Brake Issues & Tire Issues
Hello, my name is Mike. I am a long time listener, first time caller. I would like your guys opinion on the following:
I have a 29’ Class C motorhome from Damon Corporation on a 1993 - Ford E-350 chassis.
Background
Prior to our trip, I got a multiple point safety inspection and actioned the recommendations that the shop suggested. This included:
1. Oil change.
2. Replacement of upper & lower ball joints, steering stabilizer and front sway bar bushings.
3. Replace rotors and pads, service callipers and repack bearings.
4. Replace power steering hoses / top up fluid.
5. Swap front tires with rear inside tires (both tires starting to cup)
I netted about 1000 - 1200 kilometres (620 - 740 miles). We travelled inland and went over some mountain passes. The trip was not without issues. All in all, it worked out fine, but I would like to get some input from the forum gods (you know who you are) to clarify some things for me.
Situation
After making it over the first leg of a mountain pass, I noticed that there was an unusual amount of vibration coming from the rear wheels of the trailer. I took it pretty easy from there on out (didn’t really exceed 90 km/hr). Later that day while driving on flat road. I heard a loud bang and thought it might be something with the drive train, but still retained power.
I called CAA (Canadian version of AAA) and the tow truck driver quickly identified it as being that the inner rear tire (formerly front tire) had fallen prey to sidewall separation and actually finally popped. That’s fine, he got the spare put on and got us on our way with the recommendation of getting the other inner rear tire replaced or at least looked at because it should signs of the same issue.
Before setting off to return home, we stopped at a nearby tire shop to follow up on the tow truck drivers recommendation. Sure enough, they found an issue with the other rear inner tire and were able to replace both my spare and the other tire with a 85% treaded pair of tires.
The technician suggested that the sidewall separation may have been caused by rotating the front tires to the rear as they already showed signs of cupping and that by putting on them on the rear axle might have caused the issue due to all the extra weight on top of them. The tires were only 4 years old (Hercules Terra Trac?).
Question 1
Does this sound reasonable? If so, is it something that maybe the shop who I originally took the unit to should have been aware of and maybe not have done?
Carrying on, we decided to take another mountain pass home. The grades were steep and fairly sustained. I down shifted to control my speed without having to use the brakes as much as possible. I still had to use the brakes and by the time we got back to the flat, I could smell my brakes.
We now have a brake shudder at whenever applying the brakes at speeds of 70 - 80 km / hr.
I have taken the unit in to the same shop and they diagnosed the brakes as cooked (not sure what that all entails, but they are not willing to cover it under warranty). The whole job had cost $700 in the first place and they are preparing a quote to fix the issue again, but I feel as if brakes should probably last longer than one 1000 - 1200 km road trip. I get that downhill and brakes are not good, but I felt as if I babied the motorhome by going slower speeds and using the gears to control my speed.
Question 2
What do you think about the brakes not being covered under warranty? The job was completed probably 3 weeks ago and I just got back from my trip a few days ago. I realize that our selected path of travel might not have been the best for the vehicle, but it still seems like an extremely short lifespan for a brake system.
The parts used were:
Raybestos - PGD557M (Pads)
Duralast 5457 (Rotors)
I am a little frustrated with the situation. I feel as if the shop that I went to kind of hosed me with the tire rotation and also with not wanting to replace brakes under warranty. Am I being unreasonable? Somebody chime in and tell it to me true.
I have a 29’ Class C motorhome from Damon Corporation on a 1993 - Ford E-350 chassis.
Background
Prior to our trip, I got a multiple point safety inspection and actioned the recommendations that the shop suggested. This included:
1. Oil change.
2. Replacement of upper & lower ball joints, steering stabilizer and front sway bar bushings.
3. Replace rotors and pads, service callipers and repack bearings.
4. Replace power steering hoses / top up fluid.
5. Swap front tires with rear inside tires (both tires starting to cup)
I netted about 1000 - 1200 kilometres (620 - 740 miles). We travelled inland and went over some mountain passes. The trip was not without issues. All in all, it worked out fine, but I would like to get some input from the forum gods (you know who you are) to clarify some things for me.
Situation
After making it over the first leg of a mountain pass, I noticed that there was an unusual amount of vibration coming from the rear wheels of the trailer. I took it pretty easy from there on out (didn’t really exceed 90 km/hr). Later that day while driving on flat road. I heard a loud bang and thought it might be something with the drive train, but still retained power.
I called CAA (Canadian version of AAA) and the tow truck driver quickly identified it as being that the inner rear tire (formerly front tire) had fallen prey to sidewall separation and actually finally popped. That’s fine, he got the spare put on and got us on our way with the recommendation of getting the other inner rear tire replaced or at least looked at because it should signs of the same issue.
Before setting off to return home, we stopped at a nearby tire shop to follow up on the tow truck drivers recommendation. Sure enough, they found an issue with the other rear inner tire and were able to replace both my spare and the other tire with a 85% treaded pair of tires.
The technician suggested that the sidewall separation may have been caused by rotating the front tires to the rear as they already showed signs of cupping and that by putting on them on the rear axle might have caused the issue due to all the extra weight on top of them. The tires were only 4 years old (Hercules Terra Trac?).
Question 1
Does this sound reasonable? If so, is it something that maybe the shop who I originally took the unit to should have been aware of and maybe not have done?
Carrying on, we decided to take another mountain pass home. The grades were steep and fairly sustained. I down shifted to control my speed without having to use the brakes as much as possible. I still had to use the brakes and by the time we got back to the flat, I could smell my brakes.
We now have a brake shudder at whenever applying the brakes at speeds of 70 - 80 km / hr.
I have taken the unit in to the same shop and they diagnosed the brakes as cooked (not sure what that all entails, but they are not willing to cover it under warranty). The whole job had cost $700 in the first place and they are preparing a quote to fix the issue again, but I feel as if brakes should probably last longer than one 1000 - 1200 km road trip. I get that downhill and brakes are not good, but I felt as if I babied the motorhome by going slower speeds and using the gears to control my speed.
Question 2
What do you think about the brakes not being covered under warranty? The job was completed probably 3 weeks ago and I just got back from my trip a few days ago. I realize that our selected path of travel might not have been the best for the vehicle, but it still seems like an extremely short lifespan for a brake system.
The parts used were:
Raybestos - PGD557M (Pads)
Duralast 5457 (Rotors)
I am a little frustrated with the situation. I feel as if the shop that I went to kind of hosed me with the tire rotation and also with not wanting to replace brakes under warranty. Am I being unreasonable? Somebody chime in and tell it to me true.
