Koni shocks & Steering

[rbr]

I hesitate a bit to say this, but I asked the folks at Spartan service to look at the issue when I was there last August for owners school. After a test drive (after correcting incorrect front ride heights which was causing a steering pull) the tech told me he thought the steering was normal and they apparently did not look for looseness in the front steering linkages. Fwiw...


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Ron & Glenda (The Good Witch!)
2015 Entegra Anthem 42DEQ
2014 Grand Cherokee toad
(Posted via iOS App)

[Gary.Jones]

Just to bring up an old issue, there was a factory recall on front end castle nuts around mid 2015s and some owners experienced near failures of the front steering linkages during that period of time. Several owners on here came close to having the front steering tires heading opposite directions at internstate speeds. I have not seen one of them ("little ???") and I think that I remember that DebbieMH (Lynn) had front linkage problems also. My memory was that Spartan had issued a factory recall. When I had to detour to Middlebury (my Anthem was delivered in February 2015), that was on my list of things to have checked/changed/modified.

This may be my failing memory, but Spartan had a list of specific chassis that they had produced that were included in the factory recall.

Gary

[brobox]

Originally Posted by rbr

I hesitate a bit to say this, but I asked the folks at Spartan service to look at the issue when I was there last August for owners school. After a test drive (after correcting incorrect front ride heights which was causing a steering pull) the tech told me he thought the steering was normal and they apparently did not look for looseness in the front steering linkages. Fwiw...


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Ron & Glenda (The Good Witch!)
2015 Entegra Anthem 42DEQ
2014 Grand Cherokee toad
(Posted via iOS App)

Ron, I have to agree with Spartan not paying attention to front end problems. My coach spent a month at Spartan having the steering growling and pulsating modification built on my coach, which later became a recall. Why were chassis sent out with a known problem? Mine pulsated up to 45 MPH not just low speed.

After the Mod was done on my coach, I was told it was aligned before being returned to Entegra. Why did I have to fight steering for 2 years when it was suppose to have been factory corrected? I have a worn right front tire but have been told twice by Spartan, it steers normal, or it's the crown in the road.

[Mwoodofd]

I set a appointment at Spartan for October 20 for the general inspection and a few other minor things before I am out of the 3 year warranty period.

I will have this looked at while there, unless I can find something next weekend when I head to Austin for a few days.

[Ericlinde]

My 15 cornerstone was just in for it's annual state inspection. They found a loose connection on the right front tie rod that was in danger of failing and could have been a disaster at interstate speed. It was obviously a factory issue as it had the cotter pin through. As the mechanic said. You are damn lucky

[Mr_D]

We have the 20,000# Reyco Grannis IFS under our rig. I bought two of the Koni EVO 99 shocks a couple months ago from Henderson's. They replaced a pair of Koni adjustables. Not a dramatic difference but noticeable. Hope it cuts down on the rough ride in CA.

[Mwoodofd]

Here is my diagram. I have the I-beam front end. I am going to look at this over the weekend on my MH and see if I can find these drag links. I will pay much closer attention to the detail. Not clear what the drag link is?

TRW Preventive Maintenance Guidelines 9-03.pdf

[rbr]

I don't know much about front end parts but since folks have asked I'll try to describe the connection I think was tightened on my coach.

The service tech called it a "drag link" but I think that may be a generic term. Looking at the Reyco Granning manual for my front suspension they call that rod a "crank rod" and it connects the "crank arm" to the "bell crank assembly". I've circled the nut I think was found loose in this diagram - where the crank rod attaches to the bell crank.

[brobox]

Originally Posted by Ericlinde

My 15 cornerstone was just in for it's annual state inspection. They found a loose connection on the right front tie rod that was in danger of failing and could have been a disaster at interstate speed. It was obviously a factory issue as it had the cotter pin through. As the mechanic said. You are damn lucky

I cannot understand about the lack of seriousness about front ends at Spartan. Why should the end uses go through this?

[brobox]

I am a pretty fair mechanic but front ends are not one of my expertise's. There are too many adjustments that I don't know what they do so I leave it to the experts. Problem is finding one Seems like the shops I have been to have the same problem.

[Mwoodofd]

I agree Chuck, with both posts. Thanks Ron for the detail. I am just going to inspect all mine and see if any are loose. My front end is different, but I have noticed similar nuts and connections on mine. Not many choices in DFW area for good Spartan shops (that I can find) - that is why I am going to Spartan in October.

[rlwhite]

My wife and I just traded in our 5th wheel for a new 2017 Aspire, which has the IFS front end. Driving down from Tennessee to Houston, I've noticed the front end seemed to really give a bang when hitting sharp bumps or at the point of going from the road surface onto a bridge. After reading everyone's post, you have to ask why is Spartan putting under rated shocks on the front end. Appreciate everyone's responses and will definitely be looking at replacing the front shocks, which after spending what we spent for this coach, is irritating.

[Alangrissom]

We have a '13 Journey 42e and curious if anyone has input if the Koni shocks show improvement over the stock Sachs product.
Chassis is a Freightliner XCL @ 18,000 miles but rides at times like a 40 year old town car.
A recent drive on I84 Pendleton to Portland Oregon on very windy day was a handful.

[Mwoodofd]

Interesting article from the internet (we all know it is true if it is on the internet) - Seems like all these symptoms have been reported on several of these threads:

A drag link is a suspension linkage component that is found in vehicles equipped with steering gear type steering systems. Drag links are most commonly found on larger trucks and vans, and serve as the component that links the vehicle’s steering gear box to the tie rod ends. One side of the drag link connects onto the pitman arm, and the other connects to a fixed pivot point while the ends connect to the tie rods. When the steering wheel is turned, the drag link transfers the rotating motion from the gearbox to the wheels so that the vehicle can be steered. As the drag link is one of the central components to the entire steering system, when it fails or has any problems, it can cause issues with the vehicle’s handling. Usually a bad or failing drag link will produce a few symptoms that can alert the driver of a potential problem.
Abnormal tire wear

One of the first symptoms of a problem with the drag link is abnormal tire wear. If the vehicle’s drag link wears out at the ends, it may cause the tires to wear unevenly. The tires may wear at an accelerated rate on the inside or outside of the tread. This will not only reduce the service life of the tire, but will also put additional stress and wear on the other steering components as well.
Steering wheel play or vibration

Another symptom of a bad or failing drag link is play in the steering wheel. If the drag link wears out or develops any play at any of its linkage points, it may be felt as play in the steering wheel. Depending on the amount of play, the vehicle may also experience shimmy or vibration in the steering wheel when the vehicle is in motion.
Steering drifts to the left or right

A bad or failing drag link can also cause the vehicle’s steering to wander when it is in motion. The vehicle may drift to the left or right on its own when traveling down the road. This will require the driver to have to constantly correct steering in order to maintain control of the vehicle, and may even make the vehicle unsafe to drive.
The drag link is one of the most important steering components for vehicles equipped with steering gear type steering systems. It links together several of the steering components and can greatly affect the handling of the vehicle if it has an issue. If you suspect that your vehicle’s drag link may be having an issue, have the vehicle inspected by a professional technician to determine if your vehicle needs a drag link replacement