Community Forums

smlranger · 10-19-2015, 05:59 AM

My Allure creaks and groans when I hit dips in the road and I am sure it is the drying rubber bushings...... sway bar, end link, etc. I spray them periodically with Ru Glyde but it only helps for a short time.

My coach will be in the shop for a few things soon so I may have them replace what they can. Is there a kit or particular source other CC owners have used for replacement polyurethane bushings?

mytime · 10-19-2015, 06:09 AM

I have sprayed mine a few times with wd40 silacone and have not had the squeaking for some time now.
one of the adjustment nuts on the end was really loose, might want to make sure they are tight.
Not sure about replacing bushings.

bneukam · 10-19-2015, 10:08 AM

I had my end link bushings replaced on my sway bar a few months back. I got the parts from CC. It came with a new center bolt and washers.

My old bushings were really worn, but did not have any groaning noises. The coach does take the curves much better now.

Sent from my iPhone using iRV2 - RV Forum

**CountryFit** · 10-19-2015, 09:26 PM

the squeaking sound is a result of poor design on the knuckle post (i think this is the name, totally two, one at each side, made by holland). it rotates constantly when coach is moving especially when road surface drops or rises suddenly, but there are no bushings and no oiling zerks - it is metal to metal dry grind. when i first noticed this, i thought mine was in the first year the dynamax with ifs went into production, it might have been corrected in later years. unfortunately 7 years later it was still the same. i didn't check with cc on this, it might be the same even now. the short term solution is keeping spraying oil/wd40; the ultimate solution would be - take it out and have a machine shop 1) drill a whole in the middle and install a zerk; 2) bore a slightly larger opening and install a grease seal on each end. 3) refill the zerk in the same interval with the chassis lube. note: this is a two person's job: a mechanic to r/r the knuckle assembly, a machinist to drill/bore/install the zerk/seal. labor could be big...

smlranger · 10-20-2015, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryFit

the squeaking sound is a result of poor design on the knuckle post (i think this is the name, totally two, one at each side, made by holland). it rotates constantly when coach is moving especially when road surface drops or rises suddenly, but there are no bushings and no oiling zerks - it is metal to metal dry grind. when i first noticed this, i thought mine was in the first year the dynamax with ifs went into production, it might have been corrected in later years. unfortunately 7 years later it was still the same. i didn't check with cc on this, it might be the same even now. the short term solution is keeping spraying oil/wd40; the ultimate solution would be - take it out and have a machine shop 1) drill a whole in the middle and install a zerk; 2) bore a slightly larger opening and install a grease seal on each end. 3) refill the zerk in the same interval with the chassis lube. note: this is a two person's job: a mechanic to r/r the knuckle assembly, a machinist to drill/bore/install the zerk/seal. labor could be big...

Perhaps but whenever I spray the rubber stuff with either Ru Glyde or WD40, the squeaking/groaning goes away for some time. Also, if we are driving in rain or on wet roads it is whisper quiet. So I am thinking the noise is from dry rubber in the suspension. I checked the Energy Suspensions website and they have sway bar bushings and brackets with zerk fittings.

TeJay · 10-20-2015, 06:08 AM

The best product for synthetic or real rubber based anything that I've found, and I've looked and tried most of them, is 303 Protectorate. It is not petroleum based like WD-40 so no chance for the rubber to deteriorate over time. My final test just about 2-weeks ago was this.

We had a window that just would not easily move. The gasket was replaced under warranty but that helped not at all. Then WBGO told me to try some sprays, which I had already done. I tried every spray I had as well as , bees wax, baby powder, talcum powder. Nothing worked for more than 30 minutes. The window would move maybe 2" then the gasket would ball up and stop the window. I even thought of gluing the gasket down so it wouldn't move. I finally tried 303 and the window is still working. I use the same on all my slide rubber gaskets.

TeJay

**CountryFit** · 10-20-2015, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smlranger

Perhaps but whenever I spray the rubber stuff with either Ru Glyde or WD40, the squeaking/groaning goes away for some time. Also, if we are driving in rain or on wet roads it is whisper quiet. So I am thinking the noise is from dry rubber in the suspension. I checked the Energy Suspensions website and they have sway bar bushings and brackets with zerk fittings.

i thought it over after a good sleep, i am not sure i used the right term - that i used "knuckle post" and "made by holland" may not be accurate. now i don't know exactly what it's called, and who made it (maybe by cc?). the rest stands. i will try to take a pic to show what/where it is when i reach my next stop in couple days. i am sure it is the real cause... later...

**CountryFit** · 10-20-2015, 07:27 PM

i took a photo while in the rest area. see attached and marked. i believe it's called "upper control arm". notice i only took one arm in driver side, the other arm is unseen from the angle i was at. then you have the same at the passenger side.

in a rainy day, the water gets into the contact surfaces, forming a cushion between the metals, thus the noise is gone. if you just keep lubing the arrows pointed, it will be quiet. again, if you want it hassle free - the manufacturer should have done it in the first place - you would need to do the mod as i said in #4.

bneukam · 10-20-2015, 07:45 PM

CountryFit, I do believe that you are correct on this. I just spent hours under my coach, cleaning off old grease.

The lower control "A" arm has a grease fitting on the outside, but there was no grease fitting on the inside center of the coach. I believe that this could also be the cause. As it makes sense as these two have the most up and down movement. Sway bar mostly comes into play on sharp corners .

Sent from my iPhone using iRV2 - RV Forum

smlranger · 10-20-2015, 07:54 PM

That does look like a problem area. I will try and spray some lube in that area and see if my squeaking/groaning goes away.

I spoke to Kevin Waite today and he does sell a bushing/bracket kit for the sway bar and end links. He says the kit uses a neoprene rubber that lasts longer than the OEM bushings.

mytime · 10-21-2015, 05:03 AM

WD40 also makes a WD40 Silacone spray thats made for rubber, I have used that to spray bushings.

Smitty77 · 10-21-2015, 02:52 PM

I wonder if a dry-lube type product might also not work well on that joint? And yeah, does not look like a 'better idea' suspension design moment on that one

!

Best,
Smitty