Cheap Handling Fix

[property]

Do you attribute the rear CHF to the sb brackets coming loose and missing bolts?

[property]

Originally Posted by Skywagon

FWIW??? Put Koni Shocks on and did CHP about a year ago on my 31 foot F53 chassis. 9000 miles later I found the ride intolerable on some highways. Banging caused parts to come off of RV, broken glasses in drawers, light bulb filaments also breaking. Finally through in the towel and put Sumo Springs and an Ultra Trac bar on the rear differential. Also put the anti sway bars back in their original positions. During the work tech found my rear anti sway bar lost the clamp to the left side of the differential and the right side was held on by one bolt. Suspect that added to the endless banging on some rough highways, and as we know their are plenty of those. I have a TPM system and despite having pressure set at 90 PSI cold I would see increases in my tire pressure of as high as 15 to 20 pounds triggering high pressure warnings. Now pressures set at 85 PSI cold. Front tires get warm the quickest, Outboard rears second quickest and inboards heat up with high pressures last. However once the rear inboards get hot they seem to become the hottest. I'll see how that works. Regardless, have only driven about 50 miles since the install but the ride is substantially better and swaying, porpoising and banging cut by about(?) 80%. Did find a few bad road seams and still got a bang on those but my teeth are still in my head. Whole install took about eight hours and about $2500 labor and parts. Rear wheels had to come off to drill holes in chassis. Yes expensive, but well worth the money. Hope this helps. Thanks.

Do you attribute the rear CHF to the sb brackets coming loose and missing bolts?

[property]

Originally Posted by TeJay

Any one who has done the CHF would be well served if they did something to return the anti-SWAY system angles back or at least close to the original stock angles.

All owners have had the ability to increase the SWAY control since Ford first made the chassis in 1999. What they didn't tell anybody is when you change the SWAY control it effectively shortens the links and changes the angles. That causes three negative things.

1. It will lift the tires off the ground sooner when leveling at camp grounds.
2. It may/will increase the ride harshness.
3. The severe angles will place more stress on the SWAY control system.

In defense of all not everybody who has done the CHF notices any increase in harshness. After many, many posts and following this thread for several years I've reached a conclusion. If you feel an increase in harshness returning the angles back to stock will put you back to where you were before and you will have better SWAY control.

Why doesn't everybody feel an increase in harshness. For the same reason not everybody feels some new shocks do a better job. Or some who drive a 40' RV had a better ride with their 22.5" tires. And on and on and on!!!!!

Not any one MOD will achieve the same percentage of ride improvement as others based on the many, many variables between RV's.

I have never felt an increase in ride harshness. WHY?? Not sure but I did the CHF when the unit had 40 miles on it. Then I started experimenting with increasing the length of the links. Then went to the adjustable plates which also added an increase in links. When I was done I added 2" to the link length and added another 1-1/2" with the adjustable plates. All is well. All of that is covered in the CHF thread.

If you extend the links I'm not sure exactly how much is needed because Ford has made the chassis since 1999 and I don't know enough about all the minor changes they may have done to know for certain how much is needed. It's usually around 2" to 3+".

I paid $45 to extend the links 2" but that wasn't long enough. Now I have a welder so I can do it myself. When I added the adjustable plates I added enough metal to the top plate to get the remainder of the needed length and I'm back to the stock angles.

What are the adjustable plates?

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by property

Do you attribute the rear CHF to the sb brackets coming loose and missing bolts?

You can't because there are reports of them breaking without doing the CHF.

[property]

Yes I saw that too. But if the sb load is higher with the CHF especially with OM links; does it increase the load on the sb brackets? Seems logical. If it does that would support the longer links if one is concerned about it. Or just make sure your bracket bolts are tight.

What are the adjustable plates mentioned often?

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by property

Yes I saw that too. But if the sb load is higher with the CHF especially with OM links; does it increase the load on the sb brackets? Seems logical. If it does that would support the longer links if one is concerned about it. Or just make sure your bracket bolts are tight.

What are the adjustable plates mentioned often?

