Community Forums

mlh2013 · 01-30-2023, 07:10 PM

I had 2 new front Toyo tires put on and had coach aligned now my steering is lose. The shop says nothing they done could cause my lose steering problem. I had a new steering box installed about 500 miles ago and had good tight steering. My question is it possible the shop didn't get coach aligned correctly and this is causing my lose steering?

DR60 · 01-30-2023, 07:14 PM

After I had the alignment shop look for anything left loose, I would be looking at the new tires to see that they are not the problem. You had two things done... Look at those first. DR

mlh2013 · 01-30-2023, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DR60

After I had the alignment shop look for anything left loose, I would be looking at the new tires to see that they are not the problem. You had two things done... Look at those first. DR

I rolled underneath after getting it home and had wife to work the steering wheel back and forth while I looked at the steering components I didn't see anything that looked lose.

Country Road · 01-30-2023, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlh2013

I had 2 new front Toyo tires put on and had coach aligned now my steering is lose. The shop says nothing they done could cause my lose steering problem. I had a new steering box installed about 500 miles ago and had good tight steering. My question is it possible the shop didn't get coach aligned correctly and this is causing my lose steering?

Check your tires for to much air. Also, the new tires sometimes, as has been mentioned, can cause that wondering effect.

BonS · 01-30-2023, 07:37 PM

A possibility is not enough toe in. Toe out is definitely a problem as well. Many shops will set the tires straight ahead, meaning no to in. The result is less tire drag and wear and somewhat better fuel mileage. Long haul truckers this. On the other hand, a proper amount of toe in stabilizes the steering and requires less steering input at the expense of tire life and a bit of fuel mileage, hardly an issue for a motor home.

shootist · 01-30-2023, 07:44 PM

Were the tie rod ends adjusted? If so did they turn them to re-center the steering wheel? The box needs to be dead center of lock to lock . The wheels and steering wheel should be straight ahead and centered in that dead center of lock to lock position. If not the steering box is off of its tight spot in the center. They are ground that way and if the alignment shop pulled the steering wheel off to recenter it or the pitman arm they screwed it up. Not accusing but it is one cause.

mlh2013 · 01-30-2023, 07:55 PM

I should have explained myself better sorry. I had a shop in Tallahassee 75 miles away do the alignment, I noticed the sloppy steering before having the new tires installed. I picked it up this morning drove back home and had 2 new tires waiting for me at our local tire dealer. On the way from Tallahassee on I-10 I notice the sloppy steering and I called back to the shop and spoke directly to the Technician and told him what I was experiencing. He said nothing he had done would cause my problem. I told the guys at the local tire shop about it and they checked underneath and said they didn't see anything loose. So I checked myself underneath when I got it home and couldn't see anything that was loose.

theroc · 01-30-2023, 09:25 PM

Sounds as if you can rule out the new tires then as you noticed it after the alignment was done but before the new tires were installed, correct?

Take it back to the shop that did the alignment. Push back on their contention that it wasn't due to anything that they did as it happened immediately after you left their shop. Have them re-check what they did and give you a readout of the current alignment and then after they recheck and make necessary adjustments. If necessary, have the tech drive it on a road test with you.

I think that would be my first step.

Lowflyer1 · 01-31-2023, 05:46 AM

My experience has been that they don't do alignment on old tires, whether a car or an RV.

So, new tires, then alignment.
And as previously mentioned, check the tire pressure as well.

Country Road · 01-31-2023, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlh2013

I should have explained myself better sorry. I had a shop in Tallahassee 75 miles away do the alignment, I noticed the sloppy steering before having the new tires installed. I picked it up this morning drove back home and had 2 new tires waiting for me at our local tire dealer. On the way from Tallahassee on I-10 I notice the sloppy steering and I called back to the shop and spoke directly to the Technician and told him what I was experiencing. He said nothing he had done would cause my problem. I told the guys at the local tire shop about it and they checked underneath and said they didn't see anything loose. So I checked myself underneath when I got it home and couldn't see anything that was loose.

That explanation, in my opinion, changes everything. Since the steering already was not as tight as it should be, to blame the alignment was wrong. Hopefully you addressed this with them prior because on a 20 year old coach, there could be several things causing the sloppiness. There could be steering gear box wear or tie rod ends that you can’t detect wear on unless you try to move it with a steel bar, etc.

Putting on the new tires just made it probably seem even more loose. Good luck.

jacwjames · 01-31-2023, 07:52 AM

Did they give the information as to what they did to align the coach??? Does that shop do a lot of alignments on motorhomes??

I have a 2002 Windsor also, when I first bought it I had a vibration in the front with bad tire wear pattern on the Goodyear tires, some call it rivering. Drove it 800 miles home.

I knew I needed an alignment so I called Buddy Greg, they didn't do alignments but recommended someone who did. First thing I did was source two new Bridgestone tires and THEN took it to have an alignment done, figuring it was better to have the alignment done with new tires on versus old.

The shop I took it to said I had a problem with the chamber BUT with a solid front axle this is hard to adjust. They actually had to bend the axle to correct the problem, they drug out a big cast piece, some chains, and a portapower and proceeded to bend the axle. What ever they did corrected the problem. No more vibration and the Bridgestones did not wear at all over the next ~50K miles I had them on my coach.

I had a new set of Yokohama's installed in 2021, I did not see any significant difference in driving and steering was still straight and true.

The only thing they could have done to cause loose steering was to adjust the connecting rod between the front tires or the pitman shaft on the steering box to the front drivers side ball joint.

I would take it back to the alignment shop and demand they redo it.

SteveJ. · 01-31-2023, 08:05 AM

If this was me and our motorhome I would just write off the Tally shop as an education and take the coach to Josam's in Orlando. I've never had to go there but people that I'm acquainted with as far away as Louisiana go there for suspension stuff.

George Schweikle · 01-31-2023, 08:36 AM

Agree. Most alignment shops will provide a written summary of before & after alignment measurement. If they have this, check to see if there was more toe-in before they did their alignment. I had this occur when I had additional caster added, but they took out some of the original to-in which somewhat negated the benefit of the additional caster.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BonS

A possibility is not enough toe in. Toe out is definitely a problem as well. Many shops will set the tires straight ahead, meaning no to in. The result is less tire drag and wear and somewhat better fuel mileage. Long haul truckers this. On the other hand, a proper amount of toe in stabilizes the steering and requires less steering input at the expense of tire life and a bit of fuel mileage, hardly an issue for a motor home.