Forum Discussion

Coelacanth's avatar
Coelacanth
Explorer
Sep 18, 2020

Wanderlust

Next issue.....
Our 2012, HR, Augusta is on a E-450 chassis.
I’ve only had it about a month and the trips taken have been very short.
But, on the highway it seems to have a great deal of steering play.
It seems to wander, and I’m constantly making minor corrections. Kinda takes the fun out of driving the thing. My old Itasca was as steady as a rock.
This rig has only 7k on the odometer, so I can’t imagine that the steering components are worn.
Would a heavier duty steering stabilizer help?
  • Jack Spratt wrote:
    New tires at 12,000 miles is curious.


    The odometer has 7,000 miles on it. But, the tire side walls were badly split. Plus, they were 8 years old.
  • Hmm,...interesting.

    Ok, after some examination, my previous RV, the Itasca Suncruiser, had actual wheels with lug nuts. The Augusta has hub caps that simulate chrome wheels.
    The valve stems are almost impossible to access and the edges to the opening are incredibly sharp.
    So, the idea is to remove the hubcaps. In looking at various online postings and videos it seems that many of these have two nuts that must be removed in order to pry off the hubcaps. These nuts are marked to make them identifiable. But, in looking at my hubcaps I see no nuts that are so marked. So,...do my hubcaps simply pry off, as they would on a car?
  • jdc1's avatar
    jdc1
    Explorer II
    How to tighten a steering box:
    https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+tighten+up+ford+steering+box&rlz=1CACCCC_enUS893&oq=how+to+tighten+ford+steering+box&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0.19015j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
  • Don't overlook tire pressure. Weigh your rig and separate axles and wheels if possible. Then check tire manufacture's chart for proper air pressure based on the weight. It should be the first thing to check. Tire shops will usually put in max tire pressure and that may not be where you want to be.
  • Don't start throwing money at it.

    1. Check the tires and Tire pressure, are the tires worn uneven.

    2. Have the front end align and inspected