Class A body roll

[mc_cc]

I know this topic has been covered many times. I purchased a 2016 Fleetwood bounder 35K this year with a 22,000lbs F53 suspension. These are very tall rigs and very top heavy. I performed the cheap handling fix but the amount of body roll is still too out of control. Tiffin motorhomes adds Sumo springs as a standard feature on their class A gas rigs. Would the Sumo springs help with the body roll issue? I want to stiffen up the body roll. Road master makes a beefed up sway bar that is quite expensive, but for my issue, I think I need a beefed up sway bar for both front and back. What would be the cheapest route to begin with first? The cheap handling fix has already been done.

[DryCreek]

Our recently acquired 2006 Winnebago Sightseer (29R) was a "whale" to handle on the ride home. We had a constant 25 mph cross wind, with gusts up to 35 mph. Crossing the Brazos river was a white knuckle affair as the wind was channeled down the river and blasted you as you entered the bridge from a wooded stretch which sheltered me from the wind (westbound on US 67). When we got home I took the wife and dog on a trip. My wife almost got seasick from the rolling motion.

A more detailed inspection revealed that the rear sway bushings were gone. Not cracked, not chalking - simply gone. A new set of polyurethane bushings, a new set of Monroe Gas Magnums, and the CHF has made a world of difference.

I used the Hellwig 7692 adjustable sway bar links on the front. When I moved the stock links to the inner hole I had less than one inch clearance before it contacted the springs. I guess that some chassis are built a little different depending on weight ratings. Our chassis/coach is 18K GVWR on a Ford F-53. I set the adjustable end links to match the original geometry, and then used the front links for the rear CHF.

Twas a magnificent improvement! Next up are the SumoSprings - but, when I try to narrow down the choices, the sellers always try to steer me to the Maxim package. I don't need the extra weight carrying. I just want to slow spring rate to give just a bit more stiffness in the curves and cure the understeer. I am looking at the SSR-186-54 for the rear, and the SSF-186-40 for the front. If I can't get a fitment for those from the manufacturer, I will just go to Timbrens. We have used them on our HD diesel pickups with good results. The only issue we have with them is the ride stiffens over time as the original springs settle with use.

As a note, our coach has almost 75K miles. I don't know if the Bilsteins I took off were OE, but they still had a bit of life left in them. Since I bought the unit from PPL, and not directly from the seller, I have little history on the coach.

[mc_cc]

An update to this post. I did install Sumo springs on the front, and a steering stabilizer. Even though the original topic is about body roll, these two items helped with other issues I was having. The Sumo springs did help with the pounding jarring you get on those chassis' when hitting a bump on the interstate and it did help some with the sway. The steering stabilizer has done just that. I did purchase the additional Sumo springs for the rear to go in place of the bump stops. I think this will add additional stability with the jarring and with the sway, but I am going to go with the additional rear sway bar from Road Master on the rear. I feel a little more in control of the rig with just these two items installed. More importantly, my wife noticed a difference after she got behind the wheel.

[Hank_MI]

hotjag1 wrote:
I personally don't think tire pressure is going to stop body roll.

I feel like I have to much body roll on our coach going out of uneven driveways and when making turns. I am going to put on Bilstien shocks. I have been told by several members on here that the Bilstiens will control body roll and a better ride too. We shall see!

Many have mentioned a stronger sway bar. Depends on which type of body roll you're trying to solve. You mention uneven driveways. Stronger sway bar will make that type of roll worse. When one wheel drops or rises the sway bar will try to compensate which cause the roll to be worse. Sway bars are intended to prevent roll while cornering or on the open road.

[hohenwald48]

mc.cc wrote:
I performed the cheap handling fix but the amount of body roll is still too out of control.

The cheap handling fix has already been done.

Two quotes from post #1 of this thread.

[rgatijnet1]

Gjac wrote:

rgatijnet1 wrote:
You can install after market four corner air bags, with a dash control to inflate them. If the body roll from winds or trucks passing is bothering you, all you have to do is inflate them to stiffen up the suspension. When the winds subside and you are on back roads, you deflate the air bags and you have the same smooth ride as before.

I would think this option would give you the best of both worlds. Sumo springs or any other spring that would make the spring stiffer would help but would give you a stiffer ride all the time. A lot of people prefer the softer Monroe shocks over the Koni's for this reason. I like the above solution because you can adjust it to your needs and road condition. I don't know the cost of this system compared to adding Sumo springs and Koni shocks.

Less than $1000 total for all parts including the air compressor, dash controls, and front and rear air bags on my W22 chassis. Each corner does act independently with the air bags, which to me is a plus.

[Gjac]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
You can install after market four corner air bags, with a dash control to inflate them. If the body roll from winds or trucks passing is bothering you, all you have to do is inflate them to stiffen up the suspension. When the winds subside and you are on back roads, you deflate the air bags and you have the same smooth ride as before.

