If you have an older coach like 73 or 74, please inspect the lower control arms regularly. If you are a typical owner that does 3~4K per year, annual
may just do, but if you do more than that, this schedule should be adjusted. If you plan to work the coach hard, get lower arms that have been
reinforced or those from a newer coach. (Maybe both) The place you need to inspect is where the lower ball joint is attached and this is not easy to
do, but it is a good thing to do any time you are there.
Some of you may remember that I had a problem on the road a little over a year gone by.
The whole story is a lot longer and I am not to going to relate it all now, but on the backhaul of what was supposed to be a 2200 mile excursion, a
failed lower control arm put us in the ditch in the median at 60mph. We were not injured, but poor Chaumière required a lot to be limped home and
then a lot more to be fully capable again. For that I still have to thank Jeff Sirum and Duane Webber. Duane is a brand new old friend from the
black list and a retired farmer. This is the kind of person you need to have help you in such a situation.
On examining the failed components (I did do this for OEs for a few years) it was clear the even with the lower control arm reinforced as recommended
by a GM service bulletin, the additional strength was not adequate to the task. In actual fact, the failure had probably started several thousand
miles before the event in South Carolina got our attention. Now this is a '73 with 170+K on the Odo, so that is a good benchmark for when to start
worrying.
The complete write up may follow when I have more historical perspective.
Matt
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Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
