F53 RIDES LIKE A TANK !!

[friday]

OK ! I have replaced the shocks with Bilsteins then replaced all the tires with the Goodyear G670's and I STILL have a pretty rough ride. This 2000 33ft V10 TANK still rides the same whether are not the gas/water tanks are full.
So what else do I need to do other than trade it in on a DP to make it ride smoother ? Do air bags really help that much ? ALso, Goodyear install"Equal" in the tire to balance. It works fine when the fuel tank is almost empty but when I fill the gas tank the tires are NO LONGER balanced. What's going on here ???

[friday]

OK ! I have replaced the shocks with Bilsteins then replaced all the tires with the Goodyear G670's and I STILL have a pretty rough ride. This 2000 33ft V10 TANK still rides the same whether are not the gas/water tanks are full.
So what else do I need to do other than trade it in on a DP to make it ride smoother ? Do air bags really help that much ? ALso, Goodyear install"Equal" in the tire to balance. It works fine when the fuel tank is almost empty but when I fill the gas tank the tires are NO LONGER balanced. What's going on here ???

[LVJ58]

If the suggestions given on the other forum didn't help your situation, perhaps a DP would be the solution to your problem. The F53 is just a rough riding chassis but making a few changes can soften up the ride a bit. Although a great shock, Bilsteins are IMO too stiff for the F53 suspension. The 2000 F53 chassis front wheel hubs have pilot guides that do not fit snug in the center rim hole and if not lined up properly will run out of round resulting in vibration similar to an out of balance tire. Personally I don't believe in putting stuff inside the tires for balancing purposes, but to each his own on that issue. Don't know how much pressure you carry in your tires but if you get it weighed and go by the load chart of the tire manufacturer you'll find you can probably safely reduce your pressure to 70 to 75psi. Also the more weight you can load up front without exceeding the axle GAWR will also help improve the ride. I would recommend the Monroe HD Gas Magnum RV shocks for the front in lieu of the Bilsteins.

Good luck

[Retird2Golf]

Friday, as a F-53 Tank Owner .... I have installed Firestone "Air Ride" front and rear ... All the difference in the world !!
"Ride it like a Ford"

[DriVer]

Mor-Ryde makes an effective solution for the F-53. See their website for details.

[Izzyblueye]

LVJ58: I have a 01 32-V on a Ford chassis and it rides great. Have never had a complaint about the ride. It has the Good Years and the original shocks. Which will be repaced soon. You either have tire pressure problems, or you may be expecting too much from a truck chassis. A diesel will ride better, but unless you drive a lot of miles the cost difference of maintenance and initial investment will be an expensive ride.

[pzalos]

Hi Retird2Golf, can you provide a round figure of the installed cost for the Firestone front and rear system?

Thanks!

[LVJ58]

Hi Homer, you're fortunate to have a coach on the F53 chassis that gives you acomfortable ride. I've read posts where many F53 owners have experienced rough rides and others not, haven't been able to figure that one out. Such was not the case with ours as initially we experienced a bone jarring ride in the cockpit, but with the changes we made it now rides very comfortably. At 12,700 miles replaced the front factory shocks which were completely shot. It could be that weight distribution may have some impact on the ride, but not sure.

Best regards, Jim

[Izzyblueye]

LVJ58: Glad to hear you have the rough ride problem resolved now. I am at 19000 and new shocks are the next item to change. I honestly have never felt mine rode hard or harsh. I had a p-30 GM chassis prior this Ford and porpoising was a real problem, unless you carried max in the air bags. I also had a extra heavy sway bar installed on it to stop yaw. The Ford has been very good.

Happy Rv'g

[LVJ58]

Homer, I'm also very impressed with the Ford and if ever we get another gasser, it will be a ford. As with you, our prior rig was on the P30 chassis, we had the same porpoising problem. In 1997 while in Nashville we found some shocks called "BearClaws" at a Camping World store, had them installed and it completely eliminated the porpoising. We maintained 62psi in the bags which seemed to work best for our rig.

Jim

[Retird2Golf]

Hey pzlas, I had it installed in Hampton Virginia at a place that specializes in Springs , trailer hitches, brakes etc.

OK are you ready .... $1680.00 ... Figure parts at $1200.00 and labor at $500.00 .... I have had the best ride since I got the coach.

I am a "Happy Camper" !!

Best regards, Clyde

"Ride it like a Ford"

[buster]

How do you check if the pilot guides are correctly in the center rim hole???<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LVJ58:
If the suggestions given on the other forum didn't help your situation, perhaps a DP would be the solution to your problem. The F53 is just a rough riding chassis but making a few changes can soften up the ride a bit. Although a great shock, Bilsteins are IMO too stiff for the F53 suspension. The 2000 F53 chassis front wheel hubs have pilot guides that do not fit snug in the center rim hole and if not lined up properly will run out of round resulting in vibration similar to an out of balance tire. Personally I don't believe in putting stuff inside the tires for balancing purposes, but to each his own on that issue. Don't know how much pressure you carry in your tires but if you get it weighed and go by the load chart of the tire manufacturer you'll find you can probably safely reduce your pressure to 70 to 75psi. Also the more weight you can load up front without exceeding the axle GAWR will also help improve the ride. I would recommend the Monroe HD Gas Magnum RV shocks for the front in lieu of the Bilsteins.

Good luck </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[LVJ58]

Hi Buster, I believe the pilot guide/hole problem was eliminated on the 02 & later chassis. Either Ford or Haweka provided (at a cost) some shims that slipped over the studs to center the wheel. I believe 4 shims were placed over 4 studs then the other lug nuts tightened. The 4 shims were then removed and lug nuts replaced on the 4 studs and tightened. More work, but you can also center the wheel using a feeler gage to get equal spacing between each pilot guide and the center hole in the rim. There's a fellow on another forum, Don Ford, who is more knowledgeable on the shims and where to get them.

Good luck, Jim