The Alcoa experience

[al chernoff]

question: my G159s are at 60 lbs front and 55 back, or sometimes 65 front and
60 back... anyway, that's what I was told to use and you might scale back the
pressure and see if it helps.
al

>
> tires with 80 lb pressure, we took the coach on a trial run. It snaked it's
> way along the highway just as bad as with the old wheels and tires. Enough
> to make the knuckles white. >>
>
> Its not the tires. Look for something such as the alignment, steering box,
> sway bar bushings, wheel bearings, etc.
>
> Emery Stora
> 77 Kingsley
> Santa Fe, NM

 

[eieioh]

Maybe our expectations were too high. After installing Alcoas and E rated
tires with 80 lb pressure, we took the coach on a trial run. It snaked it's
way along the highway just as bad as with the old wheels and tires. Enough
to make the knuckles white. In fact, my wife figures it is worse than
before. And what she thinks matters. Before I spend anymore money, somebody
tell me what is going on here.

Bill Macdonald
77 Kingsley
Beaverton, Oregon

 

[john wright]

Bill,
If you had problems before you changed the tires and rims you still
going to have the same problems after, the alcoa's will make a good
coach ride better but cannot help if you have other serious problems.
If your shocks are bad, Steering box is loose, idler arm bushing worn,
worn bogie pins. My guess and 2 cents is that you need to check you
coach suspension over real good. Do you grease your bogie pins every 3K
miles? Was there play in the steering wheel before? What year is your
coach? How many Miles?

J.R. Wright
GMC GreatLakers
77 Eleganza II
Michigan

>
> Maybe our expectations were too high. After installing Alcoas and E rated
> tires with 80 lb pressure, we took the coach on a trial run. It snaked it's
> way along the highway just as bad as with the old wheels and tires. Enough
> to make the knuckles white. In fact, my wife figures it is worse than
> before. And what she thinks matters. Before I spend anymore money, somebody
> tell me what is going on here.
>
> Bill Macdonald
> 77 Kingsley
> Beaverton, Oregon

 

[henry davis]

>Maybe our expectations were too high. After installing Alcoas and E rated
>tires with 80 lb pressure, we took the coach on a trial run. It snaked it's
>way along the highway just as bad as with the old wheels and tires. Enough
>to make the knuckles white. In fact, my wife figures it is worse than
>before. And what she thinks matters. Before I spend anymore money, somebody
>tell me what is going on here.


Bill,

Switching from poly sidewall tires to steel sidewall will result in a
stiffer apparent ride. The additional sidewall stiffness can make the ride
seem harsher.

Chances are that you have one or more of the following conditions:

1. worn front end components
2. worn internals of the steering box
3. ride height misadjusted
4. worn bogie pins
5. rusted/frozen bogie pins
6. bad shocks
7. out of alignment

There's also the chance that you may have rusted frame members that cause
alignment to be very far off or flex causing a change in steering geometry.

I'd suggest that you start with the ride height. Make certain the ride
height is correct. If not, adjust it per the manual to the correct height
and test drive the coach.

This alone is unlikely to cure your problem. So, the next step is on to
checking the front end. You'll need to follow the manual for checking ball
joints etc. A dial indicator is a big help - and it eliminates the
"guesstimates" that happen sometimes when checking the front end. IF the
ball joints are within spec, I'd leave them alone since replacing them can
cause other problems. Check the linkages as well for wear.

Next check the steering universal "slip" joint. I found that mine was
severely worn after less than 65k miles. Check this by grasping the lower
portion of the joint with one hand and the upper with the other. Twist in
opposite directions to check for play. A few degrees can make the coach a
wanderer.

Jack the bogies off the ground one side at a time and check for play in the
pins. This is also a good time to grease the pins.

Since the rear shocks act in both directions, it's possible that you have a
bad shock. Check them out and make sure that they are good.

Now it's time for a good all wheel alignment.

IF all of this fails to correct the problem, chances are that you have a
problem in the steering box. Cinnabar reports that there is a pin in the
box that wears even when the rest of the gear is fine. This can contribute
to the wander problem.

Let us know the condition of your suspension if you know so that we can
give you some specific recommendations.

Henry

 

[wayne newland]

Al This is one time that I will have to disagree with you. Keep those G159's at
full pressure, unless you want to replace them soon. This from my Goodyear
manager that takes care of my fleet.

Wayne Newland F9300 75 Palm Beach Columbia, Md

> question: my G159s are at 60 lbs front and 55 back, or sometimes 65 front and
> 60 back... anyway, that's what I was told to use and you might scale back the
> pressure and see if it helps.
> al
>

>

> >
> > > tires with 80 lb pressure, we took the coach on a trial run. It snaked it's
> > way along the highway just as bad as with the old wheels and tires. Enough
> > to make the knuckles white. >>
> >
> > Its not the tires. Look for something such as the alignment, steering box,
> > sway bar bushings, wheel bearings, etc.
> >
> > Emery Stora
> > 77 Kingsley
> > Santa Fe, NM

 

[alan bredbury]

Bill, I don't know about your situation but I am in
the process of re-doing the front end and will be
putting my new Alcoas on next week. Things to check,
Ball joints, mine were bad. Rear bushings and pins. I
have read somewhere that the steering box must be set
up correctly as there is no slop when centered
properly but it is designed to have slop when in a
turn. I may not be using the correct terminology here
but there is an idler arm? the link from the steering
box goes to an arm that actuates the bar that has the
tie rod ends on it. The arm that I am refering to has
a bolt through it that holds it to the main front
cross member of the frame. (that should allow you to
figure out which part it is even though I don't have
the right name) This arm had about .050" vertical slop
up and down the bushing on my unit. This allowed the
wheels to move about 3/8 of an inch, I removed most of
the slop. Finally wheel alignment. Hope this helps at
lease some ideas.

>Maybe our expectations were too high. After
>installing Alcoas and E rated tires with 80 lb
>pressure, we took the coach on a trial run. It snaked
>it's way along the highway just as bad as with the
>old wheels and tires.
>Enough to make the knuckles white. In fact, my wife
>figures it is worse than before. And what she thinks
>matters. Before I spend anymore money,somebody tell
>me what is going on here.

>Bill Macdonald
>77 Kingsley
>Beaverton, Oregon

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[al chernoff]

What is full pressure?... The info to me came from Don Wirth who worked for goodyear
for 40+years... What do you think they should be set at? The front is heavier that
the rear, so I assume the front pressure should be higher.
al

> Al This is one time that I will have to disagree with you. Keep those G159's at
> full pressure, unless you want to replace them soon. This from my Goodyear
> manager that takes care of my fleet.
>
> Wayne Newland F9300 75 Palm Beach Columbia, Md
>

>
> > question: my G159s are at 60 lbs front and 55 back, or sometimes 65 front and
> > 60 back... anyway, that's what I was told to use and you might scale back the
> > pressure and see if it helps.
> > al
> >

> >

> > >
> > > > > tires with 80 lb pressure, we took the coach on a trial run. It snaked it's
> > > way along the highway just as bad as with the old wheels and tires. Enough
> > > to make the knuckles white. >>
> > >
> > > Its not the tires. Look for something such as the alignment, steering box,
> > > sway bar bushings, wheel bearings, etc.
> > >
> > > Emery Stora
> > > 77 Kingsley
> > > Santa Fe, NM