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Topic: Rear axle bearing and steering issues (Read 382 times) previous topic - next topic

Rear axle bearing and steering issues

Quote from: Dave M –
My Timken chart shows tapered axle bearing clearance .001-.005, I use .002-.004 and run the Hub Oil, no issues in 20 years with that practice.

Getting the correct free play can be a time consuming event the first time, you will have to torque it up, use dial indicator, check, undo and readjust, re-torque, re check. It will finally hit the correct setting,  When you torque the lock nut, it changes the setting, why it will take a few tries to get the final result you need.

At .002-.004 do you have any "dead" spot in your steering?

Bob
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Rear axle bearing and steering issues

Reply #1 –
Oh  :o  Lets see, The Timken factory says it is  correct and kept clean & dry, its good for half million miles.

So Bob, with all your worldly sales knowledge, what is your suggestion for perfection on adjustment the taper wheel bearings since your so concerned about the "Dead Spot", surely somewhere in your bag of trix, you have found the secret ?

Re: Rear axle bearing and steering issues

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Dave M –
Oh  :o  Lets see, The Timken factory says it is  correct and kept clean & dry, its good for half million miles.

So Bob, with all your worldly sales knowledge, what is your suggestion for perfection on adjustment the taper wheel bearings since your so concerned about the "Dead Spot", surely somewhere in your bag of trix, you have found the secret ?

Having lost multiple sales over the years to Rv owners that had coaches with no "dead" spot and having customers reset literally hundreds of spicer 710 steering boxes to stop their coaches from darting towards the shoulder of the road it was for my enlightened self interest to setup a coach that drove like the nice car the prospective owners drove up in.

Sawing at the steering wheel in mild to moderate conditions is tiring. 

My x Foretravel 20 year line mechanic fixed mine.  I think he does it by feel alone after doing hundreds over the years.  No dial indicator as far as I know.

My reason for asking was to maybe able to quantify whatever setting he does by feel.

If he quits doing chassis work and  have someone else in the far future redo his work it would be helpful to be able to tell them a finite number to use with a dial indicator to duplicate his settings.

Many other parts contribute to the tight steering feel.  May or may not be attainable in all rigs.

So after all this does your coach have any dead spot?

I have gotten mine so close that I am changing the smart wheel to change the spoke angles that my fingers rest on.

Used to change the Foretravels ored steering wheels to 14" for customers versus the 18" that was std for the better feel and less steering wheel rim movement necessary to keep the coach on course.  Easier to drive from the bottom of the wheel with one hand and the other over the spoke.

I have driven our coach almost 15k miles in 24 months and the seating position and every detail being correct makes it almost a pleasure versus work.

If I fixed the old Foretravels ored steering wander that was stock I earned more money for Foretravel and my salesman and myself as it was a factory store.

Learned not to put new coaches on display till I fixed any steering issues.  Why?

The gillig chassis had a similar suspension setup as a unihome.  Double locator arms with large heim joints top and bottom kept the front axles kingpin angle exactly the same as the suspension went up and down.

The ored had the axle with only a locator arm hinged to the bottom.  As the suspension went through its travel the caster was eliminated.  Coach wandered in dips. Little self steer.

When the customer used to add why it did not drive as well as a prettier competitor I had to fix our coaches as best I could.

Better power to weight ratios only went so far versus much prettier beavers and country coaches and monacos within walking distance.

So I take it yours still has some dead spot?
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Rear axle bearing and steering issues

Reply #3 –
Whew :o  Bob, There are not enough words to cover a mistake between wheel bearing  preload adjustment with the steering gear adjustment, beleive it or not there is a BIG difference between the two. 

Thinking sales persons tend to lump everything together with sweet sounding words like "Dead Spot", "normal" & "within spec" in response to unknown actual facts  :))
But everyone tends to reach their limits.

Re: Rear axle bearing and steering issues

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Dave M –
Whew :o  Bob, There are not enough words to cover a mistake between wheel bearing  preload adjustment with the steering gear adjustment, beleive it or not there is a BIG difference between the two. 

Thinking sales persons tend to lump everything together with sweet sounding words like "Dead Spot", "normal" & "within spec" in response to unknown actual facts  :))
But everyone tends to reach their limits.

Sorry for maybe not being clearer on the steering wheel.  I changed from the bk vip wheel to the pc215l vip for the buttons relocation from the center to the edge and for the slightly different spoke angle. 

And then left it one spline off on installation to raise the left side a small amount.  Easier for me to use the slightly higher left spoke position to end up with a flatter spoke setup for crowned roads.  Harder on my hands to have the left spoke low and not as much rotation is available if needed for any correction if the left spoke is lower than flat across to start with.

Fun to test things. 

The interstates do not have much crown to them normally but the secondary roads seem to have more and we tend to be there more. 

Subtle differences I know and testing may show not needed but I am trying to get our coach to match my favorite driving position car.  Family bought a 1961 Cadillac sedan for long distance traveling.  Arm rest and door panel were the same height and the "v" spokes on the wheel matched your fingers natural resting angle exactly.

Effortless to drive long distances quickly.  Non radial tires rolled straight and rode smoothly so little steering correction was needed and the car floated on the road.    Lots of 700 miles days at 88mph and 11.25 mpg.

Past that speed the rear of the carb opened up and the mileage dropped quickly.

Spoiled me for what is possible.  Even the pc vip wheel still does not have enough "v" in the spokes for me.

But in some rv's you have to have fairly constant fairly large inputs to the wheel to keep it in the lane so not much at rest time actually occurs. Even in moderate steady winds almost no steering corrections are needed on our coach.  Must be a fair amount of caster in the settings?

CM at the unihome introduction in oct 87 mentioned designing the suspension like the euros do.  Around the tires.  There setting  of the suspension was for the specific michelin tires as originally equipped. At least back then that was what was stated.

Any tire switching  might require different settings to the front axle according to him when I asked about that. Sounds reasonable.







"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4