Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 09, 2025 ...

Steering gear pitman position

June 17, 2020, 10:00:40 pm

When we are parked for a while in the same place, we try to not always have the steering wheel centered.

Figure that by having the front wheels turned a little one way or the other, the steering gear, pitman arm and all the steering linkage  is not always sitting in the same place.

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Re: Steering gear pitman position

Reply #1 – June 17, 2020, 10:42:25 pm

Man! I've never done that on anything I've owned. Might be a good idea. I'm sure some will chime in that know

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Re: Steering gear pitman position

Reply #2 – June 18, 2020, 01:16:17 pm

I started doing that about 6 years ago, right after I replaced the seals. 

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Re: Steering gear pitman position

Reply #3 – June 18, 2020, 01:17:11 pm

Gerry's way ahead of us.

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Re: Steering gear pitman position

Reply #4 – June 18, 2020, 03:56:57 pm

Any observations from some of the retired firefighters on thie Foreforum?  Many of the fire engines have very similar running gear to our coaches, put in long years of service and spend their down time parked in the same location.

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Re: Steering gear pitman position

Reply #5 – June 18, 2020, 06:11:22 pm

In the world of fire trucks and OTR trucks can't say if I have ever seen this done, I would think leaving them turned would put more stress on the ball joints instead of the relaxed position straight ahead.
But hey to each his own😁

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Re: Steering gear pitman position

Reply #6 – June 18, 2020, 08:12:28 pm

No ball joints-- king pins.  And, not sure that would matter.

Not suggesting that orienting front wheels other than straight forward will help the life of the seals, but I am all ears/brain.

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Re: Steering gear pitman position

Reply #7 – June 18, 2020, 08:38:51 pm

Oh yeah I was thinking tie rod ends

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Re: Steering gear pitman position

Reply #8 – June 18, 2020, 09:54:10 pm

When I pulled my old seals out of the steering gear box, there was a definite low spot where the pitman arm shaft rested. This did not happen overnight, but my coach had been sitting for months after the previous owner had passed, and actually it did not leak if the arm was straight, it only leaked if I had parked with the steering wheel ever so slightly turned one way or another. Now with new seals and being driven on a semi regular basis I do not think that problem will reoccurr. However I do turn my steering wheel slightly to the left or right occasionally when parking for long periods of time.

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Re: Steering gear pitman position

Reply #9 – June 18, 2020, 10:16:45 pm

The use of the box seems to wear the races inside the box.  My steering box had "catches" in its turning.  Variable resistance.

Everything else the same.  Box rebuild. No "catches".  Smoother.  Made a believer out of me.

Paid dearly for a Cummins shop to do the work.  Nice job.

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