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ualdriver · 04-07-2017, 03:37 PM

My friend has a 2001 Fleetwood Pace Arrow with a F53 chassis manufactured in April 2000. I told him about the CHF, and he is attempting to give it a try.

He's replacing the bushings on the sway bar links (the rod that connects the frame to the sway bars), and he's thinking that the sway bars that are currently on his RV aren't original. I attached a picture of the sway bar link he took off his MH, but when we search on-line for a replacement part, the pictures look nothing like the ones he removed. Further, a call to the local auto parts store yielded no help, as they were unable to find sway bar links for a 2000 F53 chassis. When one does a search for a F550 sway bar link, however, they look a lot like the ones that are currently on the MH.

Any thoughts on this? We want to make sure that the sway bar links that are currently on the MH are OEM, and if we need to replace, want to make sure we're getting the correct one.

Thanks!

Sway bar link removed from MH (attached to this post)

00 2000 Ford F53 Sway Bar Link - Suspension - Mevotech, Rear - PartsGeek
Sway bar link we're finding online

SpringerPop · 04-07-2017, 03:54 PM

Those bushings do go bad, as the OEM rubber is not made to last.

Usual way to repair a worn bushing is to replace the entire link, but that only gets you new OEM rubber.

Some folks press out the OEM stuff and replace the innerds with polyurethane bushings made specifically for this application. That's what the blue pieces look like.

Someday, I'm going to have to service mine, and aftermarket polyurethane is the way I'll be going. It lasts virtually forever, and is what the factory SHOULD have used in the first place on a heavy-duty chassis.

Oh well,

Pop

ualdriver · 04-07-2017, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpringerPop

Those bushings do go bad, as the OEM rubber is not made to last.

Usual way to repair a worn bushing is to replace the entire link, but that only gets you new OEM rubber.

Some folks press out the OEM stuff and replace the innerds with polyurethane bushings made specifically for this application. That's what the blue pieces look like.

Someday, I'm going to have to service mine, and aftermarket polyurethane is the way I'll be going. It lasts virtually forever, and is what the factory SHOULD have used in the first place on a heavy-duty chassis.

Oh well,

Pop

Actually he's going to replace the bushings with the polyurethane ones you mention. However, the question we have is.........Are the sway bar links pictured OEM?

Waiter21 · 04-07-2017, 06:59 PM

Yes, they look OEM. measured center hole to center hole. Yours appear to be about 10 1/2 inches

On my 20012 Mirada, the measurement was 10 1/2 inches, but on my 1999 Southwind, the measurement was 11 1/2 inches.

http://www.2001mirada.com/cheap-hand...and-then-some/

http://www.1999southwind.com/chf-che...-and-handling/

..

ualdriver · 04-08-2017, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waiter21

Yes, they look OEM. measured center hole to center hole. Yours appear to be about 10 1/2 inches

On my 20012 Mirada, the measurement was 10 1/2 inches, but on my 1999 Southwind, the measurement was 11 1/2 inches.

Cheap Handling Fix – and then some | 2001 Coachmen Mirada 300QB

CHF – Cheap Handling Fix – Fix for sway and handling – 1999 Southwind 35S

..

Did your 1999 Southwind F53 chassis come with a rear sway bar standard? Or was it added aftermarket? I thought I read somewhere on the CHF thread that before a certain year, the F53 chassis did NOT come with standard sway bars.