CHF and Trac Bar!

[EdInArk]

Originally Posted by soonerdave

Ford steering to me has always been overpowered with little or no feel for the road, hence the ability to drive with your palm. Adding a stabilizer holds the wheel on center, needing less driver input in addition to the blow-out safety aspect. Takes out a lot of the wandering.

OK. I can see that as well. Though it's very easy to drive with very light input, I do tend to be busy. If I were the only driver I probably still wouldn't worry with it, but my wife drives this thing about as much as I do. If it makes it safer and less tiring for her, I'm on it.

Thx

[TeJay]

Several companies out there make MODS/Upgrades for steering and handling and sometime their descriptive names can be misleading. There's: Steer Safe, True Center, Steering stabilizers to name just a few.

Steer Safe uses 4 heavy duty springs to keep the wheel centered in the case of a front tire blow out. Yes those springs also apply pressure to keep the Steering wheel centered under normal driving conditions and one has to assume with wind gusts. They don't advertise it as a wind control device I don't believe.

I have had two Steer Safes on two RV's and fortunately never had to experience the blow out aspect of the design. We'll just assume it works. Exactly how much it helps with SW centering and wind I don't know.

A Steering Stabilizer usually refers to the use of a horizontal shock absorb-er mounted on the center or drag steering link on one end and the frame or front axle on the other end of the shock. The shock reduces the effect of wind gusts.

Following the install I couldn't feel that it made any difference. A few months later I realized if it was really dampening the wind gusts then I shouldn't feel anything but normal driving. I guess it's working.

If you throw in a rear track bar (reducing lateral chassis movement) and the front and rear CHF which gives us much better sway control then yes I can drive the RV about 95% to 98% of the time with one hand.

Do we need all of these MODS?? Well yes!!! I want to be ready for the day we run into the "Perfect Storm."

We have had a few iffy times with rain and gusting winds. All has gone well so far. That does not mean that there won't be other times when it might be a lot worse.

[dubois95]

So peeking underneath to see about doing CHF and this is what I find. Guess I'm off to the store to find a new bolt. WOW

[EdInArk]

Originally Posted by dubois95

So peeking underneath to see about doing CHF and this is what I find. Guess I'm off to the store to find a new bolt. WOW
Attachment 154979

Wow indeed. I bet just replacing that bolt makes it feel better. Good chance to lubricate the bushings.

[TeJay]

You did not list the year of your coach so I looked on your public profile and there is a picture of a 2014 Thor product. That should be your coach but when looking at the picture the differential seems very rusty for a coach built on a 2013 chassis.

You also listed Biloxi, MS as your location. I'm going to guess this next part. You bought the coach used and it came from up North and therefore the rust belt. Maybe you lived up North and just brought it to the South. WE have a 2014 coach built on a 2013 chassis and it is not rusted like what I'm seeing.

Now as far as the rear SB (Stabilizer Bar) bracket coming loose. WOW!! You are experiencing what several other F-53 owners have experienced. There is a specific thread started concerning a rash of loose, missing bolts and broken brackets but only on the rear of the F-53 chassis.

Here are several cautions. I don't know your background so I'll error on the side of caution. All bolts are rated as far as the CLASS of bolt. I believe those bolts are metric so there should be a number on the head of the bolt telling you the hardness. Make sure you get a duplicate replacement. Very simple process. Take the other bolt with you to the hardware store. Don't try to find one at the box stores, HD or Lowe's. They probably won't have a good supply of the different grades or classes of bolts.

All nuts have to be of the same grade. Make sure that the nuts which is some cases are welded in place is still securely welded. The movement of the loose SB can and has caused some brackets to break or just get all bent out of shape.

Next is to make sure and use some blue lock tight on the threads when re-installing as added insurance that they won't come off again. Also don't forget and torque the bolts. Ford wants them torqued to 66 ft/lbs.

If they were properly torqued at the factory then why are they coming loose?? That's a good question and nobody has an answer and for sure Ford isn't talking about it either. If you take it to a dealer they will fix it under warranty but more than likely they'll do nothing different to prevent what has already happened. If they did that is admitting that there is a problem.

Look at it this way. We who own the Ford F-53 chassis all have two SB's installed from the factory. One on the front and one on the rear. All items bolted or attached to those two assembly's are held together or on with bolts that are all torqued to 66 ft/lbs. This same torque spec has been around since the first unit came out in 1999.

So then the real question would be. Why are only the rear SB bracket attaching bolts coming loose?? Why are we hearing it being reported on older as well as newer units??

Good luck with the fix and double check your other attaching bolts. Also some poly lube for the bushing is also in order. You can find the lube on Amazon. Most have found it difficult to get locally.

Just remembered this other point. On the 2012 chassis Ford did switch to polyurethane bushings. They (poly) will outlast the other rubber they used by 10 fold.

Please keep the forum posted with your progress!!! Thanks!!

[dubois95]

Tejay yes your right we just bought the MH used last week and it did come from Maine. The 180 mile drive from the dealer was pretty white knuckled to say the least. Have a trip planned for next week, will see how it drives being attached. Thanks for all your advise.

[TeJay]

If your first drive was white knuckled I'd for sure do the front CHF. Here's why i say that. I've heard some who lost sway control similar to what you noticed on the rear SB bracket and they didn't realize it was broken. There will be a very big difference between no sway control (broken SB clamp), stock sway control and CHF sway control.

Not everything from Maine is bad. I met my Wife in ME while stationed at a radar sight 30 miles north of Bangor. Very familiar with the area.

[dubois95]

Okay rear SB reattached and CHF completed on front. Trip next week will tell the tale. Love this site.