Suspension Improvements - Best Order

From personal experience, I'd venture you're pretty close.

Without the first two, you're shooting in the dark with the rest.

Weight and Loading figure into this, early in the game. If Front Axle isn't at least 1/3 of total weight, even better at 3/4 of rated capacity, the steering will be vague.

Rear Sway always first on a Class C,

Front Sway will always help, but probably more dramatically on the E-Series from 1992-2007, the years Ford used that sorry bushings-in-the-axle arrangement instead of the end links they went back to in 2008 and newer.

Good Shocks always help, so I'm comfortable with their position in the lineup.

The last two? A rear track bar has made a huge difference to some E450 owners, my experience was less of a dramatic change. In my case, I learned that towing my midsize pickup de-stabilizes the RV's tracking a little, and that little is a little more than our Corolla does that. Track Bar helped that slightly. Another OP just claimed a significant improvement in the handling of another E450...

...which is why there's a degree of mystery in all this. Of several very similar rigs, one may seem to drive as well with little to no "improvements" as another with many upgrades. One miserable one may improve dramatically and another not much. I think some of this is just random, and that some of it stems from different operating conditions AND the expectations of the Owners...

The first two are undoubtedly correct. Tire pressure also has the advantage of costing nothing (or close enough to nothing) to do.

Replacing shocks may fall under general maintenance if they're worn, in which case I'd bump that up the list pretty high. The same for replacing the steering damper (but not necessarily substituting a steering stabilizer system with centering springs). Of course, on a 2018 I would not expect either to be worn yet in most cases!

Helper springs, or stiffer springs for the front, be they pneumatic (such as Ride-Rite air bags) or steel possibly should be on the list if you're riding low. I don't know if it's still the case (I think it is), but at least for several years the rear leaf springs on the E-450 by design are more or less flat, which makes them look like they're sagging even when unloaded. It's also worth noting that the ride height in the front affects the alignment to some degree; the camber changes, due to the suspension design, and the angle of the chassis as a whole front to back does affect the (effective) caster angle a little.

Before doing anything heroic, I would drive for a bit, at least sufficient to determine if anything is really needed. I've never felt my class C handled poorly, though I didn't expect or get subcompact car like handling. It's a big, sometimes cumbersome vehicle, and behaves as such...but it does behave.

S1njin wrote:
So what is the consensus best order of suspension improvements on a E450 motorhome?

My guess:
Proper tire pressure
Front end alignment
Rear Sway
Front Sway
Shocks
Steering Stabilizer
Rear Track Bar

Am i close?

I would add to the Front end alignment, make that an all wheel alignment. The next thing I would do is a track/panhard bar. This helps cut down on the movement of rear of the coach. You have a lot of overhang behind the rear wheels and it will move the whole coach in wind or big trucks passing.
Look for the cheap handling fix on google.
Look at changing out the rubber bushings in the sway bars with polypropylene, it will stiffen up the ride.
Shocks, it depends on age/condition. Yes stiffer shocks will help.
I am not a big fan of the stabilizers but if nothing else makes you happy with it go ahead and try one.:D
Bill

You need to keep in mind that a Class C is a 1 ton cutaway van. It is never going to handle like your family car. :S

IMHO: Any Class C that does not drive and handle well with the proper tire pressure and a decent alignment is the WRONG coach. There should be no need to add aftermarket garbage to get your coach to drive decently.

If it did not dirve well on the thorough test drive {you did do a thorough test drive, right?} adding thousands of dollars of aftermarket equipment is a waste of your time and money. Will quality after market gear improve the ride and handling? Perhaps, but it is only money needlessly/foolishly spent due to buying the wrong coach in the first place.

Quality coaches {like Coachhouse, Born Free, Phoenix Cruiser and yes, my Nexus et al} need nothing more than proper psi and alignment to give smooth, stable ride and handling. Some manufacturers actually recommend getting your brand new $100K+ coach aligned and the suspensiopn modified right off the showroom floor. Would you buy a $100k SUV that came with the same recommendation? :h

As always... opinions and YMMV.

