Remember that GM designed this coach from scratch as evidenced by the
different CV shaft lengths between the Toronado and the GMC coach. They
could have made the track widths the same but did not. They made the tracks
different for a reason, it handles and rides better. The wiggle factor does
not come from the different track widths, or the air bag system, it comes
from improperly set up and maintained coaches. Ask some of the owners that
have an almost new,low mileage, original coachs and see. None of the
steering or wiggle problems others are trying to solve. Just what i have
found out by talking to others at rallys and on the net.
regards,
Tom: I would beg to differ on you with this one. I have talked with
numerous people about the track widths and nobody has given me something
close to a good reason for why they designed it this way (including Wes
Caughlin who said that he had no idea -- which struck me as the only time
that I have ever found Wes not to have a strong opinion about anything on
the GMC). I don't believe for a minute that they designed it this way
because it rides better. My money says that it would ride just the same. I
have also been told that road rutting was not a big issue in those days (as
many of the highways were quite new or better maintained ie. governments
had more money to spend on infrastructure maintenance).
I have come to two conclusions as the why of the design (both of which are
pure speculation on my part):
1. The differing track widths were pretty standard on RV's with duallies
(which seemed to me to be quite common around that time). The indented
front wheels may have been seen to be consistent with the "design" paradigm
of early seventies RV's.
2. The wider track (to match the back wheels) would have created a wider
turning circle. The Toronado width was definitely too narrow for the design
but the turning circle is the only drawback that I can see to the "full
width" wider wheel set.
Vic Marks
75 Transmode
different CV shaft lengths between the Toronado and the GMC coach. They
could have made the track widths the same but did not. They made the tracks
different for a reason, it handles and rides better. The wiggle factor does
not come from the different track widths, or the air bag system, it comes
from improperly set up and maintained coaches. Ask some of the owners that
have an almost new,low mileage, original coachs and see. None of the
steering or wiggle problems others are trying to solve. Just what i have
found out by talking to others at rallys and on the net.
regards,
Tom: I would beg to differ on you with this one. I have talked with
numerous people about the track widths and nobody has given me something
close to a good reason for why they designed it this way (including Wes
Caughlin who said that he had no idea -- which struck me as the only time
that I have ever found Wes not to have a strong opinion about anything on
the GMC). I don't believe for a minute that they designed it this way
because it rides better. My money says that it would ride just the same. I
have also been told that road rutting was not a big issue in those days (as
many of the highways were quite new or better maintained ie. governments
had more money to spend on infrastructure maintenance).
I have come to two conclusions as the why of the design (both of which are
pure speculation on my part):
1. The differing track widths were pretty standard on RV's with duallies
(which seemed to me to be quite common around that time). The indented
front wheels may have been seen to be consistent with the "design" paradigm
of early seventies RV's.
2. The wider track (to match the back wheels) would have created a wider
turning circle. The Toronado width was definitely too narrow for the design
but the turning circle is the only drawback that I can see to the "full
width" wider wheel set.
Vic Marks
75 Transmode
