| Author | Message | ||
| Russell Beam (Rcbeam)
Registered Member Username: Rcbeam Post Number: 1 Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 74.131.50.239  Rating: N/A |
My MC8 has way too much play in the steering. Works me to death keeping her in the lane. Have had it in the shop for months now fixing various things. Steering issue was diagnosed as worn out steering gear box. Mine has power assist cylinder. Said no wonder she was hard to drive. Rest of the steering was fine. Any idea from you experts on which way to go now? Should I just replace it with a rebuilt or used, or should I convert to integral steering. I'm running out of funds, and still have a genset and batt bank to buy and install before I can travel. Any ideas or opinions will be much appreciated. Also any info on costs of either? Russell MC8, Lexington Ky | ||
| Jim Wilke (Jim Bob) (Pd41044039)
Registered Member Username: Pd41044039 Post Number: 520 Registered: 2-2001 Posted From: 184.0.3.170 Rating: N/A |
Due to the design, an assist cylinder will never be as tight as integral power steering. I'd find a good used integral box and linkage and be rid of the cylinder. I have replaced or rebuilt my whole steering system and the best I can do is about 1" of play. By the way, if you have a small steering wheel it will be worse to drive than the original big wheel. Another thing you can do is weigh the coach and run reduced pressure in the front tires that matches the weight on that axle. Hard tires will wander. | ||
| steve wardwell (Steve_wardwell)
Registered Member Username: Steve_wardwell Post Number: 42 Registered: 2-2010 Posted From: 75.200.45.121  Rating: N/A |
drove our rig back from Utah with 11" of play in the wheel.Kinda exciting. dropped it off at ABC in Orlando and said fix it! and then paid dearly for integral power, installed turnkey 5 K. however it steers like a new car 1/2" if that | ||
| Ralph Peters (Ralph7)
Registered Member Username: Ralph7 Post Number: 130 Registered: 3-2004 Posted From: 69.97.184.92 Rating: N/A |
I called Sam Caylor and had him send me the integral kit, and instructions, it has a learning curve. Not done yet my wife is in bad shape, so work on bus is slow. You need good cutting, grinding, welding, patiance to do the job. Or take the bus to Sam's and have them do the change over. I am nearly done, needed to cut floor and a brace to make things work. Nick Russell had their bus done and wondered why they had waited so long, no more herding the bus. Oh my front tires were at 90psi and same wander as 105psi. Just give Sam a call. | ||
| George M. Todd (George_todd)
Registered Member Username: George_todd Post Number: 1066 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 99.184.9.29 Rating: N/A |
Russ, Your bus and mine drove just fine when they were new. Mine didn't when I bought it, but after taking out nearly all of the 3/8 toe in it had, and 6 turns on the box adjustment, it steers fine. A bus with a really loose steering box, and proper caster will go straight with very little correction. As money is an issue, I would take it to another truck front end shop, and ask them to show you that the adjustment screw won't turn in any further, (with the lock nut loose!) If the rest of the alignment settings aren't correct, the bus won't steer well with an integral box. Welcome, and don't get under an aired-up air ride bus, or between the tires and the wheel wells, without blocking it properly at the jacking points. G | ||
| Roger Baughman (Roger)
Registered Member Username: Roger Post Number: 173 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 69.232.66.47  Rating: N/A |
Russ, I had the same problem with my 1984 MCI9. I had about 6" of streeing wheel play. I purchased a kit from steersafe.com and I received what looks like a huge shock. Onew end clamped on to one of the front kacking points and the other end clamps on to the streeing rod. My bus drives like a dream. If you go to their web site, you will see some sort of a duel spring set up. I talked to the company owner and all he ask me was the size of my steering rod and the size of the jacking point. I t cost about $500.00, but well worth it to me. Hope this helps, Roger | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1882 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 174.91.146.84  Rating: |
Row, row, row, your coach... and, if anything in the rear is wrong, it wanders. Often overlooked, tag bushings, radius rods in the back loose, it'll "steer" the bus. As noted, loose steering doesn't make a coach wander, alignment and out of spec suspension parts do. Also, a novice driver can "oversteer" the coach, kinda hard to explain in writing, but sight line is usually too short, looking too close in front, constant over-correction becomes self-induced see-sawing from side to side. Often accompanied by two hands gripping the wheel. Solution, eyes up, looking at the smallest dot on the horizon, let one of those hands go, until they learn to drive. For this purpose, hold wheel with one hand at the bottom. Can't do much in the way of over-correction from there... After the fighting between left and right brain/hands stops, and the coach stops wandering, return hands to a more traditional "ready for action" wheel location. happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| Russell Beam (Rcbeam)
Registered Member Username: Rcbeam Post Number: 2 Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 72.250.169.58 Rating: |
To everyone that has taken the time to reply to my query, a BIG thank you for all the opinions and information. I have talked to Bill @ US COACH and someone at SAM CAYLOR. Caylor's can do an integral conversion, turnkey 1 day in/out for $2k with good used parts. I really don't have anyone around here that I feel is qualified to do the work, either converting it or just fixing what is wrong. FTR, I do have bad radius rod bushings on the rear, both sides, so I'm having that done here as soon as the bushing come it. Also I think I need some road time to learn to drive it better because I probably am fighting it too much. I'll keep you all posted on how this progresses. | ||
| Russell Beam (Rcbeam)
Registered Member Username: Rcbeam Post Number: 4 Registered: 11-2009 Posted From: 74.131.50.239 Rating: N/A |
I picked up the coach this evening from the shop. Had 4 radius rod bushings replaced on the back, both sides. On the way across town, it steered SO much better although I'm still going to have Carlor's install the integral steering as soon as I can arrange it. So BUSWARRIER you were right on the money with the bad radius rod bushings steering the bus and also I needed to learn to relax and stop fighting it. Now that I have the coach back I have lots of work to do to make it 'trip worthy' on the inside. The trip to Kansas from Kentucky for the steering conversion will be my first trip and I'm excited. I'll keep you all posted as this continues to unfold. |
