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Old 11-13-2019, 07:20 PM   #1
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Newbie here concerned over coach issue..

I just bought a 35' Diesel pusher. On the 175 mile trip from dealer, I experienced a problem at highway speeds.
Upon searching, I found a post from a previous RV'er who had same issue.
My 2000 coach was missing a rear leveling arm which determined ride height on airbags. Nose was 16 inches higher than rear bumper.
At highway speeds, when releasing gas pedal, entire coach would shake violently as if riding on side rumble strip in pavement.
Leveling system arm has been replaced and coach now rides level, however now coach slightly vibrates upon gassing or releasing gas pedal. Next on work order is to inspect driveshaft and ujoints. Also transmission pressure plate. This is an expensive fix so far and getting worse.. Has anyone else experienced this and if so, to what extent did repairs go?? Thanks for any and all help..
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Old 11-13-2019, 10:41 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A1A JOE View Post
I just bought a 35' Diesel pusher. On the 175 mile trip from dealer, I experienced a problem at highway speeds.
Upon searching, I found a post from a previous RV'er who had same issue.
My 2000 coach was missing a rear leveling arm which determined ride height on airbags. Nose was 16 inches higher than rear bumper.
At highway speeds, when releasing gas pedal, entire coach would shake violently as if riding on side rumble strip in pavement.
Leveling system arm has been replaced and coach now rides level, however now coach slightly vibrates upon gassing or releasing gas pedal. Next on work order is to inspect driveshaft and ujoints. Also transmission pressure plate. This is an expensive fix so far and getting worse.. Has anyone else experienced this and if so, to what extent did repairs go?? Thanks for any and all help..


OK, I'll bite to get this thread going.

1) What make, model and year is this 35' DP?

2) How many miles on the clock, what make and size of tires and the DOT dates please?

3) When you were looking to buy this rig, did you notice then that the front end was 16" higher than the rear bumper?

4) Has the front end alignment been checked?

5) When you searched and found that post from a previous RV'er who had same issue what did they do to fix the issue?

6) Did you notice this behavior at highway speeds before purchasing on your test drive or did this just happen on the way home from the dealer?
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Old 11-14-2019, 03:15 AM   #3
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Drive shaft slip joint and or U joints are a possable cause.

They would have taken a beating driving with the ride height way out of adjustment.

The repair is not to bad, involving a few parts and not much labor.

As far as the transmission, they are looking at the flex plate, not pressure plate.

That's the plate bolted to the crankshaft, on the rear of the engine, that the transmission torque converter bolts to.

If those bolts get loose, a rare condition, they tear up and crack the flex plate. The loose connection can cause a vibration under certain load conditions.

That repair involves removing the transmission, having the torque converter replaced by a transmission shop or studs or nuts repaired and a new flex plate.

High labor and parts costs.

Good luck.
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Old 11-14-2019, 04:23 AM   #4
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Hello, and thanks for your reply.

Model:
Newmar kountry Star / 41,400 miles.
Tires: Micheline 22 tires
Height: was noticed by me and sales representatives from dealer.
Pre Trip - No test ride was made on freeway. Did not go highway speeds
Alignment: Not checked
Previous post from other owner with same exact problem was from 2012 and no thread or replies were seen.
Again, I'm totally new to all this. Went to view different coach which I turned down. Received call concerning this coach which previously I walked thru and sales department matched my offer. With cash in hand, things moved quickly. Long day, long drive. And now, getting expensive.
RV DP 101, I guess..
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Old 11-14-2019, 04:33 AM   #5
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Forgot to post in my previous message:
Dealership was aware of missing leveling arm before I purchased rig. Head mechanic manager was on vacation and sales was unaware rig had not been serviced for missing control arm at time of sale. Dealer agreed to pay for missing arm. However vibration, although not as bad, is still present momentarily upon gas and Coast at highway speeds.
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Old 11-14-2019, 11:58 AM   #6
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Ride height is critical. Are you sure the ride height is set correctly?
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Old 11-14-2019, 02:44 PM   #7
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Hello. Ride height is now set to specs and operating properly.
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Old 11-14-2019, 06:10 PM   #8
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You are on the right track. Check U joints and both ends of driveshaft where bolted to tranny and differential.

