Workhorse W22 Drivability/ Handling

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Heli_av8tor

Heli_av8tor

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I'm not holding myself out as an expert, but here's my experience. I purchased a 2004 Pace Arrow, 38', W22, 8.1 Triton. This is my first Class A, having owned a small Class C 25 years ago.

It pulled to the right so I got an alignment and checked for worn steering components (all ok). It had a Safe T Steer already installed.

It didn't pull anymore, but it had to be constantly steered to stay in my lane. Better hang on when passed by a semi.

I attended a seminar by Rallies R Us. Chip described my coaches handling and said he could fix it by installing a trac bar and an anti sway bar front and rear. He claimed it would be a day/night difference.

I decided to try it. He was right! Driving no longer needs constant steering corrections. Steering is much more positive. The sway from all causes is greatly reduced as is driving fatigue.

Refreshing to have results live up to a salesmans claim.

Tom


 
Yes, a track bar (panhard rod) is probably the single best upgrade for any coach with a leaf spring suspension. Whether Workhorse or Ford.  This and more is covered in the RVForum Library article titled Motorhome Handling Primer.

Motorhome Handling

Late model Ford F53 chassis have one factory installed.
 
I did much the same thing on my W-22  Just a front Trac-Bar.. BIG Differnece

There are a few areas where handling can be improved on many RV's

Sway: Side to side rocking like Fans at a Rock Concert  (Lean to the right, then to the left)  Sway Bars do their best to control this.  Workhorse chassis do not always need this improvement as Workhorse put on a HD sway bar at the factory.

Wag: (Front goes one way when rear goes other, Common with leaf springs Not possible with Strut or Independent front suspension)  Trac Bar, as you notied

What happens here is this. Leaf springs allow some side to side as well as up/down motion, if the front moves right, which the rear moes left, then they swap, swap, swap.. Well you think you are moving right/left/right/left and correct,, constantly and keep "over correcting" since you are actually going straight.. Trac bars LOCK the body over the axle, 100% stopping this behaviour for the axle they are mounted on. Very effective.


Steering Stablizers.. Try to keep you going straight ahead.

Of course, many RV's are not factory aligned, so an alignment shop can also improve things.
 
Gary:  I read that primer a few months ago and I guess it just didn't sink into my thick head. At that time I hadn't driven enough miles to fully appreciate just how bad my coach handled. I figured I was spoiled by only driving vehicles with rack and pinion steering and just had to get used to the MH.

However, on my way to the Indiana rally I was in a construction area that abruptly shifted me from the right lane onto the very off-camber shoulder. There was almost no warning that this was coming. It darn near threw me head-on into a cement barricade. I was going 50 mph, 5 under the posted 55 mph construction speed limit. But that was still too fast. A white knuckle experience I didn't need nor want to repeat.

John:  I had the front trac bar and sway bar done first and the difference was amazing. But I could feel the toad pushing the back around. Now the back is done too. I can tell there is further improvement but don't have enough driving time to appreciate how much.

Are you referring to those square tubes that attach to the springs close to the chassis end as anti-sway bars? I just can't see how they could have much effect on sway. There was no other device on my 2004 WH22 to counter sway.

Tom
 
First it isn't a Triton it is a Vortec. Triton is Ford.
The front and rear antisway bars do a lot. GM calls them stabilizer shafts. Depending on when your chassis was built - many 2004 model motor homes have 2003 model year chassis, you may have the 2 inch front stabilizer bar. If so changing it to the 2.5 inch that went into production in Sep of 2003 will make a LOT of difference. If you want the part number, installation info, and where they can be bought let me know. The installation is easy, I did mine myself
 
Hmmm. Looks like I had a senior moment when writing my OP and called the engine a Triton. You are correct, it is a Vortec. I have it listed right in my signature.

Thanks, Tom
 
Heli_av8tor said:
Hmmm. Looks like I had a senior moment when writing my OP and called the engine a Triton. You are correct, it is a Vortec. I have it listed right in my signature.

Thanks, Tom
Click to expand...


I have those from time to time myself. But in order to not denigrate seniors I now call them liberal moments. I don't care if I upset a liberal ;) .
 
Hard to imagine the toad pushing the back around. Does the toad have brakes? How heavy is it?  If you are feeling sideways pressures from the toad in normal maneuvering, something sounds wrong to me.

You can't drive a tall, top-heavy vehicle like a car. It doesn't respond well in turns and stops. Speed limits set for passenger cars are quite likely to be too high for motorhomes.

There are enhanced anti-sway bar systems available for the WH chassis. Here are a couple:

https://www.etrailer.com/vm/Workhorse/W-Series/swaybars
http://www.supersteerparts.com/products/motorhome--rv/class-a/workhorse-chassis/workhorse-w20w22w24.html
http://www.sdtrucksprings.com/sway-bars-hellwig/workhorse
 
Well it likely wasn't the car actually pushing the rear of the MH side to side but that's the feeling it gave me after the front trac and sway bars were installed. Before installation the front was so bad I didn't notice the rear misbehaving.

Thanks for the links. However, I've already purchased from Rally's r us (http://www.rallysrus.com/). Chip did the installation. Installed cost was comparable to the cost of parts as shown in the links. The front was done at the Passport Rally in Goshen, IN. He ran out of the rear components at the rally, but stopped by my home a couple weeks later and installed the rear.

I have the SMI Stay n Play Duo brake system. It works well on my ~3400 pound Honda CR-V.

I respect that I'm not driving an auto. I'm passed by way more semi's than I pass.

Tom
 
Feeling the toad push around the rear end a GAS coach can and does happen. Those with heaver coaches don't feel the issue. Think ratio of coach to toad weight. Loose bushings in the tow bar, loose tow bar to receiver are two issues that will cause you to feel the push. Even with all things being tight, I some times experience my 3500 lb toad pushing the rear of my 17000 lb coach.
 
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