:C

I don't know about the newer E450 chassis, but my chassis year 2005 E450 under our Winnebago Itasca came new with these items - which on our small (24 ft) Class C are completely adequate as is:

Rear Sway (a torsion bar)
Front Sway (a torsion bar)
Steering Stabilizer (a horizontal shock absorber)

However, maybe a larger Class C coach would require different after-market versions of the above, or maybe new E450 chassis come stock from Ford with different designs of what mine has on it.

In addition, due to our situation of a small Class C on the heavier duty E450 instead of the normally adequate E350, I had to use somewhat uncommon shocks on the rear to help reduce the stiff ride back there from the light weight coach.

I've been curious on something like this too. Has anybody tried driving the Jayco Greyhawks with their J-Ride compared to the other units standard configuration. Jay ride plus is on the Greyhawk line.
J-Ride plus adds
Bilstein shocks,
Helwig helper springs
Front and rear stabilizer bars
rubber isolation mounts

It would be nice to be able to talk to a delivery driver with time in several brands to get a comparative view.

S1njin wrote:
So what is the consensus best order of suspension improvements on a E450 motorhome?

My guess:
Proper Tire Pressure : Load it up like your leaving to go on trip then weigh it , set tire pressures according to weight.

Front end alignment : While still loaded for trip go get an alignment done.

Rear Sway : If it doesn't have a rear Anti Sway Bar or does have the puny undersized ford one ? Put a Hellwig on.

Front Sway : If you don't have levelers then upgrade the puny undersized stock Anti Sway Bar with a Hellwig.

Shocks : For now leave the fronts alone, and if you slam going over bridge joints or even driving over cracks in the road (since Koni's are suppose to work on the rebound I'll give them on that)
Replace the rear shocks with the Koni's FSD , myself I'd replace the rear with Bilstein's.

Steering Stabilizer : More for a blow out , but does help very very little on side-wind or very very little pushed from semi's passing you. So it would be Saf-T-Plus if you want to replace Fords joke of a steering damper .

Rear Track Bar : You are boarder line length wise for a Trac Bar.
But if you are going to tow then yes a rear Trac Bar will help.

Am i close?

Contrary to what others post about NOT getting pushed by a semi PASSING them once they did an alignment or even all the above is lying to you...

It may help some to a lot , but you are still going to get pushed by a large SUV on up to a semi passing you.

Have read where people say they don't get pushed by a semi only to say they don't get pushed by a semi while PASSING THEM , big difference in passing and being passed... You still are going to get pushed ...

Sorry don't know how to do the click here link, but this little video shows the effect of what happens when passed by a semi in layman's terms...
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2017/08/28/vaping-next-to-truck/#.WsFU8YjwaUk

OFDPOS wrote:
Contrary to what others post about NOT getting pushed by a semi PASSING them once they did an alignment or even all the above is lying to you...

It may help some to a lot , but you are still going to get pushed by a large SUV on up to a semi passing you.

Have read where people say they don't get pushed by a semi only to say they don't get pushed by a semi while PASSING THEM , big difference in passing and being passed... You still are going to get pushed ...

Sorry don't know how to do the click here link, but this little video shows the effect of what happens when passed by a semi in layman's terms...
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2017/08/28/vaping-next-to-truck/#.WsFU8YjwaUk

I agree and Made A CLICKY For ya :B

Thank you IAMICHABOD !!

I had some initial issues with the 2012 winnebago aspect. Looked at alignments, new stabilizer all the stuff you have listed for the most part. Found that having the tires at a decent pressure, not the max helped greatly as did increasing the air in the rear airbags to a minimum of 55-60 PSI. You do have airbags dont you? Anyhow that took all the fighting out of the system, still may have some push/pull from passing big rigs but that is typical of all slab sided vehicles. Bow wave get everyone all the time just depends on your set up as to how much effect it has. rv weighs in at around 13K 1/2 of all liquids, black grey tanks empty. We dont carry much as there is little room for extra stuff anyplace on the rig. Small outside storage bins and not much inside either.

if you have airbags play with them to find sweet spot, same with tire pressures. I run 60 in front 65 in rears like I said we dont carry much load do tow a Hyundai but it really does not add to the coach weight just draw weight.