Community Forums

boyland · 12-05-2019, 01:02 PM

So it has been 10 years since i had my last motorhome aligned.

We got the 42e and i noticed a slight pull to the right and thought i would have it aligned.

I can tell you this first finding a place to align is not easy our local freightliner in Indianapolis rack has been not functional for a year. They refer to one place who refers to another and so on....

I was referred to Pomp's tire in Lafayette. Big shout out to the guys there they did a great job after getting past the fact that is is a motorhome.

Here is my advice in your Freightliner book it gives instructions on alignment and checking after several hours a few phone calls they brought the unit in and aligned it in about 2 hours. Make sure you show the tech this information it provides great detail to them and makes the process much smoother. Most places do not align motorhomes often usually large trucks. I probably could have saved myself a few hours had thought about that to start with.

Amazing difference on the drive it is was not bad before but wow what a difference drive like a Cadi now!

Ray,IN · 12-06-2019, 10:39 AM

I''m assuming you had a total alignment performed, which includes thrust angle. You are right, if the thrust angle was out it made the MH drive like a log wagon.. Mine was out 3/4", now mine drives as easy as my Silverado pickup.
For future reference, Carmichael truck in Bloomington also has great service. Matter of fact, I'm getting ready to go pick up our MH(primary fuel pump failed) as we speak.

blueridge-fl · 12-06-2019, 10:54 AM

Agree 1000%. A good alignment can make a huge difference. It is the first thing you should have done before throwing lots of after market fixes at handling issues.

boyland · 12-08-2019, 01:24 AM

Full yes and no I set out to have all wheels aligned the rears checked in spec actually very good the front needed adjusted

Like I said above the right pull was very slight but since the 2002 never had any pull i noticed it and found annoying i think most people would have not even thought about it.

But once it was aligned it was a huge difference. I actually thought wow it was much worse than I was thinking.

txcpl · 12-08-2019, 02:46 AM

We experienced similar results after we had our new to us MH aligned with less than 6000 miles on it.

Renegade RV · 12-08-2019, 04:30 AM

This is good information as ours has a slight pull to the right as well. I talked to the same Indianapolis Freightliner service center and was given the same information.

If you don’t mind, what was the cost?

txcpl · 12-09-2019, 04:11 AM

That was a couple of years ago. I took the MH to the Freightliner dealer, and they subbed it out to a large tire shop right next door. My cost was $260.00.

AVZ

boyland · 12-09-2019, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renegade RV

This is good information as ours has a slight pull to the right as well. I talked to the same Indianapolis Freightliner service center and was given the same information.

If you don’t mind, what was the cost?

I was told it would be up to 300 if they had to do all but after all was said and done it was 125

Ray,IN · 12-10-2019, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueridge-fl

Agree 1000%. A good alignment can make a huge difference. It is the first thing you should have done before throwing lots of after market fixes at handling issues.

Actually our MH came from the factory that way, the alignment technician said the adjustments had never been moved.

imnprsd · 12-11-2019, 03:11 AM

My coach steers straight, brakes straight, and for all practical purposes shows no signs of needing an alignment.

28,000 miles ago I put on new Michelin "Steer" Tires called "X-Line Energy" 275x80x22.5 and I have thoroughly enjoyed the ride, handling, and sidewall response around corners. These are so much better than the "RV-Tire" aka X-Multi-Energy-Z... no comparison at all. In fact, I don't think anyone should buy those "RV tires" from Michelin, but that's another story for another time.

So what's my current problem with my Steer Tires?

==> On the inside of each of my front steer tires there is a 3/8" wide by about 1/8" deep GROOVE. (If you can picture that?) Sorry I don't have a picture.

The tire wear is not like a typical "toe problem" wear pattern since those tend to show a rounding of the tire on the inside or outside. This wear pattern is more like some one put the tire on a lath and removed 3/8" off the inside edge... and as I said 1/8" deep. It's a groove on the inside edge.

Someone said this is just how front tires wear, but that does not sound right to me. So do I have an alignment problem?

If so, can someone recommend a Freightliner-RV alignment shop somewhere between New Orleans and Houston?

Has anyone experienced the type of wear patterns I now show after 20K+ miles?

richard5933 · 12-11-2019, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imnprsd

My coach steers straight, brakes straight, and for all practical purposes shows no signs of needing an alignment.

28,000 miles ago I put on new Michelin "Steer" Tires called "X-Line Energy" 275x80x22.5 and I have thoroughly enjoyed the ride, handling, and sidewall response around corners. These are so much better than the "RV-Tire" aka X-Multi-Energy-Z... no comparison at all. In fact, I don't think anyone should buy those "RV tires" from Michelin, but that's another story for another time.

So what's my current problem with my Steer Tires?

==> On the inside of each of my front steer tires there is a 3/8" wide by about 1/8" deep GROOVE. (If you can picture that?) Sorry I don't have a picture.

