Community Forums

Skipjag · 04-11-2016, 01:42 PM

Has anyone found excessive sway when being passed and how did you fix it?

Capt Steve · 04-13-2016, 09:14 AM

I have a 2012 Nexus Phantom 23P (24'), and have zero issues. If you are having sway problems here are a couple of easy fixes. First take the rig, loaded as you normally travel in it and go to a CAT Scale and get it weighed. Even better find a place that weigh the four corners but failing that the CAT Scale will work.

I have zero doubt that your tires are improperly inflated for the weight they are carrying. Go to the website of the tire manufacturer for your tires and check their load/inflation tables and inflate accordingly.

My coach weighs (fully loaded), just over 11,000# with a GVWR of 11,500. I run Michelin LTX M/S 2 tires and inflate the fronts to 60 - 65 and the rears 65 - 70 (anywhere in this range works fine and gives me a little fudge room on the load capacities).

The ride and handling are excellent with light two finger control of the wheel all that is necessary. Large trucks blow by me at 80 and I barely feel their passing and driving in winds up to 35 is simply not an issue {though I choose to get off the road at anything over 35}.

I have a friend who has a 2013 Nexus 25 and she complained of similar issues with sway/wind etc. It turns out she was running all 6 of her Michelins at the max (80#).
This is enough pressure to support a load of 15,840# and her E-450 coach has a GVWR of 14,500 and I doubt it is even close to the that. I shared this same advice with her but don't know if she has made the suggested changes yet.

Save yourself a lot of money and aggravation and do not spend a dime on after market add on's to your suspension until you get your tires right. Another consideration is proper load/weight distribution though, as noted may take a four corner weigh in. Common sense loading can go a long way towards balancing the rig.

Another possible problem is improper alignment. After getting your tires properly inflated check your tires for any signs of uneven wear. On flat ground with no wind, at a variety of speeds (including highway), does the coach track in a straight line with no input to the steering wheel? It should. A proper alignment with perhaps a tad more camber, particularly on the front right will often work wonders.

For the record My 2012 coach (2011 chassis), has never been realigned in the 2.5 years and 29,000 miles I have logged and show no signs of needing adjustment/correction. Having hit most of the potholes in the continental US from coast to coast I do plan on having it checked before our next long trip but do not anticipate it needing much, if any, tweaking.

Skipjag · 04-14-2016, 10:27 AM

Steve,
I had the alignment done, it was way out of alignment, mechanic was surprised how far it was out for how many miles on unit. Also increased air pressure in tires.

Unit seemed to drive better, I still noticed a little sway when passed by trucks and I have to correct steering when pushed to the left by the truck. Wind during this drive was calm.
I have not gotten a weight on the unit, I will and chck tire pressure.
What's your thoughts on a beefier stering stabilizer?

Skip

Harvard · 04-15-2016, 10:18 AM

Do you have an alignment report? You want to have at least +5.5 degrees of caster on the RH wheel and about +5.25 Degrees on the LH wheel.

Also, reducing the tire pressure has a similar effect of applying more + caster but not as much as adding caster itself.

Capt Steve · 04-15-2016, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skipjag

Steve,
I had the alignment done, it was way out of alignment, mechanic was surprised how far it was out for how many miles on unit. Also increased air pressure in tires.

Unit seemed to drive better, I still noticed a little sway when passed by trucks and I have to correct steering when pushed to the left by the truck. Wind during this drive was calm.
I have not gotten a weight on the unit, I will and chck tire pressure.
What's your thoughts on a beefier stering stabilizer?

Skip

New coaches are often out of alignment particularly if the factory did not check it AFTER the rig is completed. Lots of weight gets added to the bare chassis during construction. Also tire pressures can be all over the chart rolling off the factory floor. Nexus does a pretty good job but assume nothing.

You should not need to add a steering stabilizer or any other after market suspension (so called), upgrades. Properly inflated,loaded and aligned the coach should drive like a large SUV.... OK, a VERY large SUV.

There will always be a little bit of push felt from the bow wave of large trucks especially when they are roaring by you. I can tell when they go by but it is not enough to push me off of my track and/or require any significant steering input.

Once you have the coach weighed you can then inflate to the proper pressure for that weight and things should improve significantly. Good luck and keep us posted.