Forum Discussion

Sabretooth's avatar
Sabretooth
Explorer
Aug 04, 2014

Wheel Spacers ???

Hi,
New here and hope to get some solid advice nd information.

I have an old Gulfstream Diesel Pusher which I have had Henderson and safety plus stabilizers fitted. My steering box has been checked and tightened and had 2 alignments. I have Sampson tires on the rear dually and Michelin on the steering axle. My tire shop checked the tires and they are all in spec.
However I still feel wander when driving at any speed over 35 mph. I m assuming it is because the wheels are riding within a semi track which causes the sideways movement because passing vehicles do not give me the same feeling. And yes like all MH's I feel strong winds but then driving a sailing ship fully rigged will do that.
I know there is nothing wrong with the vehicle so heres my questions,

1. Has anyone ever put wheel spacers on a class A (33FT)to widen the track and alleviate the rut problems?

2. I understand the differences between wider and narrower tires and have had conflicting answers. Will a wider tire help to alleviate the rutting?

3. If a spacer is used between the dually wheels, it would still provide the anti rub space and give a wide track?

4. My tire size is 8 75R 19.5 Can I use a wider/bigger tire to achieve my goal of no wander or would I have to also change the wheel and possibly the assembly?

Note, Sampson is a very good tire and used throughout the Trucking world without problems. Yes I know its made in China and have heard all the stories from those who know nothing about the brand and assume because its Chinese made it must be inferior. But for the skeptics did you know that Good Year, Michelin, Bridgestone and many other well known promoted tires are also made in China. And as a matter of fact Sampson are made by A subsidiary of Michelin.
Class A
  • Grandpere's avatar
    Grandpere
    Explorer
    Aug 04, 2014
    I don't know if my experience will help you any, but here goes. I had 8r19.5 tires on my mh and it handled terribly. I went to 245/70r19.5 on all positions and added a spacer to the rear wheels to keep the duals from rubbing together and it changed the handling totally. It steers better, rides better, and handles passing semis and side winds better. From my experience you will benefit from an increased tire width. It did change my speedometer a little, at 55 I am really doing 57. Also, I went with Sailun tires that are made in China, and they are wonderful.
  • Sabretooth's avatar
    Sabretooth
    Explorer
    Aug 04, 2014
    Grandpere
    Thank you Sir, That is the type of info I need, as a follow up what make of Motorhome did you do this to ? And where did you purchase the Spacers from pleas what size were the spacers thanks.
  • Grandpere's avatar
    Grandpere
    Explorer
    Aug 04, 2014
    I did this to my 87 Southwind on a Chevy P30 chassis. As for the spacers, I do not remember right off the top of my head where they came from. When I get home again I will look in my repair book that I keep for the mh. In it I list parts, places purchased, good mechanics I had found, etc when we are traveling. I will let you know by Friday.
  • fcooper's avatar
    fcooper
    Explorer
    Aug 07, 2014
    It sounds like you're still experiencing "rut tracking" where the front tire follows the depressions in the pavement.

    My experience: 38 ft air bag chassis with track bars front and rear. Pretty good handling after I got the slop out of the steering gear. Installed a Steer Safe (the device with the springs) and it absolutely eliminated the rut tracking.

    My suggestions:

    1. Be sure you don't have more air pressure in front tires than required.

    2. Although the safety plus steering stabilizer says it helps with rut tracking, it sounds like it is not eliminating the rut tracking for your motorhome. Of course, it's fairly expensive to switch steering stabilizers. Maybe you could check the shock absorber portion to be sure it does not have weakness or wear.

    I have no experience with spacers for the duals...sorry.

    I think you said the rig is 33ft. Is the wheelbase to length ratio greater than 53%? If no, this could be contributing to the problem.

    Let us know what you find.

    Fred
  • FuelFunnel's avatar
    FuelFunnel
    Explorer
    Aug 07, 2014
    Wheel spacers tend to shift additional stress to the outer (smaller) wheel bearing and depending on the thickness of the spacer, can cause premature failure of the bearing.
  • Bugman114's avatar
    Bugman114
    Explorer
    Aug 07, 2014
    If you were to use wheel spacers, then the wheels may not contact the centering ring on the rotors. I suppose it wouldn't matter if there aren't any centering rings, but it certainly wouldn't be good for your bearings. Or if your wheel studs don't have extra length to them, your going to have less threads holding the nut to the stud. Personally I'd suggest finding wheels with different offset/ backspacing. Wheel spacers have always seemed iffy to me, especially on something as heavy as a MH, it would be catastrophic loosing a wheel going down the highway.

    If your having wandering problems, perhaps look into aftermarket sway bars, and other suspension modifications for your particular suspension. The PO on mine put helper airbags up front and a huge rear sway bar, and said the difference in handling was incredible. It certainly doesn't sway as much as other MH's I've driven. Also if you haven't already, be sure to check the condition of all the suspension and steering components one worn pin or joint is all it takes. Perhaps go to a different shop and get a second opinion on an alignment. I've been to different places that have told me different specs on alignments. Not sure why different shops have different specs, but it might be worth a shot. Good luck
  • hooligan's avatar
    hooligan
    Explorer
    Aug 07, 2014
    Instead of wheel spacers, you may want to go to wider rims. (Also check tire clearance in the wheel well.) The metric tires sizes require a wider rim than the 8x19.5. A 225/70 is almost the same width as the 8R's but the 245/70 is over 3/4 inch wider on each tire. The wider rims would give you a wider track and also provide the additional offset for minimum dual spacing without using a spacer.
    Look at mimimum rim width for any tire you want to switch to.
    ARTICLE Here

    If you want to compare tire sizes: Tire Conversion chart
  • artguys's avatar
    artguys
    Explorer
    Aug 07, 2014
    Your issue isn't tire size, wheel spacing, wheel alignment or etc etc...it's the chassis stance in relation to weight distribution. It is what it is with what you have...it's about sprung weight issues. Frame width to mounting points for springing the vehicle. It's a narrow/beamed frame trying to navigate with a top heavy super-structure.
  • Bugman114's avatar
    Bugman114
    Explorer
    Aug 08, 2014
    Is there a lot of weight behind the rear axle? Like tile floors, newer/ heavier bed, a big TV, filled water or propane tanks, or anything that wasn't there originally that would have added a significant amount of weight? That could very well be the cause of your wandering issues. I pulled a large trailer once, with a heavy tongue weight, and it wandered so bad, I had to stop and back the car up on the trailer a bit to take the weight off the front. After that it handled like a dream. Too much weight on the rear can cause the rig to wander pretty significantly.

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