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Buzzcut1's avatar
Buzzcut1
Nomad II
Sep 23, 2014

I guess I am hard on my rig

When things go bang and it sounds metallic on your rig on the highway and you pull over to look and don't find anything. Look harder, really I mean it look way harder.

Last couple of hundred miles of our trip I was fighting sway and resultant handling issues. Sunday I took the camper off because we have a short day trip on this coming Saturday to go 1.5 hours each way to pick up a horse with the trailer and its just easier to tow without the camper.

I found a nail in one of my new tires and I went to Les Schwab to have it pulled and checked for leaks, none were found. I described the handling issue and Cody started checking the tires , wheels and Suspension. That's when we found that one of 2 C Bolts that clamp the Airbag mount to the leaf springs/axle had snapped. He is ordering me new ones and I should have them installed in a few days. Did I mention that Les Schwab Livermore Rocks!!





remaining front bolt (it's getting replaced as it is probablys stressed)

  • I would not use a bolt like that...I would get plates put under the leaf with 2 holes to match the top holes and grade 8 bolts...Much stronger in my mind
  • It pays to know your vehicle and its behavior AND to have a knowledgeable and thorough mechanic like Cody.

    I can think of 4 times when odd noises or behaviors happened on my vehicles. The U-joint noise, the wheel bearing noise, a scraping brake noise, and a big snap noise in the DRW. Mechanic replaced U-joint at my request, VERY alert guy at a tire place found the brake noise to be something with a cotter pin which he replaced for free, snap noise diagnosed itself as broken studs when the wheel fell off. As to the wheel bearing - the mechanic at the Honda dealership (many years ago; I hope they have improved) insisted they were sealed and nothing could go wrong. I said to just humor me and replace the wheel bearings and I would pay; he did, I did, and the noise was gone.