Suspension Upgrades

[hilgert]

Originally Posted by Charles L

The most significant changes I have made to my rv have been;

Getting the proper front end alignment with negative caster as recommended close to -5 degrees.

On par with this I installed the rear track bar which significantly improved driving in wind and passing 18 wheelers. Also helps with turns when towing at speed.

Lastly a steering stabilizer which seems to make the rv easier to steer and correct from sudden changes, and hopefully will assist in the event I have a front tire blowout.

The coach drives fairly well now. I am very comfortable driving now. I have a few other mods I hope will improve the ride to complete in the spring. Four new Koni fsd shocks and front/rear Helwig sway bars sitting in the garage.

I have to spend my money on something right?

The Koni FSDs, they are the only thing I did not install myself...one of the fronts is apparently a real PIA to install (something about getting at the top nut...I'd heard enough about it to decide to not attempt it). I paid $75 for all four to be installed at the alignment shop at the same time I had the alignment done, and I think they regretted making the deal.

On caster, I think you mean positive caster. If you had negative caster I think you'd find it hard to control at highway speeds.

I installed the trac bar based on your recommendation, and wished I'd done it much sooner. While the Hellwig sway bars were a huge improvement (and if I could only do sway bars or a trac bar I'd do the sway bars), the trac bar was icing on the cake.

[Charles L]

Positive caster is what I meant.

[speeed]

good info here, thank you all for sharing

[Charles L]

I also replaced the shocks with Koni fsd and replaced the puny sway bars with helwig. It drives very nicely now for what it is. I guess this is an old post since I did the shocks and sway bars 6 months ago.

[mparus1]

So suggestions to help improve driving in the wind?

[Harvard]

Originally Posted by mparus1

So suggestions to help improve driving in the wind?

Positive caster will help driving in a cross wind.

[baraff]

Alignment. Alignment. Alignment!
Do this before spending any money on sway bars, stabilizers, etc.
Always start with the simplest and least expensive option first.
All it took for us was an alignment from a good truck shop. No more drifting around, semis passing influence is minimal.
I can drive with one hand on the wheel with no problem, even in a moderate crosswind now.

[hilgert]

Originally Posted by mparus1

So suggestions to help improve driving in the wind?

Wind issues will mostly manifest themselves as sway. A good set of heavy front and rear sway bars will help sway more than anything else. A secondary assist might come from a trac bar, especially if towing. See my 27 November 2017 post in this thread for what I did on our prior Class C, and ours handled great in the wind.

[DirtRider]

I did the caster adjustment on my brand new Winnebago. It really helped the unloaded driving characteristics--extreme wind sensitivity prior to the adjustment, one-handed at 75 mph after. I was shocked. After stacking some weight on the hitch with a trailer, the benefit for that is roughly cut in half.

So, unloaded, caster fixed it all for me. Add 650 lbs to the hitch, and it's less impressive. If you mostly drive unloaded, please give the caster a shot. I sourced the shims from the company that did the alignment, so it was kinda pricey. $120 shims, $120 alignment, $120 labor to install shims.

Good luck!

[NRR]

I will second Harvard & Baraff. Have +5 alignment done.


When I had a 2010 E350 chassis (28' over all) the alignment and Safe-T-Plus were the only things I did and they made a world of difference.


I am now spoiled by a 2013 Chevy 4500 chassis (29' over all), stock.



Both of the above towing a Chevy Terrain with the same tow bar.


Ok, both rigs were maybe a foot or so longer.

[Big Bear Local]

I filled all my tanks and loaded for travel then took it to be aligned. As close to +5 as possible. Plus new ball joints and shocks. Made a big difference.

[Dazzle]

Okay, I keep reading 'alignment, alignment, alignment' but I don't see any specs other than the positive 5 degrees castor.

Is there a good set of specs to start with? Are you just using what a E450 should be as according to Ford?
Any links to show this so I can ask whoever aligns mine for me what they are doing it too?

Also I've read 'weigh it first then adjust tire pressures to compensate/adjust' is there a chart/recommendation for weights versus tire pressures?

Sorry if these are newbe questions but I am a newbe when it comes to my MH

[Harvard]

Originally Posted by Dazzle

Okay, I keep reading 'alignment, alignment, alignment' but I don't see any specs other than the positive 5 degrees castor.

Is there a good set of specs to start with? Are you just using what a E450 should be as according to Ford?
Any links to show this so I can ask whoever aligns mine for me what they are doing it too?

Also I've read 'weigh it first then adjust tire pressures to compensate/adjust' is there a chart/recommendation for weights versus tire pressures?

Sorry if these are newbe questions but I am a newbe when it comes to my MH

Here is where it began...over 93000 reads ago, circa 2010
E350/E450 Handling Problems are caused by too little + CASTER

This is the best description..

Wandering at highway speeds

Reply Post by 2kGeorgieBoy
Re: Wandering at highway speeds
Reply #36 on: March 14, 2018, 09:07:02 PM

START QUOTE:
Jeff..Although we have a 2000 Georgie Boy 31' Maverick "C" on a Ford E450 chassis, I can fully agree on the caster effects, at least for us. When we got the unit in Jan 2014, the dealer had us take into a truck shop for an alignment. It turned out OK....A trip to Moab shortly there after brought out the problems. I then started reading the threads and comments here about the caster settings....esp., from Harvard. I checked the data from the first alignment and found that it was set at about 3 1/2 degrees positive...about in the middle of Ford's recommended range. Shortly before a cross country trip to Maryland in fall of 2016, I returned to the shop where the first alignment was done. I talked to the service manager and he knew of the problems with the E450's and was happy to increase the caster as I asked. The alignment tech was also familiar with it and ended up with settings close to 5.5 degrees positive. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The unit tracked straight down the road, passing semis no longer caused a white knuckle hold on the wheel, and overall it was just a lot more enjoyable. It did however increase steering effort a little but not anything to worry about. But, be sure that the shop you go to is willing to "think outside of the box". Our first alignment was "plain vanilla", right in the middle like it was always done. Second time out, they were very willing to increase settings beyond what normally would be done, and still stay with in Ford's guidelines (0-7 degrees, I believe). I realize that our E450 chassis is an entirely different animal than yours, but I was trying to add support to the caster increase thinking and how it helped us......if you go down that road.
END QUOTE:

Just get the caster as much as you can by adding +2.0 degrees. The resulting caster will be above +5 degrees (ie +5.0 to +6.0). The final caster will depend on your fore/aft nose up/down degrees.

[Dazzle]

Many thanks for posting that Harvard, really appreciated

Now, can anyone point me in the right direction for 'Weighing and Tire pressures please??