Steering sloppy and wears you out

[mtofell]

If you can't find anything mechanically wrong you might be a good candidate for a Safe-T-Plus system or similar. People report pretty good results.

[Arch Hoagland]

What is the tire pressure set to on the front tires?

[Dutch Star Don]

George.....the bell crank has been a weak link on the Workhorse chassis for years. "twinboat" linked you to the fix for a Workhorse bell crank, the Super Steer bell crank. Simply put, your steering box holds the front steering assembly on one side the bell crank stabilizes it on the other side. The OEM bell crank can be tightened, but will wear and get loose again.

Adjusting the steering box and adding the Super Steer should tighten things up.

[georgebonord]

Originally Posted by Arch Hoagland

What is the tire pressure set to on the front tires?

The front tires are set to 100-105 pounds. This all depends on the accuracy of my Milton tire pressure gauge. Asd you know the pressure varies by the gauge manufacturer.

[georgebonord]

Originally Posted by edgray

Hi George:
IMO, you will get more precise answers/opinions if you will tell us which Workhorse chassis you have. Is it the P32 chassis with IFS, or is it a W series with solid front axle?

Ed it is "W" series. I think frim the VIN it's a W24.

[Isaac-1]

What is the weight on your front axle, 105 psi seems very high

[edgray]

Originally Posted by georgebonord

Ed it is "W" series. I think frim the VIN it's a W24.

George:
The W-24 chassis was not yet available in 2003. IF the sixth character of the chassis vin # is a "3" or a "5", then you have a P32 chassis. For it to be a W-22 series, the sixth Vin # position must be a "6". The W-24 has an "A" in the sixth position.


If you want the build sheet for your chassis, post the last eight (8) digits ONLY, and I will get it for you.

[georgebonord]

Originally Posted by Podivin

George, it almost seems like you've contradicted yourself there.
You say that everything is mechanically sound, but then you say that there is play in the steering. To me, those two things contradict each other.

MY understanding of 'play in the steering' is that when you turn the steering wheel there is a certain amount of 'arc' in the turn where nothing happens. For instance you have to turn the steering wheel 1/4 of of a turn before the front wheels start to respond. (1/4 of a turn would be a HUGE amount of play, just using that as an example) If you have play in the steering then I submit that things are not mechanically sound. I've had a '96 on the P30 chassis and now have a 2013 on the F53, neither of them had play in the steering - turn the steering wheel and the front wheels followed.

Now, if you're saying that you're constantly having to steer left to right to keep between the lines, but the rig consistently responds to the left/right steering then there may be a different issue.
If this is the problem then I would start by asking how far down the road do you look when you're driving? If you're looking right in front of the RV then that's a near sure recipe to go wobbling down the road. If you look farther out you'll tend to track straighter because you're not over steering as you go down the road.

Or, does the rig pull to once side and you need to keep bringing it back? (perhaps an alignment is in order).

Can you be just a bit more specific about what's going wrong?

Lets talk about the play issue. Setting still either w/or w/out the motor running the steering play left to right and right to left is less than 2". So the steering gearbox is not the culprit. The "play" occurs when driving down the road causing constant right to left and left to right corrections to keep it between the lines.

[jelag]

Almost all truck steering gear boxes can be adjusted to remove some of the play when the wheel is centered.... It's important you understand that the box needs to be centered not the steering wheel.... There is a high spot in the gear to allow for less free play when going down the road.... turn the wheel lock to lock... count the exact number of turns and turn the wheel back 1/2 those turns....


IF the wheels are not straight ahead than the gear is NOT CENTERED... adjust the drag link to move the wheels while holding the wheel tight to center the tires on the gear box....



Also... CASTER is the forward (-) and rearward tilt (+) of the kingpin.... if the CASTER is close to zero the vehicle will wonder all over the road.... this CASTER is the same thing as the front wheels of a shopping cart.... that tilt keeps the cart moving straight with little effort... If the caster is close to zero it will want to wonder across the lane... if the CASTER is increased to .75 to 1.5 degrees positive (+) the wheels (tires) will want to bring the front wheels straight as you go down the road, this is also what happens when you turn loose of the wheel in a turn.... the more caster the easier the wheel comes straight.... HOWEVER there is a down fall.... TOO MUCH caster will make it harder to pull the wheel into a turn, as your fighting it trying to go straight...


Did this help?

[F4Gary]

I had the same problem on my '04 W20 chassis. There's no adjustment nut on top of the steering box that I could find.
However...
I had the front end aligned with as much caster as they could put in it as per Brazel's recommendation. I've got 5 degrees in it.
I also installed a Safe T Plus steering stabilizer.
Those made a world of difference. I went from white knuckling it to a much easier one hand driving experience.
Yes, I actually drive with 2 hands...

[Arch Hoagland]

Had new tires put on my front and they set them to 105 pounds. I drove from Fresno to Sacramento, about 170 miles and it was the worst handling I've ever had.

My Michelins should be set at 85. I dropped to 85 pounds and it took care of the problem.

I suggest you lower all your tire pressures to what is recommended by the tire manufacturer.

[Ray,IN]

Many have commented about alignment settings, but no-one has yet recommended you have a total alignment performed on your MH. This is the beginning point for diagnosing steering issues.
For instance, when I had a total alignment performed, the rear axle was out by 3/4" from the factory. After the total alignment, steering was quite improved, and the main wandering problem disappeared.
Another test to perform before throwing money at your issue is, after the alignment, take it for a long test drive and note all handling differences, at highway speed.
Now, attach your towed and repeat the same long test drive, again note all handling differences. It's not uncommon for the towed steering to induce sway and wander to the MH if the towed alignment is not also corrected.
The last thing I want to mention is the HDT grooves in the pavement are a bit wider than the footprint of the MH and especially your towed, which tries to follow the HDT grooves. When practical, try driving straddling one of the HDT grooves for some distance and observe handling again. Of course each highway will be different, so take that into account.
If none of those suggestions return positive results, you may then begin throwing money at the issue.

[Ivylog]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Many have commented about alignment settings, but no-one has yet recommended you have a total alignment performed on your MH. This is the BEGINNING POINT for diagnosing steering issues.

There are a lot of things you can do for free or very little before spending hundreds. Weigh your rig ($10) and then set the tire pressures accordingly ($10 for a good gauge). You can even check your toe in in for free. OK, maybe a beer for the other person holding the tape measure against the inside of the tire on the other side.

Check for slop in the steering...adjust the steering box or replace worn parts before having an alignment done.

The CHP is well named because it's CHEAP and changing the location will not hurt and often it helps.

I agree an alignment should be done before spending $$ on a Safe T Plus or other band aid. I would suggest spending $$ on a rear track bar before a S T Plus.

[F4Gary]

Originally Posted by Ivylog

There are a lot of things you can do for free or very little before spending hundreds. Weigh your rig ($10) and then set the tire pressures accordingly ($10 for a good gauge). You can even check your toe in in for free. OK, maybe a beer for the other person holding the tape measure against the inside of the tire on the other side.

Check for slop in the steering...adjust the steering box or replace worn parts before having an alignment done.

The CHP is well named because it's CHEAP and changing the location will not hurt and often it helps.

I agree an alignment should be done before spending $$ on a Safe T Plus or other band aid. I would suggest spending $$ on a rear track bar before a S T Plus.

The Cheap Handling Fix (CHP?) is for Fords, not Workhorse.
Having had the same problem as the OP, I would definitely do the Safe T Plus before a track bar.

A track bar is a worthwhile addition to handling, but not the priority here.