Community Forums

Enconcapt · 04-04-2014, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carluv

Would this void the warranty on a new MH if I moved the bars?

Has anyone done the CHF to a FR3? Reading all the posts I see lots of other MH and I guess it would not matter if they are all on the F53 chassis.

OSP1268 · 04-05-2014, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carluv

Would this void the warranty on a new MH if I moved the bars?

Prior to doing ours, I went to the Ford Dealer and they adv. it would not avoid the warranty. The extra holes in the sway bars are there so when a body of some sort is put on the chassis the extra set of holes are there for adjustment purposes.

al2ride · 04-05-2014, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carluv

Would this void the warranty on a new MH if I moved the bars?

Many have had it done at their local Ford dealer. The way these things are built, the only bad thing that I can see happening is premature wear on the bushings. If and when that happens, I'll use aftermarket beefier ones.

Has anyone had any problems with the CHF (using stock front links), besides the front wheel coming off the ground?

Has anyone had any problems with the CHF (using Hellwig fron links)?

I've only logged 2k miles with the stock links, and 2k miles with the Hellwigs...no problems.

KSCRUDE · 04-05-2014, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carluv

Would this void the warranty on a new MH if I moved the bars?

I don't know how it would void the warranty, I would think if you never told them, very few techs would even notice a change had taken place. If they did mention it, just say it came from the factory that way. They never know the difference, or could care less even if they did.

Pirate · 04-05-2014, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by al2ride

Many have had it done at their local Ford dealer. The way these things are built, the only bad thing that I can see happening is premature wear on the bushings. If and when that happens, I'll use aftermarket beefier ones.

Has anyone had any problems with the CHF (using stock front links), besides the front wheel coming off the ground?

Has anyone had any problems with the CHF (using Hellwig fron links)?

I've only logged 2k miles with the stock links, and 2k miles with the Hellwigs...no problems.

Yes. My Hellwig bushings in the Hellwig links wore out in about 2 years. I undid the CHF and went back to stock. Didn't really miss the CHF at all with recent trip. Might work for some but didn't do squat for me.

carluv · 04-06-2014, 01:20 PM

Roger,
Thanks for the info. Do you have to jack the coach up or is it something you can do easily by crawling under it? Is their any tension on the bar when you pull the bolt out to move it?

Flick · 04-06-2014, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flick

Anyone know what a Ford garage charges to do the CHF? I'm heading to Key West from Ohio. Running out of time waiting for some decent weather to a D.I.Y. I'd have to do it outside. I have a 2002 Winnebago Brave 36M.

An update. Did the CHF before I left for Key West. Pretty cold out but I got it done in a few hours. The test was a 2,600 + round trip to KW. The handling difference was amazing. Thanks to the originators of the fix and all of you for your help and encouragement.

CanAmMick · 04-06-2014, 06:47 PM

I did the CHF to the front today. Didn't get a chance to test it out, but hopefully later this week I will.

When the jacks are up, and all the weight is on the suspension there is about 1 3/4 inch space between the bar and the leaf spring. When I level the unit with the jacks the bar is against the leaf spring.

Is 1 3/4 inch enough clearance, or do you think it will contact the spring while I'm driving??

Thanks!!!

KSCRUDE · 04-06-2014, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanAmMick

I did the CHF to the front today. Didn't get a chance to test it out, but hopefully later this week I will.

When the jacks are up, and all the weight is on the suspension there is about 1 3/4 inch space between the bar and the leaf spring. When I level the unit with the jacks the bar is against the leaf spring.

Is 1 3/4 inch enough clearance, or do you think it will contact the spring while I'm driving??

Thanks!!!

Thats just the way ours looks. Has never hit in over7K miles. You have to lift the front 6 or 7 inches to get that inch and three quarter in there due to the angle and placement. I have no mark on the spring or bar from them slamming into one another. When you raise the jacks it makes contact at a very slow speed. To top the springs out that far, you would need some serious lift. I don't even worry about it. It ain't gona happen, unless you take up jumping motorcycles or something.

CanAmMick · 04-06-2014, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSCRUDE

Thats just the way ours looks. Has never hit in over7K miles. You have to lift the front 6 or 7 inches to get that inch and three quarter in there due to the angle and placement. I have no mark on the spring or bar from them slamming into one another. When you raise the jacks it makes contact at a very slow speed. To top the springs out that far, you would need some serious lift. I don't even worry about it. It ain't gona happen, unless you take up jumping motorcycles or something.

Don Thanks! Did you do the CHF on the rear of your RV? Just wondering if I should do it, or wait to see how much of a difference the front makes.

Thanks

Mick

KSCRUDE · 04-08-2014, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanAmMick

Don Thanks! Did you do the CHF on the rear of your RV? Just wondering if I should do it, or wait to see how much of a difference the front makes.

Thanks

Mick

I did them both at the same time. But if it works on the front, it has to work on the back. Sway is sway, front or back. It did wonders on our rig. I also put on a rear trac bar about the same time. It helps a bunch for the tail waggin the dog syndrome.

al2ride · 04-09-2014, 05:48 AM

I didn't notice a difference when I did the rear CHF, but that's probably because I already had a trak bar installed. The front CHF and correct tire pressure does wonders though.

carluv · 04-10-2014, 08:00 AM

I got under my 2014 Georgetown yesterday to move the front links, however it does not look long enough to go into the second hole. Do you have to get longer links?

TeJay · 04-10-2014, 08:32 AM

No!! All you have to do is raise the sway-bar until it fits. At that point it will look like it won't work but it will. You have the same chassis that we do so I know it will work. If you read more of the CHF thread you will see that many don't like the fact that since you move the link to the inner hole the bar has to be raised and it appears to be an almost straight shot When you level the coach the front the wheels will come off the ground 2" sooner. That's not a problem unless you just don't like it happening. The CHF will work just fine. I ran it that way for 6,000 miles with no problems. If you don't like the wheels coming off 2" sooner do what I did just yesterday.

I took the links off and took them to a retired welder and metal worker. He pressed the bushings out so the welding heat would not melt them. He cut the original rod in the middle. Then he used some 1/2" black standard water pipe that I had and cut two pieces 2" longer than the original length of the rod. He slipped the link ends into the pipe, lined them up and welded the pipe up at the bushing end area. He painted the longer links and pressed the bushings back into their holes. I installed them using blue lock-tight and 66 FT. lbs of torque. They look good and are just as strong as the original if not stronger and all is well. It cost me $45.

When I started the project I was going to have the rear links done as well but when I looked the anti-sway bar on the back is level even after the CHF. Both sets of links front and rear are the same length on the 2013 F-53 chassis.

Many have tried the Helwig links, at about $120 for a set, and the bushings are not the same. They have had problems getting them to work. I think the simplest thing to do is have the links lengthened. Some have said that if I welded on the original links it would void my warranty. Well I doubt that. Lets just say that a link breaks. What would happen. One side of my sway bar would not be attached. That simply means that I don't have sway control and that's all. Nothing else will happen. Now what do I do??? Well since it has been mentioned that sometimes over the many years that the F-53 has been made those links are not always the same length. So I go to a Ford dealer and order some links that are 2" or as close as I can get it to 2" longer. I think somebody said that Ford charges about $25 for a link. Re-install the new longer links and I'm back in business.

Sometimes I wonder just why some people are so worried about their warranties and why they just won't take some chances in life.

TeJay