Community Forums

red knight · 09-11-2023, 07:01 PM

My 2001 safari cheeta keeps me pretty busy to keep going straight. 86000 miles. Any suggestions?

ArtJoyce · 09-11-2023, 08:16 PM

I think they sll want to wander a little. If it want to wander alot you might have a shop look at it. There is so much that could cause it. From wore out parts, tire wear to needing an aligment, etc...

Scepter40 · 09-12-2023, 08:30 AM

In addition to making sure all parts are serviceable, make sure you're looking far enough down the road. You should be looking as far ahead as possible given traffic conditions. Farther than you think you need to.

rffowler55 · 09-12-2023, 08:41 AM

A lot of things can cause excessive wandering including:

Improperly inflated tires (over or under based on actual weight of the coach)

Weight exceeding axle capacity or improper load balance, again confirmed by weighing coach.

Sway bar bushings need to be replaced.

Improvements to consider: Safe-T Plus; Rear-Trac-Bar; new Shocks; Sumo Springs or other helper springs

**Camp CA** · 09-12-2023, 08:52 AM

x2 ^^^What he said......plus front end alignment.

windsorbill · 09-12-2023, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by red knight

My 2001 safari cheeta keeps me pretty busy to keep going straight. 86000 miles. Any suggestions?

Lots of reading materials on the Monaco owners forum here on IRV2

Start with verifying tire pressure for your actual weight. Also verify alignment and identify which steering box you have by reading the below threads. They are LONG! You may need to swap out your steering box.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/ste...210152-19.html

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f115/wan...124491-28.html

After doing that, research Monaco watts. The company is in Landcaster, so not terribly far from you. I went that route and it's like night and day difference. WWW.monacowatts.com

Ted DuPuis · 09-12-2023, 09:26 AM

I found my Endeavor was pretty challenging to keep in its lane when I first got it. 3 years and 40,000 miles later, I'm certainly more proficient at driving it, but it drives much better. I haven't had it aligned, I haven't changed the steering box, and I haven't replaced any of the major suspension parts. What I did that's made the biggest difference:

- Installed AirTabs (this helped way more than I would've expected)
- Installed an upgraded front sway bar, and then repurposed the stock front to make a rear sway bar (this was a lot of work, but did a lot as well)
- Replaced the shocks (I'm actually due for new ones now as the Bilsteins I put in 40k miles ago aren't damping very well anymore)

I have videos on the AirTabs and the sway bar install on my YouTube channel (link in my signature). I'd originally planned on upgrading my steering box based on threads here, and that would undoubtedly help. But I drive my bus one-handed in basically all conditions now, even strong gusty crosswinds (although as is expected I have to slow down in those). I even drove it the 1800 miles back home from San Francisco this summer after breaking my wrist - so that was all one-handed driving.

theoldwizard · 09-12-2023, 11:24 AM

I am not familiar with taht chassis, but Ford E-Series wander a lot. They require positive caster BEYOND the factory specs. NOT a tire wear issue.

Iceclimber · 09-12-2023, 12:55 PM

Single most impactful change I have done (as suggested above) SafeTPlus steering stabilizer.

Domo · 09-12-2023, 03:20 PM

Could also consider side-to-side as well as front-to-rear axle weight ratios for your chassis. (Think of the fishtailing tow-behind trailers you've seen going down the highway that should have weight distribution hitches installed to eliminate the issue.)

I know Freightliner recommends specific limits...

windsorbill · 09-12-2023, 03:45 PM

I believe monaco bought out safari about 2000. At that point, they were using the Magnum chassis and kept it for awhile before eventually swapping out to to the roadmaster chassis. (I don't know exact date/model year). Either a rr4r or rr8r chassis.

I would verify which chassis you have and post it here. Otherwise, many suggestions may not even apply to your coach.

Ray,IN · 09-12-2023, 07:02 PM

A total alignment will be the first step, and not just a front-end alignment. If the thrust angle is out it will never steer or handle properly. A tell-tale sign of incorrect thrust angle is, the steering wheel does not sit level when driving straight.
I had my Spartan chassis aligned and the rear axle was out of alignment by 3/4". Afterwards the MH drives more like my Silverado pickup, straight and steady.
BTW, all MH chassis can be total aligned, if the technician knows their trade.

The common term is "dog-tracking". This link explains in detail: https://www.brakeandfrontend.com/ali...e-and-setback/ This total alignment costs about $300 for a MH.

The steer tires are held straight and generally follow the grooves in the pavement. If the thrust angle is incorrect the drive tires are attempting to climb out of those grooves to run in their own straight line.

edgewant · 09-12-2023, 07:40 PM

If it’s a Freightliner chassis I would also recommend a Supersteer bellcrank. The OEM has bushings instead of bearings and can be the source of a lot of play in the steering.