Property

I think that you may be a little confused (understandable). The longer links are one of the options in the front axle swaybar CHF. The broken sway bar brackets happen on the rear axle. The longer links aren't necessary on the rear axle CHF.

My rear sway bar bracket was broken before I performed ANY modifications on my coach. However, I did not do the CHF on the rear axle swaybar. I opted, instead, for installing a HD auxiliary swaybar in the rear. I also installed the new style swaybar bushings on the factory swaybar and renewed the broken swaybar bracket and used Blue Locktite on ALL fasteners.

[twinboat]

The rear CHF doesn't offset the links enough to effect the torque much.

The torque is effected by moving the attachment to the inner hole and the shortening of the lever arms of the bar. That will add some stress to the brackets but they should be able to handle it if the bolts don't loosen up. Steel brackets should hold up better then poly bushings.

I haven't read of the bolts breaking. They report loose or missing bolts which will cause the bracket to flex on the other well bolted end and bend or break it off.

The adjustable plates cut back on the CHF effect.

[TeJay]

Here's some older pics of the AP (Adjustable plates). I'm making them different now since my stock links were already extended 2" before the idea for the AP came into being. The top plate is now 4" tall so it's not necessary to extend the links to maintain a level or stock (SB) Stabilizer Bar position.

When I first made the AP for a few friends I made the top plate 5" tall. It was pointed out to me it was not necessary to have the plate 5" to maintain the SB's stock position so I am using a 4" and all seem to be happy with the SB position.

I'm told based on the angles being closer to 90 degrees the AP's reduces some of the CHF effect. Maybe, but it still provides the owner some CHF adjustment choices which you otherwise do not have. And it is not necessary to extend the top links ($100) to keep the wheels from coming off the ground when leveling in a CG.

Is it a perfect solution? No!! All I was trying to design was a way of providing myself some CHF adjustment choices. The CHF still is thee greatest MOD for the F-53 so far but it isn't perfect either. The AP's are just another choice for owners to tweak the suspension.

Look at the top picture below. The link is in the 4th hole and about 1" past the CHF position. The angle between the link and the SB is just over or around 90 degree. If you disconnect either or both links and move them out towards the stock position the SB stays level and the angle is still close to 90 degrees. It depends on where you measure the angle since the lever arm changes as it curves out and down from the pivot point on the axle.

The bottom pic should read Stock then "More SWAY control".

[property]

Originally Posted by TeJay

Here's some older pics of the AP (Adjustable plates). I'm making them different now since my stock links were already extended 2" before the idea for the AP came into being. The top plate is now 4" tall so it's not necessary to extend the links to maintain a level or stock (SB) Stabilizer Bar position.

When I first made the AP for a few friends I made the top plate 5" tall. It was pointed out to me it was not necessary to have the plate 5" to maintain the SB's stock position so I am using a 4" and all seem to be happy with the SB position.

I'm told based on the angles being closer to 90 degrees the AP's reduces some of the CHF effect. Maybe, but it still provides the owner some CHF adjustment choices which you otherwise do not have. And it is not necessary to extend the top links ($100) to keep the wheels from coming off the ground when leveling in a CG.

Is it a perfect solution? No!! All I was trying to design was a way of providing myself some CHF adjustment choices. The CHF still is thee greatest MOD for the F-53 so far but it isn't perfect either. The AP's are just another choice for owners to tweak the suspension.

Look at the top picture below. The link is in the 4th hole and about 1" past the CHF position. The angle between the link and the SB is just over or around 90 degree. If you disconnect either or both links and move them out towards the stock position the SB stays level and the angle is still close to 90 degrees. It depends on where you measure the angle since the lever arm changes as it curves out and down from the pivot point on the axle.

The bottom pic should read Stock then "More SWAY control".

Wow that is cool.
Will that work on the front end of a 2014 F53 16000 on a Thor Ace 27.1, (28.5 ft) 19.5 tires?
Your brilliant.

Do you offer them for sale?

