Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

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Coach/suspension Damage From Torquing While Off-Roading

April 09, 2021, 03:03:34 pm

Well I got myself into a bit of a pickle on FR525 south of Sedona. Long story short is that I'm in a dispersed camping area And my front driver's tire is rubbing on the rear bag and the front passenger tire is rubbing on the front bag. I don't see any bent or broken bolts on the drag links and the axle is seemingly straight when I measure it at both ends from the rest of the coach. I do see what I am pretty sure is a blown bushing on one of the drag links. I have a HDT repair company on their way out but fear we'll end up towing it out of here. Since I can't straighten the front wheels, I imagine we are going to have to drop the drive shaft and tow it with the rear wheels on the ground. If it comes to that, is that the correct way to tow it?

Thanks, as usual.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #1 – April 09, 2021, 03:11:16 pm

Better to pull the drive shafts and use covers to retain the lube oil in the rear axle.

Yes, this assumes you can't identify what is broken and repair where it sits-- would sure be worth spending some $$ on a truck suspension guy interested in moonlighting. Really NOT that complex!

If you have a question, post picture and we can help.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #2 – April 09, 2021, 03:11:35 pm

A big rig tow truck driver will know how to do it. The sled slides under the front axle and lifts the whole thing up. Mine was towed with driveshaft disconnected.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #3 – April 09, 2021, 03:19:17 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – April 09, 2021, 03:11:16 pm

Yes, this assumes you can't identify what is broken and repair where it sits-- would sure be worth spending some $$ on a truck suspension guy interested in moonlighting. Really NOT that complex!

If you have a question, post picture and we can help.

Thank you. I had to come over some twisty/uneven ground getting in and it was enough to trick the front ride height valve into dumping all the air. That then loaded a bunch of eight on the front drivers tire and brought the passenger side tire up off the ground by an inch.

I crawled around all morning looking for something bent or broken and the most I found was bad bushings on a drag link. I am attaching photos of each end of the drag link.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #4 – April 09, 2021, 03:22:37 pm

As always, ONLY crawl under if your safety stands are in place.

Are you at the correct ride height? Pretty easy for the ride height linkage to come loose.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #5 – April 09, 2021, 03:26:25 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – April 09, 2021, 03:22:37 pm

As always, ONLY crawl under if your safety stands are in place.

Are you at the correct ride height? Pretty easy for the ride height linkage to come loose.

I've been getting very familiar with my safety stands lately

I did not measure for the 8" in travel mode but when they're bottomed out or fully extended, I get the same issue

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #6 – April 09, 2021, 03:27:15 pm

Photos of bushings hopefully attached?

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #7 – April 09, 2021, 03:32:04 pm

Ya, they need to be replaced, BUT sure don't look like they have allowed the link to be displaced enough to substantially relocate the axle.

That is what you are looking for-- not just cracked bushing, but DISPLACEMENT that allows excessive movement.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #8 – April 09, 2021, 03:37:13 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – April 09, 2021, 03:32:04 pm

That is what you are looking for-- not just cracked bushing, but DISPLACEMENT that allows excessive movement.

My untrained eye couldn't find anything. Nothing looked bent, bolts and nuts looked flush, and all the welds looked good without any cracking. I'm hoping this guy that's coming out will have a keener eye.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #9 – April 09, 2021, 03:53:01 pm

The bushing is not the problem .
Move the bus to flatter ground and look around some more .

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #10 – April 09, 2021, 04:12:04 pm

Make sure your front ride height valve linkage hasn't flipped 180* and isn't controlling the ride height correctly.

Mine did that after jacking up the front too high while in the shop.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #11 – April 09, 2021, 04:22:46 pm

Have you tried rolling the coach over with the HWH panel in manual. Left to right and back? Sounds like you got something hung up bound up, can't imagine having front tire a inch off the ground unless it's really being twisted bad
Scott

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #12 – April 09, 2021, 04:30:28 pm

Quote from: Elliott – April 09, 2021, 03:03:34 pm

Well I got myself into a bit of a pickle on FR525 south of Sedona. Long story short is that I'm in a dispersed camping area And my front driver's tire is rubbing on the rear bag and the front passenger tire is rubbing on the front bag. I don't see any bent or broken bolts on the drag links and the axle is seemingly straight when I measure it at both ends from the rest of the coach. I do see what I am pretty sure is a blown bushing on one of the drag links. I have a HDT repair company on their way out but fear we'll end up towing it out of here. Since I can't straighten the front wheels, I imagine we are going to have to drop the drive shaft and tow it with the rear wheels on the ground. If it comes to that, is that the correct way to tow it?

Thanks, as usual.

If the front tires are pointed straight and rubbing on the air springs it's possible the axle has moved relative to the suspension. Check where the axle is bolted to the suspension; 4 large bolts/nuts on both sides.

For a short tow in the camping area you shouldn't need to disconnect the driveline. If you need to tow it any distance, pull both axle shafts and put hub covers on. Brett mentioned this in the first reply, except he said pull the drive shafts. I think he meant to say pull the axle shafts.

