Community Forums

applied_resources · 04-09-2008, 09:28 AM

I have a 2000 Newmar Kountry Star 35' motorhome built on a Spartan Summit chassis. I have put new Michelin Tires all around and have had the front end alignment. The problem I am having is that while driving, I have to constantly move the steering wheel to keep the unit running straight. These are subtle movements, but it is a constant adjustment. Would installing a Steering Stabilizer help this problem? If so, does anyone have experience with a particular manufacturer? Could anyone suggest an appropriate Steering Stabilizer?
Thanks, Dave

applied_resources · 04-09-2008, 09:28 AM

I have a 2000 Newmar Kountry Star 35' motorhome built on a Spartan Summit chassis. I have put new Michelin Tires all around and have had the front end alignment. The problem I am having is that while driving, I have to constantly move the steering wheel to keep the unit running straight. These are subtle movements, but it is a constant adjustment. Would installing a Steering Stabilizer help this problem? If so, does anyone have experience with a particular manufacturer? Could anyone suggest an appropriate Steering Stabilizer?
Thanks, Dave

GaryKD · 04-09-2008, 11:43 AM

Hi Dave,
Welcome to iRV2. Wandering is something that seems to happen to many coaches. It happened to me and after much trial and error (read many $s) the coach now drives great. Before spending $s on a steering stabilzer and before providing possible solutions, can you tell us:

1. Does your coach have air ride (air bags)?
2. How does the coach steer on a good quality road with no side wind or trucks passing you?
3. How does the coach steer when being hit with side winds?
4. Is the steering problem exacerbated on poor quality roads or when trucks are passing you?
5. Are you sure the front end alighnemt was done to Spartan specs?
6. Did the coach steer poorly when the previous tires were being used?

applied_resources · 04-09-2008, 01:27 PM

Hi Gary,

1. The Coach does have air bags
2. On good quality roads, the coach exibits a tendancy to slightly wander which requires a small adjustment to the steering wheel. This occurs on the straight away without wind or passing traffic. This small adjustment of the steering wheel is very frequent.
3. I can feel the wind lift the coach sideways which I would expect with air bags. The steering is affected as I need to correct for the push the wind exibits.
4. It actually is less noticeable on poor quality roads and trucks passing are akin to the wind hitting the side of the coach.
5. The alignment was done by a truck alignment shop that works on Spartan Chassis.
6. Yes, when I bought the coach, last October, the front tires were in terrible shape and the rims had problems. I replaced all the tires with Michelin XZE 22.5" tires, dynamic balanced and used the back rims which tested good.

The coach is 35' long and has the cummins 260 HP, 5.9 Litre 24 valve engine with an Allison 1000 transmission.

I have had 3 previous coach's which had gas engines and never had steering problems. The last unit was a 36' Southwind with the Ford F53 Chassis which I purchased new and put 115,000 miles on without any problems.

I drove the coach to Florida this past winter and had an extended opertunity to observe the coach handling. It just seems that the 22.5" tires magnify any movement and cause the coach to wander. Would a steering stabilizer help absorb these movements and tend to keep the soach travelling in a straight line?
Thanks, Dave

GaryKD · 04-10-2008, 11:45 AM

We seem to have the same history with coaches. My signature coach is my first diesel and first air ride suspension. All previous coaches were gas.

The short answer to your question is yes, a steering stablizer will keep the front wheels straight. If you do this right away, the problem will be masked by the stablizer. The problem has not been corrected.

My comments assume the chassis shop approved all your front end parts as working normally. And they are in good shape, not worn out. If you have a straight front axle there are many choices for a steering stablizer. If you have an independent front suspension (IFS) there is only one choice. Go here to read about them. The best thing to do is call SuperSteer. Discuss your situation and seee what they say. For me, the most important feature of a steering stablizer is the ability to re-center the stablizer when conditions call for it. This makes driving in strong side winds or a high road crown, all day, much less tiring.

On the Super Steer site you will see several products that can help with the wantering. Some have nothing to do with the actual steering of the coach. This is what I did:

1. Installed a steering stablizer. It corrected the wandering problem immediately. Unfortunately, I had to run the stablizer at full pressure of 180 PSI. Within 2 years the device broke. I have repaired the stablizer and it is now working again.

2. A track bar was already on the rear end.

3. I installed an IPD (now Roadmaster) anti sway bar in the rear of the coach.

4. Installed SuperSteer Motion Control Devices. Go here to read about the product. After installing this product I can run my steering satablizer at 100 PSI. It should now last a "lifetime".

The bottom line in favor of installing all these items is that I am trying to minimize the weight shift that occurs when the coach is hit with a side push. If I can minimize the weight shift, then I can minimize the front tires following the coach weight. Of all the above mentioned products, the Super Steer Motion Control Devices made the most dramatic impact. I took a 550 mile trip with the steering stablizer turned off and found the coach steering to be satisfactory. Without the Motion Control Devices, I would not have been able to do this. The steering stablizer is the #2 product of importance. The benefit I receive is being able to return to one finger driving, in a crosswind, because I can re-center the stablizer to compensate for the wind. The antisway bar greatly helped keep the back end put when a side push is given to the coach. Remember we have both a front and back end to think about.

Good luck in your search. Let us know if any additional information is needed.

applied_resources · 04-10-2008, 12:31 PM

Thanks gary, I will talk to super steer and see if they can help.

Glen M · 04-10-2008, 05:03 PM

I would try to adjust tire to the proper air pressure (for the new tires, using the tire manufacturer's chart and for the weight of your RV) not what the vehicle sticker states.
I would also check to see if your front and rear air bags are raising the RV to the proper level. Good luck