I have had the vibration with accel and deceleration. Both times it was one of those two issues.

You won’t be able to detect bad u joints with the driveshaft mounted on the coach. The driveshaft is HEAVY.. And don’t get under there without supporting the coach with cribbing or jack stands.
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Old 11-14-2019, 06:57 PM   #9
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I am gonna go with a drive shaft issue also. IF you can see the shaft, look for rust colored dust around any of the joints. This is a tip off that something is up.

With a pusher, you likely don't have much drive shaft to deal with, but I'am not sure how difficult it is to remove.

Good luck, and I hope they get you fixed up pretty quick.
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Old 11-15-2019, 03:16 AM   #10
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Thanks for your reply. Know I'm developing a new respect for the Dealership involved! Inspite of delaying my snowbird "flight" to Florida.
Also know I appreciate this IRV2 group and forum..
Thanks Again!
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Old 11-15-2019, 06:34 AM   #11
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In response to "With a pusher, you likely don't have much drive shaft to deal with, but I'am not sure how difficult it is to remove.", the driveshaft assembly on my pusher weighs close to 175 pounds. It is not impossible to remove, but you need multiple people or jacks to handle it once it is loose. I have had it out twice over the years, both times under adverse conditions.

In my unasked for opinion, a driveshaft issue is best handled by a large truck driveline specialist. They have the tools to take it out, replace the joints, and balance it. It is a whole different ballgame than a driveshaft on a car, just because of the mass.
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Old 11-15-2019, 12:24 PM   #12
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Quote:
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In response to "With a pusher, you likely don't have much drive shaft to deal with, but I'am not sure how difficult it is to remove.", the driveshaft assembly on my pusher weighs close to 175 pounds. It is not impossible to remove, but you need multiple people or jacks to handle it once it is loose. I have had it out twice over the years, both times under adverse conditions.

In my unasked for opinion, a driveshaft issue is best handled by a large truck driveline specialist. They have the tools to take it out, replace the joints, and balance it. It is a whole different ballgame than a driveshaft on a car, just because of the mass.
They can be a bear to deal with RichardE. Not impossible, but difficult at best. Good point.
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Old 11-15-2019, 12:36 PM   #13
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Quote:
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Drive shaft slip joint and or U joints are a possable cause.

They would have taken a beating driving with the ride height way out of adjustment.

The repair is not to bad, involving a few parts and not much labor.

As far as the transmission, they are looking at the flex plate, not pressure plate.

That's the plate bolted to the crankshaft, on the rear of the engine, that the transmission torque converter bolts to.

If those bolts get loose, a rare condition, they tear up and crack the flex plate. The loose connection can cause a vibration under certain load conditions.

That repair involves removing the transmission, having the torque converter replaced by a transmission shop or studs or nuts repaired and a new flex plate.

High labor and parts costs.

Good luck.

is there a plate on the transmissions on a DP MHs that you can remove to look at the flex plate/bolts? I had this happen on a gas engine I worked on, it turned out to be a cracked flex plate due to a spun rear bearing, luckily I was able to do some machine work and put over-sized bearing and new crankshaft in it. Not to scare the OP but it is a possibility. How many miles are on the coach? But there should be a way to look at the flex plate with out dropping the transmission, of course I would KISS (keep it simple stupid) first and start with the easy stuff.
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Old 11-15-2019, 01:49 PM   #14
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is there a plate on the transmissions on a DP MHs that you can remove to look at the flex plate/bolts? I had this happen on a gas engine I worked on, it turned out to be a cracked flex plate due to a spun rear bearing, luckily I was able to do some machine work and put over-sized bearing and new crankshaft in it. Not to scare the OP but it is a possibility. How many miles are on the coach? But there should be a way to look at the flex plate with out dropping the transmission, of course I would KISS (keep it simple stupid) first and start with the easy stuff.
There will be access to the nuts on the torque converter. There should be a plate on the oppisite side of the bell housing from the starter.
Wow its been a long time since I pulled an Allison.
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