At this point, you probably don't need to hear this but, try to avoid driving on heavily twisting terrain. I've been in a similar situation where had I continued forward, probably would have had a result similar to yours. I backed out of it.

I hope everything works out well for you.

Greg

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #13 – April 09, 2021, 04:50:25 pm

Depending upon the situation, you might try raising the LR ride height, and/or lowering the RR ride height enough to get the RF back on the ground and the LF off of the wheel well; if that's the case. If you do this, mark the ride height rods before hand so you can easily put it back to where it was.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #14 – April 09, 2021, 05:11:44 pm

Well his eyes (and a straight ended) found it. All four drag links are bent.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #15 – April 09, 2021, 05:37:28 pm

Quote from: Elliott – April 09, 2021, 05:11:44 pm

Well his eyes (and a straight ended) found it. All four drag links are bent.

And the A frames...

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #16 – April 09, 2021, 05:59:12 pm

Google "drag link"

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #17 – April 09, 2021, 06:22:26 pm

Quote from: Elliott – April 09, 2021, 05:37:28 pm

And the A frames...

I think you are jumping to a conclusion.
Looking at your two pics I see misalignment due to bushing wear, no bending of either suspension component. Get your coach to even ground and look again.

Tim

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #18 – April 09, 2021, 07:41:36 pm

I can't conceive of how that could happen unless a PO went full "Wile E Coyote" off road with the coach. Fingers crossed it's not that serious Elliot.

Quote from: Elliott – April 09, 2021, 05:37:28 pm

And the A frames...

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #19 – April 09, 2021, 08:20:44 pm

Welp, this'll be a fun learning experience to bestow on the next generation of Foretravelers someday.

After talking with the repair guy that came out today, insurance, an RV body shop, and Keith R. I think it might be repairable. The repair guy today thinks it's probably totaled. Time will tell. I have a speciality wrecker/accident recovery company coming out tomorrow morning to get it out and tow it down to Phoenix and then I'll have a frame specialist get a laser on the frame and see just how bad it is.

I've been secretly waiting for a chance to experience something that hasn't been documented here on the forum. Lol.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #20 – April 09, 2021, 09:03:24 pm

I'm still in the dark about what happened to your coach to go from normal to your present situation. Did you go off the road? What exactly happened?

The bent parts in question are just tubing. Easily made, welded, etc. and steel is cheap.

Pierce

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #21 – April 09, 2021, 09:04:11 pm

If it can be built it can be repaired. If, by "A frames", you're referring the parts where the trailing arms attach to the suspension, so long as the trailing arm mounts on the frame aren't messed up too bad, the front suspension could be pulled and likely repaired without too much trouble; heavy lifting, but pretty straight forward work. If the windshield didn't move in the rubber the chassis is probably not twisted.

Part of what makes these coaches so darned good on the road also makes them less off road worthy. 8 inches of twist in the "roadway" between the axles is about the limit, since only the front suspension has real torsional compliance. Even 8 inches of twist puts torsional load on the front trailing arms and their mounting points. That's why the trailing (and the Panhard) arm bushings have to be made of something elastic. If the trailing arm bushing were not compliant something else have to give. The rear, since it has a height control valve on each side, will only allow brief "roll" before the valves inflate/deflate the springs to maintain ride height, so the rear suspension travel shouldn't be included in factoring how much roadway twist the suspension can accommodate.

Sorry to hear of your woes, but looking forward to your post that you're back on the road.

Greg

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #22 – April 09, 2021, 09:55:14 pm

Quote from: MisterEd – April 09, 2021, 09:04:11 pm

If the windshield didn't move in the rubber the chassis is probably not twisted.

So we did crack the windshield(s) in three different places for what that's worth.

I'll follow up tomorrow with more details. I'm currently making significant head way on taking the edge off.

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #23 – April 09, 2021, 10:24:29 pm

Quote from: TGordon – April 09, 2021, 05:59:12 pm

Google "drag link"

Yes, I agree. I don't think "drag link" is the proper term...if I understand the discussion so far.

I think "torque tube" or "trailing arm" is more accurate. See thread linked below:

Trailing Arm Service (aka: Torque Tubes)

Re: Towing rig from front

Reply #24 – April 10, 2021, 12:36:14 am

Quote from: Elliott – April 09, 2021, 09:55:14 pm

So we did crack the windshield(s) in three different places for what that's worth.

I'll follow up tomorrow with more details. I'm currently making significant head way on taking the edge off.

Was scared to check back and see how things were going. Seems worse than I imagined. I guess you will be inducted into the Foretravel off-road group? Greg is spot on in regards to limited articulation. Rear is basically is locked to chassis with only what is available with the front end. Eight inches out of level front to rear is easily reached and once you said that a front tire was off the ground this was exceeded painfully. I do agree that all bent items can be repaired.
Sorry to see anyone have to go threw this painful lesson.
Scott

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