The tire wear is not like a typical "toe problem" wear pattern since those tend to show a rounding of the tire on the inside or outside. This wear pattern is more like some one put the tire on a lath and removed 3/8" off the inside edge... and as I said 1/8" deep. It's a groove on the inside edge.

Someone said this is just how front tires wear, but that does not sound right to me. So do I have an alignment problem?

If so, can someone recommend a Freightliner-RV alignment shop somewhere between New Orleans and Houston?

Has anyone experienced the type of wear patterns I now show after 20K+ miles?

Are the new tires the same size as the previous tires? That type of wear seems more likely a result of the tire making contact with a part of the fender or suspension than an alignment problem.

If this were my coach, I'd be turning the wheels all the way to the side and then checking for points of contact. Also important to check for contact when the suspension is compressed - if you hit a bump in the road while turning the tires will make contact they may not may while standing still.

boyland · 12-11-2019, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richard5933

Are the new tires the same size as the previous tires? That type of wear seems more likely a result of the tire making contact with a part of the fender or suspension than an alignment problem.

If this were my coach, I'd be turning the wheels all the way to the side and then checking for points of contact. Also important to check for contact when the suspension is compressed - if you hit a bump in the road while turning the tires will make contact they may not may while standing still.

I really think pics would help

richard5933 · 12-11-2019, 12:26 PM

My coach was designed for 12R22.5 tires. Someone installed 315s on it before I got it. They are the same size in diameter, but the width is slightly more - maybe 1/2" wider. That 1/2" makes a huge difference.

If I turn the steering wheel full to stops, the tire turning towards the center of the bus will make contact with the mounting plate for the air bag. I can see a mark on the side of the tires, very similar to what you're describing. I don't think that this has happened more than a couple of times, but if it were to happen often I could see how it could easily wear a groove similar to what you're describing.

For this reason, I'm going to be changing out the tires and putting on the proper size at the start of the coming season.

If you have a groove wearing in the side of the tires, I'd suspect something similar happening. This is why I asked if the tire size was changed.

imnprsd · 12-12-2019, 05:46 PM

Thanks for your reply on my irregular tire wear.

I'm sorry I can't send you a picture since my RV tires since my RV is in storage and I am 1000s of miles away. However, in April I will will post a picture just as soon as I begin my 2020 RV trip.

For now I can confirm the tread wear is:

1) Only on the inside 3/8" edge of the front 2 tires and the cut or wear pattern is 1/8" deep.

2) The wear pattern that has a sharp edge. And that's what baffles me. I always have found a bad alignment creates a smooth edge.

3) There are no tire marks or discoloration on the outside of my RV fenders, but I did not check on the inside of the chassis... so I will do that when I pick up my RV.

4) I did change my stock Goodyear tires about 3 year go at 72,000 miles due to old age. These tires have were 295-75R22.5.

5) The new Michelin X-Line Energy Steer Tires are 275x80x22.5; however, I believe many people have used this size tire on my model of RV without any problems.

My assumption is that my front 2 tires are NOT rubbing on anything during a share turn, because I think I would have heard that or felt that. Especially when the tires were new. I.e., when 1/8" of the tire was there to touch the obstruction.

My coach does not "pull" and my steering wheel shows no sign of vibration. And by all accounts everything about my steering system is normal.

I did have cracked steering boots, but no play in the ball joints. I replaced these boots just this last summer and for those of you who did not know you can do that, I will refer you to this thread for more information:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f26/polyu...gs-463471.html

I also run "Equal" in my tires and have no reason to think this could be the reason for such a "clean cut" to only affect the inside edge of my 2 front tires... and none of my other tires show this characteristic.

Equal is that "stuff" you put inside your tire to auto-balance as you drive. I have used it in all 3 of the RV I have owned since 1998 and I recommend it. So much so that I would rather pay $15/tire to put Equal in it vs. $15/tire to balance it on a spin BalanceR machine that may not be setup for an RV rim. (Ask your truck tire dealer if it is and you may find out they don't have the right adapter to spin balance your tire.) But with equal you just pull off all those weights and add the bag and you never have to worry about balancing again. And you will probably find your coach rides smoother and quieter.

So my unusual tire wear pattern has to be due to the front steering.

One trucker told me "Steer Tires" wear like this. Is this true?

I do know that a steer tire does have noticeably "sharper" edges on both sides of the tread when the tire is new. I asked about this when I bought them, but it's questions like this that will get you a funny look.

I do know that when you are in a turn the outside tire has a larger radius vs. the inside tire. So maybe the wear pattern is caused by the constant turning left and right? Can anyone with Steer Tires confirm they too have front tires with a similar wear pattern or say they definitely do not? ...Any truckers out there with steer tires that wear like mine are after 20,000+ miles?

RELATED QUESTIONS:

* How accurate is the alignment from the factory?

* After 75,000 miles on a Freighliner Custom Chassis, what is the likely hood I need an alignment anyway? (Note: I actually have 101,000 miles on my coach, but I put these Michelins on my coach around the 72,000 miles mark in 2017.)