145-DIY How to; Cheap Handling Fix-CHF on Ford F53 Chassis, 2015 Fleetwood Flair 26E

145-DIY How to; Cheap Handling Fix-CHF on Ford F53 Chassis, 2015 Fleetwood Flair 26E

4/2016 On the road UPDATE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sN3kk4djMI

UPDATE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FQam4JXCW8
Ford F53 2015 Fleetwood Flair “Cheap Handling Fix “.

I used the following tools;
-1/2″ drive ratchet and socket sizes for front and rear connecting bolts are 15 mm (hex screw), 19 mm (hex nut).
-1/2″ drive torque wrench.
-Torque front and rear bolts to 65 lbs torque.
-If you are on level ground you won’t need a scissor jack. If the ground is uneven the torsion bar end will need to be aligned slightly to get the hex screw in to the connecting rod. I used a Torin Jacks 1.5 Ton Scissor Jack, https://www.walmart.com/ip/Torin-Jacks-1-5-Ton-Scissor-Jack/14560046?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227008107437&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40839138272&wl4=pla-89280750905&wl5=9031499&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=14560046&wl13=&veh=sem

Remember; Don’t jack up the RV frame in anyway. Perform the operation with the RV wheels setting flat on the road surface, emergency brake on so that there is no load on the torsion bar for easy disassembly and reassembly.

Leave a comment if you would like more information.

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Comments

Ken Rasmussen says:

I have a 2017 FR3 30DS. On the rear, I had to push the vertical bracket significantly to get it in the second hole. It was like it was spring loaded. Not the same on the front. Has anyone else had that experience?

Dave Brandenburg says:

Frank,
I plan to do this modification in the spring as soon as I get my unit out of storage.
You mentioned that you may need a jack to help level the coach in order to get the bolts to line up. Is there any extra precausion that should be taken when unbolting
the bar from it's original location ? I don't want to be smacked in the head when the nbotl is release3d.

Will Richards says:

How did you get the z brackets on the rear bar spun around. I couldn’t only get mine to move a little and that’s it. I could t get them flipped for the life of me.

Denis Prieur says:

Hi Frank! I've got a question for you….is it true that once the chf is done on a f-53 chassis, the front wheels comes up of the ground much faster when levelling with the hydraulic jacks? My chf is done , but since it's perfectly level on a cement pad, i din't try it yet with my levellers!

Denis Prieur says:

now, i'm frustrated that every body that did the CHF, only filmed the final result when the job is finished! Why the hell nobody did a video showing everything,i mean how you do it, how you use the jack, do you leave the coach flat on the ground? can you do it when you level hydraulics jacks are on? There are so many things we have to guess! do a video that we see the complete procedure for crying out loud!!!!!

Denis Prieur says:

Hi Frank, i just tried the 19mm socket on my f-53 ford chassis, and it doesn't fit!!! The 15 mm on the other end fits, but i need the 18mm on the other end, i own a 2013 coachmen pursuit by mirada, f-53 ford chassis, v-10 engine, 19.5 tire size, and 32.6 feet long.

Robert Henne says:

So, do you have a cheat sheet for wrench sizes for front and back CHF and the torque setting for each? I am going to have to rent the tools, Jack and tourqe wrench. One shot to do it all, so I need all the tools with me as I start the project. Thanks.

Amadeu Fantini says:

I'll try on my Tiffin Allegro 34ft and let you guys know the results. Thanks for the smart tip!

tonewall jaxon says:

does anyone know how to make one stop shaking.

James Glasmann says:

Just made this modification to my 2016 29 ft Fleetwood Flair. Your great video enabled me to make the mod. Can't wait to take the coach on a trip.

Todd Barrineau says:

Knocked this out on my 2016 Georgetown 369DS over the Thanksgiving holiday! Only tricky part was getting the front bolts past the leaf springs – there was no clearance unless you actually had some weight on the tires, but with weight on the tires, the bolt was impossible to move. With some fiddling, we got the jacks to take enough weight off the tires to move the bolts and have clearance to get past the leaf springs. The back ones were super simple – nothing in the way! Appreciate this video, as I knew what I was looking at/looking for when I crawled under. Thanks.

DAN RODGERS says:

Frank I have a 2016 Thor Windsport. It started shaking at the front. Do you think this could help? It is a Ford chassis but I don't know if it is a F53

Ron Hall says:

Frank, great video. You make it easy to see and understand what your mod is and how it is done. One of the other commenters, John, wondered why Ford or the motorhome manufacturer doesn't configure the anti-sway bars this way from the factory. Ford is not able to know what the final configuration of the vehicle will be and modification will obviously increase the stiffness of the ride and decrease the comfort. I would bet that the motorhome manufacturer leaves it as is in order to improve ride comfort. This same basic chassis is used on motorhomes from 26 feet to 37 feet with heights ranging from 10 to 13 feet. The way you use your motorhome, meaning the type of roads and primitiveness of the campgrounds you use will determine if you need this mod.

By the way Frank, what is the length, height and weight of your motorhome? Do you notice an increased harshness in the ride?

Again great work.

Ron

Richard Holt says:

I did this on my 2016 Georgetown. Any dummy can do this. Special tools are larger wrenches (1/2" Drive) and a small jack to help line up the holes. Took me less than an hour to do both front and rear, and that's because I didn't have my creeper and was crawling on the ground. The results are more than worth the effort. I was looking at spending over $2500 on new parts to fix the ridiculous sway issues I was having. After this, took the rig on the same trip as before, and it was like I was in a totally different rig. Minimal buffering from trucks passing and turns were so much less stressful. I still think I'm going to add the Return to Center Steering Damper (RTCS) device, but that's not something I would stress that you do. More for additional comfort. But…The CHF is a must.

Joe Hawkins says:

Thanks for the great video. I've heard of this fix for some time, but this is the first video I've come across that explains how to do it and shows the hardware.

John Johnson says:

Wonder why the sway bar isn't set like that from the factory?

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