Just returned from a 1500 mile trip (our first long one) in the '92 300LE. A great trip, but the handling in the high winds of the So. Calif high desert was often scary. I have seen adds in a couple
of RV mags for wider front wheels. Does anyone have experience with wider front wheels and tires?
I assume it would make steering heavier, which, to some degree,
would be a general improvment. What would be the down side?
Appreciate any thoughts on the matter.
I would have a good suspension shop check for wear in the front end. The downside to 2 wheel widths is what to do about a spare. With high winds there is often not a lot that can be done with a large vehicle to make it stable. Go slow, wait it out, or an alternate route.
I have added wider tires/wheels and offset to lifted vehicles. You can feel the added stability. You change the CG dramitically when lifting a vehicle. The rule of thumb for 4X4's is one in. lift=1.5in. wider track. These Motor Homes have a high CG to begin with. If the track can be widened then that probably is a good thing._Offsetting the wheels outboard by decreasing backspacing is an old trick. Usually this is done in conjunction with wider tires and wheels. Keep in mind wheel well clearance, also to much outward offsetting with wide tires will put added strain on the wheel bearings. Have your front end checked and make sure your steering stabilizer is up to snuff. I run a Bilstein stabilizer and recommend them.
The different tire size is a good point. I am going to get someone to check the front end, but of the 4 classics I have driven, mine was the tightest feeling. The problem is only apparent in high winds. Just saw adds for the "Super Steer Bell Crank" and
the "Howard Power Steering System" (very expensive!) in a Camping World mag. Anyone tried these?
I had 10" wide wheels on my 31' Pace Arrow P30 Chassis.
You could go down the road with one finger on the wheel, even over seams in the asphalt.
They did require the removal of the drivers door step but I could just step on the tire and climb up.
I carried a spare that fit the rear duals and did not worry about the front tire as it was a standard E rated truck tire. I was not about to change any of those tires in any event. AAA RV service card will make your life easier in the event of a flat or needed tow.
The wheels were Ellis Safe-T-Wide. They did not have any adapters to mount and were made to have the proper offset.
The pictures are a little dark but you can get an idea.
Does anyone have any actual experience running any tire size other than 8-19.5 Bias tires or 8R19.5 Radial tires on the standard 19.5X6 rims mounted on a P-30 chassis Airstream Motorhome?
__________________
Dennis
"Suck it up, spend the bucks, do it right the first time."
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