Question Workhorse W18 Suspension

[nlsjma]

I'm new to Class A coaches. I recently bought a 2010 Damon Daybreak 3211. It's on a 2009 Workhorse W18 chassis. I have a lot of sway and wander. I don't think it has sway bars or steering control mechanisms from the factory. I want to improve the steering. The wandering keeps me tense and stressed when driving. If anyone has any ideas, I would welcome them. I'm going to discuss with my RV repair shop but I would like to have a bit of knowledge before that discussion.

Thanks

 

[Joe Hogan]

If you are confident that the Repair shop is competent in suspension repair and is trustworthy, a full review of the operational status is a great first step. Once all the suspension components are deemed to be in good working order, check your weight and balance on a CAT scale to be sure. A competent shop should be able to recommend options for your specific chassis design. I have made many modifications to the suspension on my Class A: You might want to look at a few of my videos

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I think the first thing I would have done is an alignment. ”Wandering” is a symptom of alignment issues. And, absolutely determine that all the steering components (ball joints, bushings, etc.) are in good condition before having the alignment done. If that doesn’t resolve the problem, then I would think it is time for after-market solutions.

TJ

 

[High Desert]

Could be lots of things. Based on the age of the vehicle, bushings could have worn or deteriorated on steering components, shocks could be shot, etc. typically, on gas units, you see the following items added, replaced or upgraded: add a saf-t-steer stabilizer, add a rear Trac bar for “tail wag”. May want to upgrade sway bars, both front and rear. Upgrade shocks to Koni’s. The best starting point, though, is to get a 4 corner weight done, compute the needed tire pressure based on weights, and an alignment. Once this is done, the sky is the limit on how much you can spend, based on what you want to fix. We had Henderson’s go through our rig in Grants Pass, Or and could not be happier with the improvement in ride and handling.

 

[BGMAC]

I agree with getting your suspension checked and aligned, camber, caster, toe in/out and tire balance. All of this can be adjusted even with a straight front axle. If the place says they can’t do it all go to someone who can.

this helped a lot for me, but I still had sway when hitting ridges in the road so I put on an aftermarket steering stabilizer that really helped. Not nearly as stressed as I was. My next step would have been bigger sway bars, but it was not necessary for me.

 

[Jabber Jaw]

The one single thing you can do to improving the "wander" on a Workhorse chassis is to install a Saf-T-Plus steering stabilizer! I would then have the front end alignment done & also check the suspension bushings, etc.
Then the next thing to do which will almost eliminate the "tail wag" is to install an Ultra-Trac rear trac bar; from Brazel's Ultra RV.
And the third thing to do is install Koni shocks. which will improve the ride & the "lean"!
ALWAYS check & make sure you are running proper tire pressures for the weight of your coach!
Good Luck, & enjoy your RV!

www.ultrarv.com