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Dog tracking

Have any of you ever experienced dog tracking. When Im driving down the road, the rear end of the coach is 10-12 inches closer to the centerline than the front
Mike and Rocel
'02 U320 4010
Build 5949 MC 17565
'11 Jeep Grand Cherokee Towd
Sun City West, AZ

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #1
Assuming your shocks,tires and pressure,alignment,front bearings are in good order,may be your torque rod bushings.Others will soon chime in.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #2
For one reason or another your rear axle isn't parallel to your front axle.  You sir, have a problem.  It's repairable but it needs to be addressed.
1992 Foretravel Grand Villa
U225 SBID Build No. 4134
1986 Rockwood Driftwood
1968 S.I.A.T.A. Spring
1962 Studebaker Lark
1986 Honda VF700C
1983 Honda VF750C
Charlie, the Dog was broken out of jail 24 Oct 2023
N1RPN
AA1OH (H)e who must be obeyed.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #3
Check bushings, and also bulkhead. Could be serious so don't wait.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #4
2-6 in  is pretty common. 6-10 is too much. Should be easy to find . Measure the tire gap to fenders and go from there.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #5
You must have some spectacular tire wear issues, no?
"Not so  long ago we were a nation of risk takers, riding five million pounds of  thrust straight into space."  Joe Gresh
Chuck Pearson
1996 U295
2018 Can Am X3 TurboRS


Re: Dog tracking

Reply #7
Mike,

Can you give us some more details like:
did this happen all at once (like something broke)
has it been getting worse slowly (like something wearing out)
did you just get the coach and that is how it drove on the way home

Can you post some pics of the suspension parts that hold the axles in place (trailing arms/torque tubes and panhard bar) and the bulkhead area.  If you have to get under the coach for even pics. use your safety blocks. If you can post pics. some of us may be able to see something amiss.

Mike
Pamela & Mike 97 U 320

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #8
mikeshort09
I can't help but wonder, where did you measure this discrepancy?
Was it in the rear view mirror? If so, its an optical illusion. Perhaps, I am just naive but your distance off just seems to be very unrealistic.
OR, are you all putting me on?
No RV! Have hung up the keys.
In the past: 2016 Winnebago Era, 1994 Foretravel U240, 1995 Foretravel U240 (wide body), 1999 Foretravel 320, 36 Foot, 2003 Foretravel U320 38 foot,

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #9
Need more feedback from Mr. Mike.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #10
Not to make fun of his problem but has anyone heard that term before?
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #11
Just to underscore the seriousness of this problem, here are two quick tests.

1) at about 30 MPH take your feet off the pedals and pull the parking brake.  If the rear axle doesn't come adrift you're good to go.

2) Find a grade crossing on a down hill stretch of road, up hill works as well but see #1 above.  Anyway drive downhill across the grade crossing at 30 MPH.  If the front suspension doesn't come adrift, you're good to go. 

We helped weld the front suspension into a friend's Corvair twice, same grade crossing, before we moved him into a 1953 Cranbrook.  Pretty hard to kill a Chrysler product.

I inadvertently performed the grade crossing trick with the previous RV, I lost 2-glass pie dishes when the tires met the road again.

Taking well lit video or still images and posting it to the forum is good insurance against future problems.
1992 Foretravel Grand Villa
U225 SBID Build No. 4134
1986 Rockwood Driftwood
1968 S.I.A.T.A. Spring
1962 Studebaker Lark
1986 Honda VF700C
1983 Honda VF750C
Charlie, the Dog was broken out of jail 24 Oct 2023
N1RPN
AA1OH (H)e who must be obeyed.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #12
Not to make fun of his problem but has anyone heard that term before?

In the days before 4-wheel alignment machinery, dog tracking was a symptom of a bad collision repair.  Slight dog tracking can be caused by a single failed suspension bushing.
1992 Foretravel Grand Villa
U225 SBID Build No. 4134
1986 Rockwood Driftwood
1968 S.I.A.T.A. Spring
1962 Studebaker Lark
1986 Honda VF700C
1983 Honda VF750C
Charlie, the Dog was broken out of jail 24 Oct 2023
N1RPN
AA1OH (H)e who must be obeyed.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #13
Not to make fun of his problem but has anyone heard that term before?

YES.

