2014 328 CHF has anyone done this? - Page 2

k3wtf · 04-24-2014, 10:35 AM

CHF

alparmer · 04-24-2014, 01:03 PM

Very easy to do. In most cases, it involves removing one bolt from each anti sway bar links and moving them to the inner hole of the bar.

k3wtf · 04-24-2014, 01:07 PM

Leaf springs in the way. Couldn't get bolt out. Then when I did get it out could not get rod to align with back hole.

alparmer · 04-24-2014, 01:09 PM

Glad to hear you got it out. All you have to do now is install one side and use a small jack on the other end to lift up the sway bar until the holes line up.

k3wtf · 04-24-2014, 01:10 PM

Headed to ft lauderdale tomorrow. We shall see. The angle on mine is higher. Could not pry off rod on drivers side.

alparmer · 04-24-2014, 01:45 PM

Then install the bolt on the higher side and the other side will then be lower....jus'sayin!

k3wtf · 04-24-2014, 01:48 PM

I know I'm not understanding. Oh my.

alparmer · 04-24-2014, 02:03 PM

You have installed the passenger's side bolt, and your driver's side is too high for the bolt to line up, right? If so, it's quite difficult to bend the sway bar end down to make it line up. Instead, remove the bolt from the passenger's side. Install the bolt on the driver's side. You will see that now the passenger's side is too low for the bolt to line up. This is what you want because you can now use a jack to move it up...hope it makes sense.

Scagsdale · 04-25-2014, 09:29 AM

I drove my 328 for the first long drive yesterday. Did not have wandering problem. Could drive with one hand most of the time. No problem with trucks. I think I'll leave mine as is for now.

BillMFl · 04-25-2014, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scagsdale

I drove my 328 for the first long drive yesterday. Did not have wandering problem. Could drive with one hand most of the time. No problem with trucks. I think I'll leave mine as is for now.

I'm about to start my third season with my 2012 model DS360 and like you no problems. I can drive mine with one hand using just a few fingers but I keep reminding myself to use two hands just for safety. That's why I advise folks to take at least one good trip before making mods. If it already handles fine, don't mess with it. If it handles poorly then do the mods.

k3wtf · 04-25-2014, 08:08 PM

Well we made it to Atlanta. White knuckled and all. Need to do alignment and CHF!!!!!!! Ft lauderdale by Sunday!!!!!

GABoy · 04-25-2014, 11:41 PM

Gt4six
I also have the 351 2014, can you post some pics of your sway bars in new bolt locations? Did you have to use the hell wig links people are talking about?

alparmer · 04-26-2014, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k3wtf

Well we made it to Atlanta. White knuckled and all. Need to do alignment and CHF!!!!!!! Ft lauderdale by Sunday!!!!!

I know what that's like. Do the CHF, alignment, and save up for the rear Trak Bar. Not sure which coach you have, but on our 351 likes 92 psi in the tires. If you do all that, you will have about 75% improvement over stock. The remainder 25% will probably be taken care of with a steering dampener and air bags.

alparmer · 04-26-2014, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GABoy

Gt4six
I also have the 351 2014, can you post some pics of your sway bars in new bolt locations? Did you have to use the hell wig links people are talking about?

Here is what it looks like with Hellwigs:

k3wtf · 04-26-2014, 02:28 PM

We have the 328. Wonder if I can find a place on way to ft lauderdale for alignment. I tried to do CHF. Sad but I could not figure it out.

GABoy · 04-26-2014, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alparmmer

Here is what it looks like with Hellwigs:

Thanks for the pics!

Were the Hellwigs needed or just your choice to use them? Can it be done with original bars?
I love that we can get a better ride and that its free!

alparmer · 04-26-2014, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GABoy

Thanks for the pics!

Were the Hellwigs needed or just your choice to use them? Can it be done with original bars?
I love that we can get a better ride and that its free!

