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Old 12-01-2013, 02:13 PM   #1
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Steering drifting and darting on Freightliner MH

Hello everyone,

Rvnpapa here. Does anyone have a problem with the steering on your motor home. I've had mine aligned twice and I still have the same problem. While driving, my MH will drift on the road. Sometimes to the left, and sometimes to the right. Steering is not sloppy, but when I try to correct the drift with a little nudge of the wheel, it will oversteer.
I feel that the preload onn the steering box is incorrect.
Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Thanks for your response.

Rvn papa & granny
and Ozzy the Maltipoo
40' Damon Tuscany
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Old 12-01-2013, 02:25 PM   #2
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Make sure you are loaded correctly, tires inflated correctly and keep at least 1/4 a tank of fuel. I used to have the same problem but it was just basics and me getting used to the coach. Took me about 6 trips before I became comfortable.
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Old 12-01-2013, 03:04 PM   #3
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If you are running proper tire inflation and the alignment to factory specs doesn't work. Take it back and have them set the caster to the max, there is usually a range. If I remember correctly from my SCCA days, oversteer is not enough caster, understeer is too much. Can't remember if it's plus or minus though.
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Old 12-01-2013, 03:22 PM   #4
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i had such an issue, found out the fluid was low.
there were couple of long threads in country coach forum a year ago that the owner found out his pump seals were toast. search id "hookum" and read through.
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Old 12-01-2013, 03:58 PM   #5
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Suggest that you take this over to the freightliner forum. not aware that on a truck frame with that suspension you have to many alignment options. the after market also has several options for helping you to steer straight. My FL going down the road like an arrow even with our 24 enclosed trailer loaded at 70mph
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Old 12-01-2013, 04:09 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim&Paula View Post
Make sure you are loaded correctly, tires inflated correctly and keep at least 1/4 a tank of fuel. I used to have the same problem but it was just basics and me getting used to the coach. Took me about 6 trips before I became comfortable.

That was the same for me. In fact I was the problem because I was over steering too much.

I had to learn that sometimes I didn't need to steer even though it was drifting a little and when I did steer I needed to make sure I made slow gentle movements not quick jerky ones.

Best of luck finding out what's going on with your coach sure sounds like a safety issue.

cheers
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Old 12-01-2013, 06:20 PM   #7
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I had the same problem on a HR coach. I did a lot of reading on this. The first thing recommended on most threads was to weigh the coach and adjust the tire pressure according to the tire manufacturers recommendation. There are all kinds of other "fixes" such as new shocks, steering stabilizers and so forth. Adjusting the air pressures seemed too easy and I could not comprehend this causing the problem. After 2000 miles of white knuckle driving, I finally weighed the coach at a truck stop only to find out I was running 20 pounds too much air pressure in the front and rear tires according to the charts. Once I corrected this, my driving experience calmed down and I am now a happy camper. The bottom line was that 20 pounds over inflated tires caused severe handing problems and was easily corrected. Try this first, all it costs is the price to weigh the coach at a truck stop. Good luck.
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Old 12-01-2013, 06:54 PM   #8
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Check the toe in, yourself with a tape or sliding pipe. We called freightliner for the toe in specs & from what they gave me, no toe in, was within specs, which is where ours was. We adjusted it to the max toe in specs & it drives much better.
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Old 12-01-2013, 08:35 PM   #9
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Set toe-in to 3/16th inch.
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Old 12-01-2013, 09:54 PM   #10
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Being you have the front aligned twice, have someone repeatedly turn the steering wheel (6 to 8 in ) back and forth, and check pitman arm slop at steering box, then check all drag links and tie rod ends. Be sure to securely up block coach for your safety.

I personaly hate to throw big bucks at anything, before I know for sure where the malfunction is.
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Old 12-01-2013, 10:48 PM   #11
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Good suggestions above.

I had to adjust the steering box as I had a lot of slop. Don't know if yours is adjustable, but on my 2000 freightliner, the adjustment screw/lock nut can be accessed through a hole in the frame, and it is easily adjustable.

Your problem could also be worn bushings on the front and/or rear trac bar.

I also installed a steer safe, and it eliminated rut tracking, but that's the only improvement I noted from the steer safe.

Fred
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Old 12-02-2013, 05:45 AM   #12
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It has been my experience that if steering box is set too tight it will bind when turned hard in either direction. Have you checked the bell crank?These are prone to wear.
Good suggestion about toe in as straight or to little will cause a wander.
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Old 12-02-2013, 06:53 AM   #13
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loose drag link

I recently had my MH safety check and it was rejected for sloppy drag link.
When I got under it, I found the rear drag link nut only finger tight. Must have come from the factory that way because no one ever had this appart.

Once I put a 32 MM wrench on it - there was no more slop.
check every fitting. Mechanics are not perfect.
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