner's Manual. If grease boots on the tie rods ends or drag links are torn, cracked or show signs of aging, the boots and/or should be replaced. Boots on the W20, W22 and W24 chassis are available without replacing the tie rods/drag links, Workhorse part no. W8003032 (kit including two boots).

If you are a lazy city boy like me, you get your motorhome serviced at a dealership or a repair shop and live in fear of what will happen next. Here's what happened to me earlier this week:

I'm getting ready to sell my coach through a consignment lot and had taken Winny in for her last service @ 31, 200 miles. I had just canceled my extended warranty a couple of days previously as it is not transferable when sold through a dealer. (Another learning experience). Any how, I was relaxing in the waiting room when the service advisor came in with a worried look on his face. He said, "Your tie rod end grease boots have fallen off and need to be replaced. It will cost about $140.00. I called your extended warranty company and they say the warranty has been canceled." I said. "Yeah." What I thought can't be written here as I used some slang for ˜posterior" on a previous post and learned of this site's high standards. But I digress again; the service advisor continued, "I think we have the boots in stock; let go over to the parts department." Sure enough they had them in stock; two big conical rubber washers and two large cotter pins ONLY $34.00. And, ONLY .8 hours to install them.

Here I am all cleaned up and ready to go to the consignment dealer. Do I want him to know that I'm such a terrible owner that I've let my grease boots fall off. Another question in my mind: Did they fall off or did they have help? What are the odds that both of these have fallen off since my last service? Also running through my mind is the fact that this dealership is hurting a bit as they have just cut down to four days a week. I looked at the two boots and the cotter pins-how hard could it be? $80 bucks to put those on? I know what a lot of you would have done and what I would have done if I had had my coveralls with me but I folded like a cheap suit! I blinked!

I still think I might have been had but I kept my hands clean. What would you have done? Better go check those grease boots now!

fayrankin · 10-31-2008, 12:03 PM

I would like to call everyone's attention to another post on this group for the 2006 Workhorse Chassis Guide. I've included another link below or Google for it W8003032 finds it. It pays to educate yourself.

Link to HTML Worhorse Chassis Guide

On page 26 of the guide you'll find the following:

MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION
The steering linkage under normal conditions should be lubricated with any water-resistant EP-type chassis lubricate every 3,000 miles or three months, whichever occurs first. Inspect linkage for looseness and/or damage during lubrication. Inspect all joints, grease boots on tie rods, adjusting sleeves, steering supports/bell cranks (if equipped) and linkage for physical damage, wear or movement. All grease fitting locations are shown in the lubrication section of this manual and your Owner's Manual. If grease boots on the tie rods ends or drag links are torn, cracked or show signs of aging, the boots and/or should be replaced. Boots on the W20, W22 and W24 chassis are available without replacing the tie rods/drag links, Workhorse part no. W8003032 (kit including two boots).

If you are a lazy city boy like me, you get your motorhome serviced at a dealership or a repair shop and live in fear of what will happen next. Here's what happened to me earlier this week:

I'm getting ready to sell my coach through a consignment lot and had taken Winny in for her last service @ 31, 200 miles. I had just canceled my extended warranty a couple of days previously as it is not transferable when sold through a dealer. (Another learning experience). Any how, I was relaxing in the waiting room when the service advisor came in with a worried look on his face. He said, "Your tie rod end grease boots have fallen off and need to be replaced. It will cost about $140.00. I called your extended warranty company and they say the warranty has been canceled." I said. "Yeah." What I thought can't be written here as I used some slang for ˜posterior" on a previous post and learned of this site's high standards. But I digress again; the service advisor continued, "I think we have the boots in stock; let go over to the parts department." Sure enough they had them in stock; two big conical rubber washers and two large cotter pins ONLY $34.00. And, ONLY .8 hours to install them.

Here I am all cleaned up and ready to go to the consignment dealer. Do I want him to know that I'm such a terrible owner that I've let my grease boots fall off. Another question in my mind: Did they fall off or did they have help? What are the odds that both of these have fallen off since my last service? Also running through my mind is the fact that this dealership is hurting a bit as they have just cut down to four days a week. I looked at the two boots and the cotter pins-how hard could it be? $80 bucks to put those on? I know what a lot of you would have done and what I would have done if I had had my coveralls with me but I folded like a cheap suit! I blinked!

I still think I might have been had but I kept my hands clean. What would you have done? Better go check those grease boots now!

Duner · 11-01-2008, 05:38 AM

I had my '04 W22 in just before the 3 yr warranty was to expire. Both tie rod boots had rotted badly and WH had agreed to replace them no charge. But they had to "order the new ball joints" and that meant my coach would be sitting there for another 5-7 business days. I didn't want to miss my planned weekend outing nor did I want to spend $60 for gas to drive back again the next week. So I agreed to pay for next day delivery to the tune of $34 for 2-3 lbs of freight.

A couple of days later while checking out the new ball joints, I realized they didn't replace the joint, just the boot. I was upset I didn't just do the job myself for a lot less than $34 in freight costs, and the WH dealer didn't even give me the two new ball joints (minus the boots) as future spares.

The good news is that the replacement boots put on two years ago show NO signs of deterioration after two years.

GerryB54 · 11-01-2008, 11:43 AM

I still can't believe how much "routine maintenance" these Workhorse chassi require...after over 30 years of seven Ford/Chevy/Toyota Class C chassi owned and never having any problems and maintenance issues like this, I'm continually surprised at what Workhorse expects us to do...

Full-Timers · 11-01-2008, 07:21 PM

While my motorhome was in for service at Redlands Truck, they informed me my boots were torn also. Then they said, "we have them in stock and will put them on for no charge."