Couple of Noob Questions on a Class A Gasser

wa8yxm wrote:
Ok I drive a Workhore 8.1L Chevy Vortec.. I normally do 55-60 on the freeway Any faster and the MPG goes down faster than the Speedometer goes up.

Handling.. First trip to Las Vegas (From Detroit) it was a real pleasure to park the Motor home and drive the car.. I mean it was EXhAUSTING with that big rig.

Returned home. added a TRAC BAR and a Steering Stablizer (Blue Ox Tru-Center in my case but you might also consider a Safe-t-Steer with optional remote device)

Second trip to LV.. That same towed was actually HARD TO DRIVE for the first day or two.

WHY: Well steering stablizers do some of the work for you.. THey Claim they are of help when a front tire goes BANG but.. I can not say yea or nay on that.

Trac Bars.. Leaf Spring suspension lets the body move a bit side to side over the axle. if the rear moves right while the front left, then they sway You think you are zig-zagging down the road. SO you compensate.. This means you really ARE Zig-Zagging down the road. Trac bars LOCK the body in position over the axles. No side to side movement allowed.

Last. The Factory SWAY bar was a good one. this controls Side to Side rocking, might not be teh case on your motor home may need one a bit heaftier.

I've got a Bilstein steering stabilizer going on in about a week. The Sate-T-steer is what started binding. The other thing I learned is it's very very important to make sure the front end on a Ford F53 chassis is lubricated. I had the RV in a chassis/frame shop, and the owner spent 2 hours with me going through the suspension of the RV. It's a kingpin type of front end, and we took it out for a 5 mile drive, got back to the shop, he lubricated it (and showed me how to do it as well), we did donuts in the parking lot to help the lube work it's way around the pins, and wow, what a difference. Steered and handled much better. He told me it looked like the previous owner had not lubed it in a few years, and told me each time I took it out to do a quick one pump lube on each of the 3 fittings on each side.

Am looking forward to getting the Hellwig rear bar......stock one is about 1" diameter, Hellwig is 1 5/8" and is in addition to the stock bar.

Al