alignment

I have 1700 miles on, should I have the front end aligned or wait and see if tires start wearing funny? Can't tell yet.

   Lynn

I would do it now before the tires start to show the cupping.  From what I have read on here, most people have found that the rigs are out of alignment.

Well worth having it done now.  The difference in handling was very noticeable.  Best money I've spent on my rig.

Had it done at a tire shop that does a lot of RV's, work trucks, ambulances & so on.  The man who did it asked me a few questions about how I wanted it set up and said no problem.

You might want to research "caster e 450 RV" before taking it in so you know what you want.

Or read here: http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?topic=40337.0

Hi rvrunner,

As others said, you will want to get a front wheel alignment right away now that you are past the break-in period.  When you take it for an alignment, fill up your fuel tank, your propane tank, and your fresh water tank, and keep all your trip contents inside.  A real good alignment can be achieved when everything is weighted as if on a trip.  I went a little extreme and added weight behind the two front seats to represent Irene and me.

You want to get an alignment done at a shop that handles large trucks, buses, ambulances etc.  Not at a place like NTB or Discount Tire for they are not equipped to handle a motor home.

I have had my 2400 aligned and it handles pretty well but has a bad case of memory steer (ie steering wheel does not return to straight ahead with out my help after turning a corner). Has any one else experienced this and what is the cure?
Thanks

I have had my 2400 aligned and it handles pretty well but has a bad case of memory steer (ie steering wheel does not return to straight ahead with out my help after turning a corner). Has any one else experienced this and what is the cure?

Take it back to dealer who did it, a simple adjustment.

To everyone else, Ford provide FREE front end alignment when new. But take to a dealer that does bigger trucks. I has both my PC's that I owned and never had tire problems.

I took ours to our local Ford dealer.  After a lot of head scratching they told me they did not have a lift big enough to handle the rig.  They had no suggestions as to where to go.  And this is a huge dealership with 100's of trucks on the lot.

I drove across the street, literally across the street, to a Les Schwab tire center.  They said sure no problem.  The alignment guy came out and asked me how I wanted it set up, asked about how I drove, was the rig loaded as I usually drove it and so on.  Way more questions than I expected, but when he was done it handles straight down the road with one finger on the wheel.  An amazing difference, and a real pleasure to have someone work on the truck that knew what they were doing and took pride in getting it done right.

I took my 2018 2552 (took deliver in April) in for an alignment on the advice of this forum and the shop owner tells me, "It was seriously out of alignment."  But he was extremely impressed that Phoenix puts the bushings in at production.  He said he has seen a lot of Class Cs in his shop and the new ones never have the bushings and he has to install them. 

I had PC send my 2017 2552 to an alignment shop before we took possession. Don't know which shop but it was a big mistake. On the trip back home, the steering wheel was off center and it wandered.  Got home and took it to a local shop that has a good reputation for alignment. Now the steering wheel is dead center and there is not a bit of wander. All is well 

I had our 2018 2552 aligned at 2000 miles based upon the information provided by others on the Forum, thanks! Like ErinS, ours was out of true, primarily the toe-in. It was just a short drive back on I-10 from the shop but the two semi's that passed me were no problem.

The shop owner also said to swap the front tires, side to side, every 6000 miles for even wear.

I also had them check the rear leaf shackle bolts for tightness and they were good.

Steve

The shop owner also said to swap the front tires, side to side, every 6000 miles for even wear.
Steve

Hi Steve,

I think rotating the front tires every 6000 miles will do just a little good.  My experience is that you would have to dismount and flip the front tires on their rims to get even tire wear.  What helps a lot preventing uneven front tire wear is preventing the front of your rig from going up/down by installing heavy duty shocks absorbers.  The shortest PCs suffer the most with the front end up/down motion.  Your 2552 is ideally proportioned with the right balance front/back weight ratio.  I would not be concerned of uneven front tire wear.  By the time you notice any such wear, you would want to replace your front tires for other reasons.

Ahhh...tire rotation. I remember when the response to 'I got nothin' to do' in the motor pool was 'rotate the tires on that deuce...' from Top... which kept the shop really quiet...




Many people believe the rotation direction of radial tires should not be reversed. In such cases, use the diagram on the right. There is also a 'cheat' version, where you just take the outer duallies off and switch with the front - RR dually to left front, LR to right front. Preserves the proper direction of rotation, and saves some effort. 

I am surely no authority on dual rear wheel tire rotation, but I feel rotating the 4 rear tires is a bad idea.  I think it is best to let the 4 rear tires wear down naturally, and replace all 4 when the worst one needs replacing.  My reasoning is to prevent adjacent tires of different sizes (due to wear) will distribute the weight on the pair unevenly.  The tire with the least wear will be loaded heavier.  In extreme-load conditions, it might encourage a blow-out.

As far as front tires are concerned, I feel that it will do good only if you dismount and flip each tire on it's rim, then swap positions on the RV.  Rotating them without doing so will do no harm, just not sure how much good will come of it.

Most motorhomes require new tires due to age rather than wear.  My tires are now 11 years old, the 4 rear tires are wearing evenly.  I have not even removed one wheel cover or lug nut in 11 years.  With 36,000 miles in 11 years, I will be replacing them long before they are worn out.  Our rig being stored indoors, it does not worry me when it comes time to take things apart.

I understand and accept that my thinking is not always mutually agreeable.