Anti Sway Bars 101 (LXi and LX)

[davidbrady]

Because your roll axis is inclined and virtually at ground level up front, your lean also feels like a yaw; as the coach leans to the outside of the turn it appears to steer (yaw) to the outside of the turn causing the driver to dial in more steer. On a crowned highway, I wonder if this effect might cause you to over-correct thereby creating a driver-induced wander??? Maybe just let it point a little to the downhill shoulder???

[davidbrady]

(08-28-2013 19:47)JD33 Wrote:  David, I do not experience any of the adverse ride qualities that the LXi's seem to? Perhaps the LX has a less robust anti sway bar? Could that be? If you like I can measure the diameter of mine tomorrow and report back.

I changed the title to include the LX. Jim and I have had conversations and the LX also suffers from poor ride quality directly attributed to the anti-sway bar.

[Larry@2000lxi]

Thanks for all of your help. I will be taking my sway bar off and getting the
Koni Adj. Shocks. Would anyone know the Koni part # for the proper shocks for the 2000 lxi?
I'm reluctant to mess with front tire pressure. My coach carries 16,000 lbs on the front axel and according to tire pressure charts I should maintain 130PSI in the tires, which I do.

Larry@2000lxi
larryevans1201@gmai.com

[davidbrady]

Hi Larry,

At 16,000 lbs on the steer axle, Michelin recommends 115 psi:



Look to the left for LBS, then look fro the "Single" row, then scoot over to 7920 lbs and up to 115 psi. That's 7920 lbs per tire or 15840 lbs total for the steer axle. 130 psi will loosen the fillings in your teeth! LOL!

Or, you can go over here to the Prevost Tire Pressure Calculator, choose "front axle" and 315 tires and 15840 to 16539 lbs, and you'll also get 115 psi.

[Larry@2000lxi]

Thanks David, glad i mentioned the tire pressure. I'll lower that pressure. At
56,000 miles do you think the front shocks need replaced or just uncouple the anti sway bar and give it a try?

[davidbrady]

I think your shocks are probably fine. If there's a slight oil mist on them they're still okay. If they're dripping oil then they need to go. Most shops, after removing them and working them through their motion, will probably say you need new ones. This is because they offer little if any resistance on the compression stroke. All the shock action is on the rebound. If you work them through a complete stroke they collapse easily but rebounding them is very difficult. This is normal.

[al perna]

so we set them at 115 cold , is 140 acceptable when hot ? I have seen 143 driving from Indio Ca to Yuma Az.
I then put them at 110 and they get up to 125 or so . I will pull over for a while when they are approaching 140 . Your thoughts ?

[JD33]

Nice little chart David, thanks for sharing

[davidbrady]

(09-06-2016 13:12)al perna Wrote:  so we set them at 115 cold , is 140 acceptable when hot ? I have seen 143 driving from Indio Ca to Yuma Az.
I then put them at 110 and they get up to 125 or so . I will pull over for a while when they are approaching 140 . Your thoughts ?

Hi Al,

Those temperatures sound fine to me. I've seen 140 deg F on a summer day. The temps vary from axle to axle with the inside duals running hotter than the outside, but the range is usually within 125 to 140 deg F. What we need to look out for is an anomaly. If all your tires are within this range but one stands out at 160 then somethings up. As long as they're all around the same temp and they're consistent then things are fine. If one stands out then it could be a dragging brake or a leaking seal or a failing hub bearing or a failing tire. I always measure my temps right at the shoulder where the tread bends into the sidewall. This is the area of maximum stress and maximum work.

Getting back to inflation pressures, there is a 10 to 15% reserve built into the tire load inflation tables. The manufacturers want a constant sidewall deflection and they set the load table pressures accordingly. The reserve is there to handle rough roads, high speeds, fast corners, hard braking, and wide temperature swings. Remember, if we lower our pressures in search of a softer ride we're eating into that reserve. Also, once we eat into the reserve we need to be more vigilant in maintaining pressures so that we don't cross over the zero reserve boundary.

[dentmac]

Hi,
FYI.
With the 450 and the demand to keep the original 315's at 130 psi cold, they would often get to 150-154 psi. Awful ride and for the tire.
With the new 365's, I run at 110 + and they will go to 130.