I would think this option would give you the best of both worlds. Sumo springs or any other spring that would make the spring stiffer would help but would give you a stiffer ride all the time. A lot of people prefer the softer Monroe shocks over the Koni's for this reason. I like the above solution because you can adjust it to your needs and road condition. I don't know the cost of this system compared to adding Sumo springs and Koni shocks.

[Goldencrazy]

Roadmaster rear sway bar on 38Q Winnebago. Helped a great deal

[DFord]

jharrell wrote:

You don't need to buy anything the F53 has adjustable sway bars stock. Looking through this thread its actually surprising no one has mentioned the CHF (Cheap Handling Fix). You can just move the sway bar links in a hole front and back and you now have stiffer sway bars. Helps a lot, I did it after doing a rear track bar, both where noticeable improvements on the highway.

I haven't changed my shocks yet - they solve a whole different problem. As jharrell says above, try the CHF first! It will cost nothing and the body roll will be almost totally eliminated if you do the front and the back swaybar links. I bought the adjustable links for the front but by the time I got done adjusting them, they were only 1/4" different in length than the originals. I never bothered replacing them on the rear. The difference in handling is phenomenal! I highly recommend everyone with a V-10 F53 give it try. My MH felt like it was top heavy before switching holes. Since swapping holes, all that is gone.

[wa8yxm]

On my coach they put good strong shocks and good strong SWAY BARS.

My coach is built on a Workhorse chassis and Workhorse knew it was going to be a motor home..

With A Ford Chassis.. I'm not so sure they know what it is going to be when they build it.. I would inspect the shocks to see if an upgrade is in order

But also check the sway bars They too may need an upgrade

One thing I did need to add to my RV, and this would apply to most if not all other chassis makers as well, is a Track Bar.. This applies to all vehicles with solid axles front and rear. Mine is a front one, I'm told rear is even better, (Will add later) but man does that, and a steering stablizer, make a big difference. How big
Well one 2,000 mile trip when I got there driving the towed was a relief
Then I did the work
Next 2,000 mile trip (Same place) Dang that towed was hard to drive when I got there.. Same towed, Same exactly.

[jharrell]

mc.cc wrote:
I can see where new or beefed up shocks would help the sway somewhat. I think a combination of all of the above would help with every aspect of the suspension on these F53's. I just don't want to drop $7500 at one time to have the perfect ride. One question I do have. Has anyone added aftermarket adjustable sway bar linkages? What about just purchasing the adjustable linkage and tightening them to produce more downward pressure on the existing bar? Is this possible, or could I break the linkage and bar?

Linkages don't do that, what changes the sway bar stiffness is material, diameter, length, lever arm length and lever arm angle to linkage.

You don't need to buy anything the F53 has adjustable sway bars stock. Looking through this thread its actually surprising no one has mentioned the CHF (Cheap Handling Fix). You can just move the sway bar links in a hole front and back and you now have stiffer sway bars. Helps a lot, I did it after doing a rear track bar, both where noticeable improvements on the highway.

Some people do adjustable links or new brackets to try and get the sway bar back to 90 degrees to the links, but IMO its not necessary and that actually softens the sway bar back up some. Many like myself have just done that adjustment with no issues. The original guy who discovered it, J. Mckinely, has had it for over 7 years I believe.

[carringb]

^yup. The proper fix is stiffer away bars. Should be under $600 of you DIY. swap shocks later if you want to control bounce/rebound.

[wolfe10]

We are shooting all around the facts.

Can shocks AID in controlling sway-- absolutely. Any dampening will help.

Are shocks the first "line of defense" against sway-- absolutely NOT.

No question-- replacing worn shocks with good ones will help with sway, but have an even more significant affect on porpoising.

No one would suggest that shocks don't dampen. But side to side sway is much better controlled by sway bars.

[mc_cc]

I can see where new or beefed up shocks would help the sway somewhat. I think a combination of all of the above would help with every aspect of the suspension on these F53's. I just don't want to drop $7500 at one time to have the perfect ride. One question I do have. Has anyone added aftermarket adjustable sway bar linkages? What about just purchasing the adjustable linkage and tightening them to produce more downward pressure on the existing bar? Is this possible, or could I break the linkage and bar?

[et2]

Well, all I can say is I have experienced less body sway since our Koni installation one year after we purchased our brand new coach. You can relate to the mechanics of a shock all you wish and what it does. But the switch for us was and is noticeable.

So if other shocks are designed for different reasons in comparison, it's not totally unacceptable that Koni's could show improvement. It did. Where it's noticeable the most is turning from a out from drive with a incline down to street level and the body sway side to side. Much less. The Sach shocks that came on the coach were terrible. The coach dipped so much when braking it wasn't funny. It didn't help on the side to side sway either.

I'm not claiming it's the fix for the problem, merely it helped make the problem easy to live with on ours.