Just finished 4k roadtrip in the Bird

[Terry Neal]

Nice trip Kerry. Everyone should check their panhard rod assemblies.
Good info, as always.

Terry Neal
Bozeman, MT
82PT40 6V92TA
74FC34 6V53T



davidkerryedwards wrote:

> Denver-Minneapolis-Duluth-Bayfield-Mackinaw-Port Huron-Buffalo-Rochester-
> Cleveland-Chicago-Denver.
> Apart from some problems with the recall work on my Dometic frig
> (which I wrote up on
> the Dometic recall thread over at RVNet), the only problem I
> encountered was the missing
> panhard rod bolt which I posted about earlier. Had it repaired (along
> with a loose right
> rear shock discovered at the same time) for $175 in Minneapolis.
> What a difference that bolt made. Driving the bus much easier. Takes
> about 1/3 of the
> physical effort to drive it compared to the boltless bus. For the
> first 5k miles I drove it, I
> wondered how old men managed to drive them since I was very tired at
> the end of the day.
> My best guess is that the bus had been missing the bolt since about
> 1990 since the
> bluebox shows a broken right front shock mount in that year. I'm
> thinking that whatever
> broke the shock mount, also broke the panhard rod bolt. It might also
> explain why the
> Bird went through a number of hands in a relatively short period of
> time after it left the
> hands of the original owner.
> The real key to knowing the symptoms of a problem with a panhard rod
> is what happens
> when a semi begins to pass you on the interstate. With the bolt
> missing, as soon as the
> wall of air in front of the passing truck hit the rear of the bus, it
> moved sideways and
> required a correction. With the bolt repaired, if there is any
> buffeting from a passing
> truck, it only occurs once the air pressure hits the front of the bus.
> Got between 7-8 mpg.
>
> Kerry
> 82 FC 35
> Denver
>
>



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