Dog-tracking is the correct term and generally caused by one side of an axle (generally rear) being forward/behind the other side.

Checking for wear on bushings locating the axles is where I would start.
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #14
Not to make fun of his problem but has anyone heard that term before?

Yup.  Have also heard it termed "dog legging". 
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

Lifetime Escapees' member SKP 82766
Former 1999 30IB Lazy Daze (2000-2004)
Former 2003 U320 (2004-2016)
Former 2017 LTV Unity (2017-2023)
Shopping for our next coach

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #15
Will pass on the #12 "trick".
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #16

Where's your sense of adventure?

I only wanted to point out that on an 18 year old vehicle with semi-monocoque construction, finding the cause of the dog tracking is not to be taken lightly.  At the same time we should remind mikeshort09 that the truss frame construction makes repair simple if time consuming.
1992 Foretravel Grand Villa
U225 SBID Build No. 4134
1986 Rockwood Driftwood
1968 S.I.A.T.A. Spring
1962 Studebaker Lark
1986 Honda VF700C
1983 Honda VF750C
Charlie, the Dog was broken out of jail 24 Oct 2023
N1RPN
AA1OH (H)e who must be obeyed.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #17
Here in So. Cal. the truckers call it crab crawling. On the early rear leaf spring suspensions it was the dowel in one of the leaf springs was sheared and the spring shifted.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #18
Where's your sense of adventure?

I only wanted to point out that on an 18 year old vehicle with semi-monocoque construction, finding the cause of the dog tracking is not to be taken lightly.  At the same time we should remind mikeshort09 that the truss frame construction makes repair simple if time consuming.


Agreed-- it may be something complex/difficult.

But, I always start by checking the easy/cheap things first.  Bushings, bushings, bushings.  If play in them the axle is no longer located where it should be.
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #19
Agreed-- it may be something complex/difficult.

But, I always start by checking the easy/cheap things first.  Bushings, bushings, bushings.  If play in them the axle is no longer located where it should be.

RE bushings...  Our previous coach, a 1998 Monaco, had bushing issues.  Most were bad, some were completely gone.  That allowed a slight shift in the steering to adjust suspension components almost 1.5 inches.

If you want to know about replacing bushings, I did all of them.  Not too technical, but brutal, nasty, greasy work.
Matt B
1998 u-320

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #20
When we first got our coach we noticed it was a little difficult to steer.

Rudy Legett recommended an alignment shop called big truck alignment which is located at 515 South US Highway 69 in Huntington Texas. Their phone number is 936-465-0701.

They performed a two axle alignment and my rear axle was off approximately 2 inches to the left from the center .

I have read on the forum that there were a few model years including mine that were not aligned properly during the manufacturing process.

Big difference after the alignment was done and the coach is a lot easier to steer.
Frank & Daisy
NO LONGER  "looking for the perfect Foretravel
36' or less non slide preferred."  She has been found and is ours.
2003 U320 36' non slide  Unit 6103
Cummins ISM 450
Allison 4000MH

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #21
From LT's post I would find out from Foretravel if the posters coach is in that catagory,but still check all the obvious components.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #22
Agreed-- it may be something complex/difficult.

But, I always start by checking the easy/cheap things first.  Bushings, bushings, bushings.  If play in them the axle is no longer located where it should be.

Soooo Too much doom and gloom?  Imagine how relieved the OP will be when he pays the bill for a four-wheel alignment.  And maybe a couple of bushings.  And the entire bay floor from bulkhead to bulkhead.  And has to hire lawyers to fight the shop for the broken windshields after they drop it.  Far enough?
1992 Foretravel Grand Villa
U225 SBID Build No. 4134
1986 Rockwood Driftwood
1968 S.I.A.T.A. Spring
1962 Studebaker Lark
1986 Honda VF700C
1983 Honda VF750C
Charlie, the Dog was broken out of jail 24 Oct 2023
N1RPN
AA1OH (H)e who must be obeyed.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #23
Have seen it for years on many posts of this nature,for whatever the reason when the original poster answers quickly and responds
to questions and opinions the speculation and "doom and gloom" is much less,when they post and don't get back for awhile the
opinions keep going on.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.

Re: Dog tracking

Reply #24
I'm getting like the guy on the first Dirty Harry movie,"I gots to know" what happened.
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.