With our frame, and with the original end links, The front tires would come off the ground pretty much every time we leveled. By moving the original end links to the inner hole position on the bar the angle of the bar is moved up. That causes the bar to hit the leaf springs and raise the tires instead of letting the leaf spring to sag down more. In other words, you would need longer end links to bring the angle back down to stock. The problem is that longer OEM links, as far as I know, are not available. You basically have three options. One, leave it as it is and let the tires come off the ground. Take the OEM links to a weld shop and have them extend them 2 inches. Last but not least, get the Hellwigs. I didn't like option one because having the tires on the ground helps stabilize the coach. However, it is perfectly fine to leave the wheels off the ground as the leveler system is designed to hold the weight of the coach. If it was short term, let's say a weekend of camping, I wouldn't mind. For longer periods I would use leveling blocks...if you chose to keep the original shorter links that is.

I think there are a lot of folk out there with Hellwigs. From what I've heard is that the bushings won't last as long as the OEM ones. When that happens I will try to find poly bushings for all around. If I can't find them for the Hellwigs, then I'll probably have the OEM shorter links extended.

Hope this helps.

GABoy · 04-26-2014, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alparmmer

With our frame, and with the original end links, The front tires would come off the ground pretty much every time we leveled. By moving the original end links to the inner hole position on the bar the angle of the bar is moved up. That causes the bar to hit the leaf springs and raise the tires instead of letting the leaf spring to sag down more. In other words, you would need longer end links to bring the angle back down to stock. The problem is that longer OEM links, as far as I know, are not available. You basically have three options. One, leave it as it is and let the tires come off the ground. Take the OEM links to a weld shop and have them extend them 2 inches. Last but not least, get the Hellwigs. I didn't like option one because having the tires on the ground helps stabilize the coach. However, it is perfectly fine to leave the wheels off the ground as the leveler system is designed to hold the weight of the coach. If it was short term, let's say a weekend of camping, I wouldn't mind. For longer periods I would use leveling blocks...if you chose to keep the original shorter links that is.

I think there are a lot of folk out there with Hellwigs. From what I've heard is that the bushings won't last as long as the OEM ones. When that happens I will try to find poly bushings for all around. If I can't find them for the Hellwigs, then I'll probably have the OEM shorter links extended.

Hope this helps.

Ok that makes sense. Thanks for the info! Where did you get your hellwig bars and how much should be a good price? Size? After reading all the posts of the chf I plan to do this also.

alparmer · 04-27-2014, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GABoy

Ok that makes sense. Thanks for the info! Where did you get your hellwig bars and how much should be a good price? Size? After reading all the posts of the chf I plan to do this also.

You'll need Hellwig 7962. I highly recommend autoplicity as a place to get parts from. They seem to have the best price on the net and you get the part quickly. I ordered a set of Konis and got them the next day. I don't know how they do it.

This is how I installed ours. I swapped out the metal bushings from the stock links into the Hellwigs. You have to because the holes on the frame have a larger diameter than the Hellwig bolts. I really wanted to use the stock rubber bushings because they are blue and probably poly whereas the Hellwigs are black and not as good. I couldn't get them to fit because the Hellwigs don't have a smooth bushing housing like the stock ones do. Hellwig's housing have a convex shape making the inner diameter smaller than the stock ones. I think if I tried hard enough I could have pushed them in, but it just didn't seem right.

I also set both adjustable links to the exact same length. It would have been easier to install one end and then adjust the other to match the hole, but that also didn't seem right. So, with both at the same length, you may have to jack up one end of the bar up to line up the holes....just as with the original links.

Cheers.

Hellwig 7962 Adjustable End Links 11 To 14 in.

cjd10 · 04-27-2014, 08:17 AM

I did the CHF on our 351 without using the hellwig extensions. If I level the coach manually I usually don't have any problem with the front tires coming off the ground unless I am parked un an extremely unlevel surface. The auto leveler always seems to lift the front end, and tires higher than necessary.

Without the hellwig extensions the sway bar does come in contact with the leaf springs as Al mentioned. For anyone considering this I'll attempt to show a pic of what he is talking about

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