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leveling handle stuck

July 14, 2014, 01:34:14 am

Its been a while since the ol girl has started but today was the day that new batteries have been installed with brand new wire clamps. And by the way...I barely touched the key and it fired up like right now, just as I expected. Once started I thought I'd run some electrical tests and by the time I was finished the air pressure was up so I decided to exercise the air bags. Well, the middle lever handle moves very easy...the one closest to my seat, the inside right handle is a little stiffer but it did operate. The furthest...next to the wall and far left did NOT budge at all. I firmly tried to apply pressure without causing damage but it still couldnt be moved. When I parked the coach in the first part of January I pushed all lever handles full forward so the coach was sitting on the tires. Although I could lift and lower the inside & the middle I did not for fear that it may cause damage and an unlevel and twisting process that might not end well.

Any ideas of how to REALLY lube those lever handles / cables?

I tried to spray some lubricant down into the handle box just beneath the floor level but dont think that it served any real purpose. Then when I climbed under to see if I could locate a mechanism I could lube so 
things worked as they should...I feel it was also uneventful.

Ideas please...and thanks in advance.

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Re: leveling handle stuck

Reply #1 – July 14, 2014, 09:11:44 pm

The cable moves the ride height valve on a pivot. If I remember you came home in the cold and snow, so may have gotten some sale on the pivot and that has now got the pivot stuck, might spray the pivot with blaster to free up the valve assembly

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Re: leveling handle stuck

Reply #2 – July 14, 2014, 09:18:57 pm

Thanks Red, Would you happen to know where I can find that point? Or in what part of my owners manual might I look?

Thanks very much

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Re: leveling handle stuck

Reply #3 – July 14, 2014, 11:05:00 pm

I doubt the drivers end of the cable mechanism is the problem since it's on the inside of the coach. 
The other end is easily accessed through the bay door just behind the drivers side rear wheel.  On the inboard side of the air bag is the ride height valve.  The suspension moves the rod linkage which rotates the knob on the front of the valve (rear-most portion of valve).  But the entire valve body is mounted on a pivoting plate.  Both are on the same axis of rotation.  The pivoting plate is connected to the other end of the cable via a clevis connection.  I raise and lower the back of my coach on the outside by just reaching in and rotating the ride height valves on their pivot plates - it's no problem overcoming the friction in the cable to move the levers this way.

I would spray the pivot plate and cable end with the penetrating oil of your choice and try to force it to rotate.  If no luck, disconnect the clevis and see which one moves.  It's a good idea to remove, clean, lube and reinstall the pivot plate if it hasn't been done in 10 years.  Only trick is fitting the torsion spring back in - but it's not that hard.  It's there to keep the pivot plate on one side of the mechanical backlash so the levers up front don't have any dead zone when changing direction.  If the cable is frozen I would disconnect it from it's mounting bracket, pull back the rubber wipers and try to force penetrating oil inside by gravity, flexing, twisting, compressed air, mild heat, time, etc.

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Re: leveling handle stuck

Reply #4 – July 20, 2014, 12:27:31 pm

As it turned out...the spot you mention was in fact a place I sprayed when posting this. Since then I've not been at the coach much. Today I was out trouble shooting the generator and went in to attempt raising the coach and WAH-LA!  Up she goes.

Thanks so much

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