Ronkelly Report post Posted April 28, 2015 I have a 2014 HR Ambassador 40 DFT with the 8 bag chassis, which has wandering and handling issues similar to that referenced for the 2013 model. I am looking for solutions and have read all the postings etc. and also spoken with HR (Monaco/Allied), Roadmaster, Henderson's Line Up, and Source Eng. Source indicates that the steering box is not the problem. Has anyone installed the Source package and if so what was the result? Help!!! Getting more confused all the time. RK Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dorgene Report post Posted April 28, 2015 I'll throw another variable into situation: Radial Force Variation (See Wikipedia). Briefly, you can have a tire which is perfectly round and perfectly balanced, but have an uneven Radial Force Variation (RFV). What this means is the tire has a soft or hard spot(s) on it. As the tire rotates against the road and encounters the soft/hard spot, a vibration will occur. If found, these not fixable. They came from the manufacturer that way. Although relatively easy to measure, most (all?) tire shops do not have the capabilty to do so. The only fix is to replace the tire with hopefully a good one. Most large OEM's have a specs for RFV. Maybe the tire manufacturers send out of spec ones to the aftermarket. On another note, don't assume the vibration is coming from the front just because you feel it there. It could just as easily be coming from the rear (such as a prop shaft out of phase). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ronkelly Report post Posted April 30, 2015 Thanks Dorgene - more information to have on these issues the better. I should have been more specific on the issues I am experiencing. I am not experiencing vibration issues both rather handling issues such as wandering, sway and poor handling on rough roads and in windy conditions. Need two hands on the wheel at all times to keep the thing on the road. RK Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dkreuzen Report post Posted April 30, 2015 I have a 2014 HR Ambassador 40 DFT with the 8 bag chassis, which has wandering and handling issues similar to that referenced for the 2013 model. I am looking for solutions and have read all the postings etc. and also spoken with HR (Monaco/Allied), Roadmaster, Henderson's Line Up, and Source Eng. Source indicates that the steering box is not the problem. Has anyone installed the Source package and if so what was the result? Help!!! Getting more confused all the time. RK ronkelly, If you read the two posts on iRV2 then you should have a good idea of what to look at. Maybe posting your exact problems there may get you more information. I question Source Eng's comment "the steering box is not the problem". I don't thing there is anyway they could tell that over the phone. One of the problems in discussing this type of issue is the terminology everyone uses, not all of us use the same "word" for the same issue. For instance, when you say "wandering" that tells me that when you are going straight on a straight road and holding the steering wheel steady the coach is wandering slightly left to right own it's own. That's what I had until I replaced the Sheppard steering box with the TRW unit. I highly recommend installing KONI FSD shocks all around. They control the up and down movements of the body much better than the OEM shocks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ronkelly Report post Posted May 6, 2015 Thanks dkreuzen for your reply. Sorry for the delay but site was down and I have been offline for a few days. Yes, your definition of wandering is exactly what I am experiencing. It sounds like your changing of the steering box rectified that problem for you. Did the combination of steering box and Koni shocks improve handling in windy conditions and on rough roads? This, in combination with "wandering" are my mains concerns. Regards RK Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted May 6, 2015 dkreuzen, What shocks were on your coach from the factory? Was there a brand name on them? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dkreuzen Report post Posted May 7, 2015 RK, Since the steering box swap either I haven't been in very windy conditions or didn't notice the wind, can't say for sure. The KONI shocks eliminated the wild "porpoising" and increased the stability without resulting in a harsh ride. Much safer to drive now. Over on iRV2's "Steering Box Play- Sheppard M100 SHIM or Swap for a TRW ?" thread in the Monaco forum, post #884 Craig comments on the swap on a 2013 HR. You should contact him directly to get more info. jleamont, My OEM shock were Monroe's. They were just too weak to control the coach. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
papajim Report post Posted May 8, 2015 Our coach has had the original suspension bushings replaced with the ATRO suspension bushings. I have added the Van Williams trailing arm brace. At Van's recommendation, I didn't do the cross brace, I simply used one brace. Prior to these changes, I have fairly new Bilstein shocks, fairly new tires, and a fairly recent alignment, added Steer Safe steering stabilizers, and I personally adjusted the TRW steering box. The proof is in the pudding. Today, we drove through Montana, in snow storms and high winds, up to 50 MPH sidewinds, up and down 6% - 7% grades and covered 530 miles today. We held our speed at about 70 MPH throughout the entire day. It was a hard day for the diesel engine. Our mileage for the day was 6 MPG. On a calm day, we usually see 8 MPG. As we arrived at our destination, I did not feel exhausted at all. My wife enjoyed the trip, and we went out for a nice steak supper. We're up tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM for another 500 mile trip to get home. We're looking forward to it. Jim Sanderson 1995 Monaco Dynasty 36' 2005 Honda Pilot Canada, eh? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ehoger Report post Posted May 21, 2015 We installed the TRW steering box, Van Williams cross braces, and Watts Link. It was the BEST thing we have ever done to our coach. We are now in control when driving instead of our coach being in control. It is amazing -- It tracks straight, and stays in the lane when big rigs pass or now when we pass a big rig. We can even drive for 7 hours. No more white knuckle driving, no more steering wheel correction, no more clunking in the steering wheel, no more wandering, we are in control. Thank you Jim Sanderson and dkruezen for recommending the threads. Excellent advice!!! Thank you CrazyKnight (Craig) and Van Williams for all the research and hard work that went into finding solution to fix these issues. We are so very very thankful. Vibration issue has also been corrected. Two of the rear tires had issues. We now love how our coach handles and look forward to many cross country trips. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
papajim Report post Posted May 22, 2015 This is absolutely wonderful news! So glad that you finally have the wandering/handling problem solved! Your explanation says it all, "no more wandering, we are in control". Here's wishing you many happy trouble free miles. Jim Sanderson Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