Today I just finished CHF on front and safety plus 41/140 on tie rod and I am putting pressure to 83 lb on tires.

It would be great to have a set of your plates for the front to try the longer link using OM links.

Thanks for the info on the adjustable plates. I am sure glad I asked that question.

[property]

Well using dozens of input on this thread I got my CHF front finished today using OM links. It drives with one hand now with the front CHF and the 41/140 Safetyplus.

My front tires have inside wear on both the front tires so I am getting RV alignment shop in Eugene to look at my alignment and my tires tomorrow.

The stearing wheel still vibrates but about 1/2 as much as it did before these improvements.

Next I’ll see what the alignment and probably new front tires does.

My driver side window vibrates loudly when I get up over 50.

I notice when I put my hand on the glass, it is worse at the top of the window which is higher than the large rear view mirrors just outside ahead of the window.

I think some short of air scoop at front corner of MH would deflect the air away from the large glass drivers window and same ahead of passenger window and quite down those rattling wingows, drive you nuts.

Well thanks everyone for all your great input. This is a great forum.

[TeJay]

If it's a 1999 F-53 chassis or newer and has 2 holes in the stabilizer bars then the adjustable plates will work. They have been installed on most every model year and chassis weight up to 2018 units.

Yes some times the side of the leaf pring can interfere with inserting the bolts. What I've done is use the leveling jacks to raise or lower until the leaf spring gets out of the way. I don't work on it while doing that just get the spring out of the way and insert the bolt. Install the safety stands or just raise the jacks until you're back on the tires and it's safe to work.

[1Motorhome]

Originally Posted by property

Well using dozens of input on this thread I got my CHF front finished today using OM links. It drives with one hand now with the front CHF and the 41/140 Safetyplus.

My front tires have inside wear on both the front tires so I am getting RV alignment shop in Eugene to look at my alignment and my tires tomorrow.

The stearing wheel still vibrates but about 1/2 as much as it did before these improvements.

Next I’ll see what the alignment and probably new front tires does.

My driver side window vibrates loudly when I get up over 50.

I notice when I put my hand on the glass, it is worse at the top of the window which is higher than the large rear view mirrors just outside ahead of the window.

I think some short of air scoop at front corner of MH would deflect the air away from the large glass drivers window and same ahead of passenger window and quite down those rattling wingows, drive you nuts.

Well thanks everyone for all your great input. This is a great forum.

You need to check your tire Balancing. This will cause vibration in floor and steering wheel and basically all over the coach.

[property]

Kaiser Brakes and Alignment in Eugene said they will check all the tires and the alignment and they mentioned balancing, treading ior possible replacement on the tires. Tires are 5 years old but only 10,000 miles on them . Also was going to ask theim to inspect all the u/joints ball joints and axles etc.

I have read on the forums that RV sidewalls usually fail before the treads wear out. Back 4 tires have lots of tread life left. Front less but the inner wear really is telling me to at least replace those after alignment, and see what the experts think of the back tires.

I felt my Lexus GX470 stearing wheel today for comparison with MH and it is solid and very smooth, it is a 10 and M H stearing vibration is about a 2 or 3.

I was thinking of rear CHF, it looks more complicated. There are 2 bolts on each side, one looks like it doesn’t have a socket head and a bracket. Is that the Z bracket people are talking about? Need to get more familiar with that.

Also on this thread there are reports of rear CHF with OM links when jacks are all the way up the sb contacts the rear differential. I need to go back and study that some more.

[Skywagon]

Originally Posted by property

Do you attribute the rear CHF to the sb brackets coming loose and missing bolts?

I honestly don't know. I do know this!! I took I-10 from Houston to Mobile along the Gulf coast about a week before the missing clamp was discovered. Any one with a Ford Chassis should steer clear of that road, mods or not!! I have put about 10,000 miles on the unit in the past year. I-10 is a mess, I've never driven such a bad road. Endless bad banging, some due to road conditions but problem aggravated by endless bridges over the extensive bayous. Could not keep keep TPM system and GPS on dash without duct tape. Don't use it, you'll regret it!!