Ford F53 chassis handling modification question

rware wrote:

Camper Ken wrote:
My class A coach (2013 Newmar Bay Star) is on a Ford F53 chassis. I've heard that a Super Steer rear track bar will help, if not cure the tippy feeling when going around curves and corners. Anyone with experience with a track bar?

Thanks, Ken

As you are in Oregon, you might want to visit Henderson's Line-Up in Grants Pass, take their Road Performance Assessment

Tell them what concerns you and after the RPA, they will tell you what is wrong and the best way to improve things. It takes the guess work out of this kind of thing.


I have a 2009 Holiday Rambler Admiral on an F53 and was up there earlier this year. Had a lot done but it was worth it, the coach handles so much better.

I've looked at Henderson's Line-Up website, and am aware of their RPA. I'm considering going there. I'm in Eugene, so it would likely take two days at least with travel time and getting the work done, not to mention over $100 in gas.

Guaranty RV in Junction City (12 miles from me) has 3 or 4 chassis technicians. That's why I was looking for advice before consulting them. If I lived closer to Henderson's I wouldn't hesitate to go there.

You say you've "had a lot done". Do you mind sharing exactly what they did?

Thanks, Ken

3 Mods that help many makes of chassis

Track bar: With leaf spring suspension and a solid front axle (No Idenpendent Front Suspension) the body of the motor home can move side to side over the axles.. Kind of like the lines below (Ignore periods

First
.----
----
Then
----
.----

Well if one end moves right as the other moves left you THINK you are going down the road crooked and correct, Then as the coach swings the other way (Aided by the fact you are steering in that directrion) you correct the other way. AND YOU GO DOWN THE ROAD LIKE THIS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

track Bars, also called pan hard bars. LOCK the body squarely over the axle(s) so that it does not wag side to side as described above.


Mod 2; Sway bars

You have seen the rock concert, Fans holding lighters, candles, lit matches and other flame sources swaying from side to side... or the RV rocking like a cradle.

That is what SWAY bars try to limit/eliminate


Steering stablizers: These help keep you on the straight and narrow, Mine is a Blue OX. when I got it it was the only one I found that had this feature, Today there is another.

If for some reaon I need to "Re-Center" Say a steady cross wind... FROM THE DRIVER's SEAT and without using any wrench or hammer... I can do it.

DH just did the bolt change both front and rear on our F53 chassis on our 2000 36' motorhome. He has driven it once now and said it is night and day difference and he wished he would have known about it 3 years ago. We had already put the Saf-T-Plus steering stabalizer on, which helped some, but this latest fix stopped the swaying and he loves it.

Camper Ken wrote:
My class A coach (2013 Newmar Bay Star) is on a Ford F53 chassis. I've heard that a Super Steer rear track bar will help, if not cure the tippy feeling when going around curves and corners. Anyone with experience with a track bar?

Thanks, Ken

As you are in Oregon, you might want to visit Henderson's Line-Up in Grants Pass, take their Road Performance Assessment

Tell them what concerns you and after the RPA, they will tell you what is wrong and the best way to improve things. It takes the guess work out of this kind of thing.

I have a 2009 Holiday Rambler Admiral on an F53 and was up there earlier this year. Had a lot done but it was worth it, the coach handles so much better.

Ken you need to upgrade your sway bars by changing to other holes on sway bar & add a rear trac bar-Google Rich Peceniak trac bar-If you can do these projects on your own it will cost only small amount for stock and welding-If you decide to make your own trac bar get back to me and I'll share what I did to make mine-Rich
pauperspride.blogspot.com

Camper Ken wrote:

workhardplayharder wrote:
Camperken-You were asking about modifications a couple weeks back. Did you move the bolt on your sway bars? Update us on what you have done and what results you had.

No, it didn't sound like something I could or would want to handle. I can only imagine how tight the bolt is.

I sent you a private message with my email. If you send me your email I can send you pictures and step by step instructions. I don't know what your mechanical abilities are but I did it in about an hour in my driveway with simple tools hand tools.

workhardplayharder wrote:
Camperken-You were asking about modifications a couple weeks back. Did you move the bolt on your sway bars? Update us on what you have done and what results you had.

No, it didn't sound like something I could or would want to handle. I can only imagine how tight the bolt is.

Before you start putting band-aids on, have the alignment checked. Be sure the caster is set to at least 4-1/2 degrees. The alignment people may push back on that, as it is more work than they might care for, but insist.

Between that and putting Koni FSD shocks on, I have no complaints about my "older" F53.

Oh yes, get your MH weighed when fully loaded and adjust tire pressures accordingly. Too high a pressure can result in handling issues and too low is dangerous.

my 34' gasser RV is lighter at 17k pounds, but still the Ford chassis (air bags on all four corners). I fab'd and mounted a rear track bar due to a very dangerous tail-wagging-the-dog situation. It has almost eliminated the push from passing semi's and prairie winds. Probably 90% gone. Every RV chassis should have one. Probably more important on the lighter gassers with no engine/transmission to weigh the back end down. A cheap, simple, almost maintenance free mod.

Camperken-You were asking about modifications a couple weeks back. Did you move the bolt on your sway bars? Update us on what you have done and what results you had.