Hi All. I have a 1998 Bounder built on a 1999 Chassis. Can someone please give me a list of "usual suspects" of what could be my front-end problem. First thing is going over bumps/small potholes, etc., the front end sounds like its going to rattle itself apart. I can feel it in the steering wheel and it seems as though the steering column/mechanism is making the rattling, but I'm not sure. I do not have any play in the steering wheel as far as steering is concerned and, letting go of the wheel, the motorhome stays pretty much where you put it. I have new shocks and swaybar links. Also, when I have the speed around 65mph, I hear something that sounds like a metal bar wobbling that goes away when I slow down. There's no difference in actual driving, it just sounds as if something is wobbling. My next move is to get my brother-in-law to look in the doghouse while I'm driving, but I was wondering if anyone had these issues and something fixed it. This motorhome only has 22,000 miles on it.
I also just installed Firestone Ride Right air springs. Pretty easy installation. The hardest part was drilling through the frame. **Even though the instructions have you put the top bracket on prior to installing the air connector, install the air connector first. Otherwise you'll be taking the top bracket off because there isn't enough room to make a full turn when screwing on the air connector.** They do make a difference in ride.
I not certain who makes the steering components for the Bounder but considering that the engine is a 8.1 GM engine the steering mechanism may also be made by GM. In the case that it is GM models, especially pickup models had a problem with the steering gear for several years. The early versions were covered by the warranty and a replacement mod was installed on those that had the problem. I can't remember what the part name was but if your vehicle was blessed with one of these engineering miracles and it went bad you would thing the front end of your vehicle was coming apart.
I'm sure someone familiar with this problem will have more info than myself.
Thanks for the reply but I do believe my motor is a Ford V10, not the chevy. I'm away from home right now and can't get to my documentation, but I've gotten several parts, most recently a starter relay, for a Ford motor. You are right in that I do think the front end is coming apart!
Just guessing, but if you crawl around underneath, the things i would check would be leaf spring shackles and hardware including leaf stack clips if equipped...but i would not stop there, as loose brake pads rattling in the calipers can magnify the sound and appear bigger than the underlying cause..check all mounts, links, fasteners and even front hood for proper closure as my southwind hood rattled like your sound..its likely not a steering box ready to fall out, but rather a relativly minor issue that will just take time to find..good luck,, darren
Thanks slumberguy. I'll check these out too. Does anyone know of any other aftermarket options, other than the Firestone Ride Rites that I installed, that work and reduce the jarring associated with the ride on this F53 chassis?
Broken leaf in spring, Shock mount,Shackle, dead shock,sway bar mounting bracket,loose steering box But that should give you a lot of play in steering.
Quick question...does the rattle go away if you brake? If so, check pad and calipers, if not, dont bother looking there...f53 rides a bit harsh, spray lube such as fluid film between leaf stack to lube leaf contact areas will help smooth out the road
Offline
.jpg)
Jim@HiTek
