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YosemiteBobR · 07-10-2005, 03:13 PM

So my front end over the four months has developed a good "clunk" in the front end, both sides. It never prevously did this. The noise is whenever I go over an uneven surface in the freeway where it wants to drop your front end a bit and then rise again and your MH tends to keep bouncing for an additional one or two times. Or whenever I go over railroad tracks I get the same noise. Just whenever you get into a situation where the front end wants to bounce a couple of times or more. I have had it in and compained about it to my service center but they say it is 'normal'. But, they can not tell me what it is! I have also had the componets checked by the place I have it aligned and they find no problem. The noise to me actually sounds like, i.el., when we were kids we used to put our hand under our armpits and make that weird noise, well it sounds like that. I thought maybe it is the 'like air bags' but is that possible? If it is then is something wrong? I can not accept the statemnet 'nothing is wrong' without an explanation what the noise is. I have an 03 Dolphin on a W22 chassis, which is an 02.
Bob

YosemiteBobR · 07-10-2005, 03:13 PM

So my front end over the four months has developed a good "clunk" in the front end, both sides. It never prevously did this. The noise is whenever I go over an uneven surface in the freeway where it wants to drop your front end a bit and then rise again and your MH tends to keep bouncing for an additional one or two times. Or whenever I go over railroad tracks I get the same noise. Just whenever you get into a situation where the front end wants to bounce a couple of times or more. I have had it in and compained about it to my service center but they say it is 'normal'. But, they can not tell me what it is! I have also had the componets checked by the place I have it aligned and they find no problem. The noise to me actually sounds like, i.el., when we were kids we used to put our hand under our armpits and make that weird noise, well it sounds like that. I thought maybe it is the 'like air bags' but is that possible? If it is then is something wrong? I can not accept the statemnet 'nothing is wrong' without an explanation what the noise is. I have an 03 Dolphin on a W22 chassis, which is an 02.
Bob

abarkl · 07-10-2005, 04:56 PM

I have a very similar problem on my '01 W22. I've spent at least 30 minutes under the front end looking for missing bushing or misaligned parts, but I've found nothing to date. I bought it used 4 months ago. My noise is a loud clunk especially when returning the wheels to zero and recovering from a bump in the road as you describe. I'm beginning to think mine is somewhere in the steering linkage.

YosemiteBobR · 07-10-2005, 05:49 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I'm beginning to think mine is somewhere in the steering linkage. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Had that checked out with my alignment shop, no go it's OK (at least for me). Yes, I have personally checked everything I could look at for wear, loseness, shiney metal, etc. found nothing. The more I think about it the less likely it is the 'like air bags' just doesn't make sense. But it is loud when it happens.

abarkl · 07-10-2005, 06:17 PM

I've had one of my rear like air bags removed to install my Henderson Tracbar of few months ago, and I can't see it creating such a noise either. My noise is very loud and it actually vibrates through the front end. Any worse and I'd swear the front end just fell off or something seriously broke!

M&EM · 07-10-2005, 06:50 PM

I've had a clunk problem in the front end as you have described. It went away after replacing the nylon spacer blocks between the leaves at the ends of the front spring. these blocks fit between the leaf eye and the other leaf. One was missing all together. This was done last Nov,I have had no noises. Hope this helps.

abarkl · 07-10-2005, 07:02 PM

I've heard about those before, and I've checked to make sure I have mine in place. Did you replace them yourself? Do you know where they can be purchased from?

YosemiteBobR · 07-10-2005, 07:15 PM

Checked for the pads between the leaves and all look the same thickness, so I assume they are good. I grease regularly so I know that is not the fault, I am still at a loss.

M&EM, did workhorse replace the pads for you are did you have to do it?

M&EM · 07-10-2005, 08:53 PM

Ok, first there are large nylon blocks that seperate the leaves and are held in place with some sort of U bolt strap. These I think are called slip blocks or something like that. They are NOT the ones I'm refering to. There is a second type nylon seperater at each end of the leaf spring that keeps the flat leaf apart from the leaf that has the shackle eye. It has curved shape so the eye of the leaf holds it in place. There were seperaters at each eye.

Yes WCC replaced these. One was missing and a second was worn thru. The sounds I was hearing were the leaves smacking each other. That sound is now gone! WCC had to get these from there spring supplier and coordinated the shipping to my service provider. who installed them.

Marty

abarkl · 07-10-2005, 09:42 PM

Thanks M&EM!

YosemiteBobR · 07-11-2005, 06:31 AM

OK then, I just checked my nylon blocks, and the teflon seperaters and all are in place and look like they have no wear or at least they are all the same. Guess I will listen again today as we make our next destination to the noise again just to try and determine some more possibilities.

M&EM · 07-11-2005, 06:54 AM

One more thing comes to mind. I noticed the springs on the leveling cylinders were capable of vibrating sideways. So I wrapped the cylinder with the foam covering used for insulating AC line or hotwater. Held them in place with nylon tie wraps.

YosemiteBobR · 07-11-2005, 03:46 PM

Well, just got settled into cg for the night. The noise is still there. My son called me about the springs so I pulled over at the next rest stop and tied the springs to the jack to make them silent. But, that is not it, still made noise. I almost forgot to untie the springs when I got here. Anyway, I called WH and they say that the noise is not normal and that I should get to a service center as soon as possible. So I thinking tonight I will find the nearest and go tomorrow if they will take me otherwise I'll find one down the line and go there as they can take me. I was told back about a month ago that the noise is normal. Well I don't accept something if there is no explanation. So that is why I finally called WH. My DW is already telling me I'm spending too much time under the MH and thinking about it so just get it fixed. I will let you know what comes up. We did not bring a toad with us so I can only hope it is not major. What the heck, if it is we'll find something to do.

YosemiteBobR · 07-12-2005, 01:03 PM

Found the problem! At service center, first thing they did was weigh me. Came up with 14370 for the rear and 7500 for the front. Here is what they do and this is a mandate from Workhorse. They devide the front weight by the rear weight, for a front to rear ratio. Mine was .52 (52%). Now if I had been under 50% they would have done nothing as far as warranty. You find this nowhere in the books but that is how they look at it. SHOCKS are the culprit. You have to be heavier in the front in at least that ratio. They replaced my front shocks with new and the noise is gone. I moved some additonal items toward the front (in the basement) like my tool box and extra oil. They will give me even more weight up front. Of course if I did not fall within that ratio I would have had to pay for them. That also explains why the front end continued to bounce two or three times after the first bounce. It was explained to me that if too much weight is to the rear then the shocks do not work properly with the springs. OK, they paid for it so I accepted it. Personnaly I think the shocks were bad and luckly I was within their determined ratio to weight front to rear. They did not put on the new Bilstines but when these go I will replace them with the newer style. Who knows in the next three years they might have a better shock yet.

It drive great now been on the highway for three hours and all those bounces are non-exesistant now. And no noise from the front, the noise was from 'toping out'