I did the "Cheap Handling Fix"!
I recently did the "Cheap Handling Fix" on my 2013 Winnebago Vista 35F. I am impressed and much happier with the handling so far! Now to get the rig weighed and tire pressure adjusted accordingly! ...
Forum Discussion
mowermech wrote:zman-az wrote:
... I now highly doubt that this second hole on the front swaybar was made for an "adjustable" sway bar...
If you go to another RV forum, you will find an extensive discussion of the "Cheap Handling Fix" for the F53 chassis, with statements from many people who have done it...
I don't think anyone is suggesting this modification is difficult to perform or that it doesn't work. As mentioned here and in the others threads listed: "The torsion bar could break under higher loads."
I thought about this for while. I don't think this assertion is quite right. Moving the links to the inner holes probably puts less load on the bar. The range of movement appears to be reduced as the tie rods move from perpendicular to a more obtuse angle. In this new configuration, the bar is simply not asked to move as much. Less torsion bar movement equals less perpendicular force on the torsion bar which equals less load. Mechanical engineers: This proof is for you :)
BUT! Under large amounts of sway, the tie road gets pulled in line with the sway bar end. The good news: the amount of bending pressure on the torsion bar will now stay more or less constant. The bad news: there is no elasticity left in the system. Push or pull hard enough, and one of the welded connectors holding the bushing / tie rod will have to snap.
In summary: This 'cheap fix' results in less sway. Unfortunately it also makes the system less elastic which can cause problems in the 'extreme' case. The definition of 'extreme' is beyond my knowledge of physics.
