Hard Knock under front of new XL

LTZ470 · 05-30-2018, 06:44 AM

Hi Bryan,

Got my new 2018 XL yesterday and during two hour drive back there's a loud hard knock when I hit bumps, it's under front end/cab best I can tell, sounds like either exhaust hitting frame or a loose shock on drivers side, but I checked yesterday to no avail...

Any ideas or anyone else have this issue on their unit?

As a side note the steering is not what I thought it would be, a long ways from it, I assumed it would be as good as my Freightliner Sportchassis, but no way, going to check the wheel bearings and add a stabilizer to the front, but it really drives poor on older road ways...

And what happened to having TWO arm rest on the front seats as Sportchassis does! Wow, cannot believe they left the arm rest off the door side of the cab seats, this is where it would help with steering to enable resting one's left elbow to stabilize steering better...

FOURWHL · 05-30-2018, 08:01 AM

Few things:

Check the sway bar bushings, there was a TSB but I think they started getting the trucks with it already optioned it. You’ll either see a single rod with a rubber bushing that likes to come out our a set of fish plates with a through bolt (correct way)

I had a weird wobble when I first got my coach when I hit bumps in turns. Felt like a bushing was missing in the steering. Took it to freightliner and turned out it was something in the steering wheel tilt that needed to be adjusted/tightened.

My understanding of the seats is the upgraded ones dynamax adds the left arm rest doesn’t fit. It’ll hit the cab when you slide back. I ageee it’d be nice to have but I’ve gortten used to drivNo without.

**bclemens** · 05-30-2018, 09:41 AM

1. The XL doesn't have the upgraded sway bar, so that would not be the issue. I have never heard of any knocking on the XL, so I am no help there.

2. We have all of our chassis aligned after up-fit and I have also never heard of any steering issues on the XL, so unfortunately I don't have any "aha, quick fixes there"

3. We don't build on a Sportchassis so I have no idea what would be expected or not expected. The stock seats are very narrow. So we upgrade to a wider/larger seat with swivel capability. That armrest just doesn't fit. If you end up hating it, you can always buy a Force seat...for that we are just recovering the stock Freightliner seat with dual arm rests.

LTZ470 · 05-30-2018, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bclemens

1.

3. We don't build on a Sportchassis so I have no idea what would be expected or not expected. The stock seats are very narrow. So we upgrade to a wider/larger seat with swivel capability. That armrest just doesn't fit. If you end up hating it, you can always buy a Force seat...for that we are just recovering the stock Freightliner seat with dual arm rests.

Good idea on the Force seat, I can buy a Sportchassis Seat as well...

LTZ470 · 05-30-2018, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bclemens

1. The XL doesn't have the upgraded sway bar, so that would not be the issue. I have never heard of any knocking on the XL, so I am no help there.

2. We have all of our chassis aligned after up-fit and I have also never heard of any steering issues on the XL, so unfortunately I don't have any "aha, quick fixes there"

Surprised but it doesn't have a sway bar fitted on it....is it suppose to have one? and doesn't?

**bclemens** · 05-30-2018, 10:24 AM

No, the M2-112 does not come with a sway bar.

JRM63 · 05-30-2018, 08:14 PM

There may be a larger issue with regards to the knocking sound. I have a 112 chassis as well and can tell you that it handles like a dream. The Steer Axle tracks straight is very stable on the road even without a sway bar. The steering wheel has positive feedback with a smooth and predictable response. Easy to drive. Keep up posted on what you find out with the dealer.

LTZ470 · 05-30-2018, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRM63

There may be a larger issue with regards to the knocking sound. I have a 112 chassis as well and can tell you that it handles like a dream. The Steer Axle tracks straight is very stable on the road even without a sway bar. The steering wheel has positive feedback with a smooth and predictable response. Easy to drive. Keep up posted on what you find out with the dealer.

Will do possibly loose wheel bearings or a bad shock...checked the exhaust it's as snug as can be...

Getting a lot of vibration from drive line it seems as well...quality control at it's finest....

Dealer told me the Driver bringing the unit to Texas would tell the Service Manager of any issues found, didn't happen either...

Bill Davis · 05-31-2018, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LTZ470

Will do possibly loose wheel bearings or a bad shock...checked the exhaust it's as snug as can be...

Getting a lot of vibration from drive line it seems as well...quality control at it's finest....

Dealer told me the Driver bringing the unit to Texas would tell the Service Manager of any issues found, didn't happen either...

I purchased my at MHS in Texas which means it was driven all the way from Elkhart to Texas. I was 5 miles up the road in mine when I couldn’t stand the steering wheel vibration any longer. Come to find out when they installed the aluminum wheels they failed to balance them. There weren’t any wheel weights on any of them. So who ever delivered mine didn’t tell anyone or no one at the dealership test drove it. So I’m not surprised that yours got delivered with Chassis issues.

LTZ470 · 05-31-2018, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Davis

I purchased my at MHS in Texas which means it was driven all the way from Elkhart to Texas. I was 5 miles up the road in mine when I couldn’t stand the steering wheel vibration any longer. Come to find out when they installed the aluminum wheels they failed to balance them. There weren’t any wheel weights on any of them. So who ever delivered mine didn’t tell anyone or no one at the dealership test drove it. So I’m not surprised that yours got delivered with Chassis issues.

Thought about that as well, this short trip will give me a decent list of to-do's...mine feels like it's coming from the drive line to be honest, but once I balance all the wheels I'll be able to tell...

Thank you kindly for the suggestion...

**bclemens** · 05-31-2018, 09:40 AM

Every drive line is balanced. Every unit is test driven before it leaves here. We have had units that vibrated and we take them over to Truck Centers and have the driveline rebalanced.

You're assuming the driver coming down from Texas didn't tell anyone, or maybe there was nothing to report. Someone was tooling around the lot or parking it, hit a curb while it was at the dealer. Not saying that is the case, but it is just as likely as a driver going 1500 miles and ignoring a major vibration.

LTZ470 · 05-31-2018, 10:57 AM

Yes sir cyclic vibration and it drones as well, really good to hear you gents do take notice of that, no telling on the driver, Dealer acts like they don’t even know who drove it the1050 miles to North Texas...lol

KKonyha · 05-31-2018, 11:02 AM

What about a broken transmission mount?

Bill Davis · 05-31-2018, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bclemens

Every drive line is balanced. Every unit is test driven before it leaves here. We have had units that vibrated and we take them over to Truck Centers and have the driveline rebalanced.

You're assuming the driver coming down from Texas didn't tell anyone, or maybe there was nothing to report. Someone was tooling around the lot or parking it, hit a curb while it was at the dealer. Not saying that is the case, but it is just as likely as a driver going 1500 miles and ignoring a major vibration.

I was in the automotive repair business for 50 years. One of the problems I always had with technicians was there inability to diagnose drivability and noise issues. The biggest reason for that as I see it is the vehicles they themselves own. If they drive a junker they don’t seem to notice vibrations, squeaks, and rattles on quality vehicles. They’re so much nicer than what they drive they just don’t notice. That is probably why the delivery drivers don’t report problems. They just don’t think there is a problem. When I started paying attention to what potential employees drove back and forth to work I solved a lot of our diagnostic issues. I’ve seen what some of the delivery drivers drive. Just sayin.

**bclemens** · 05-31-2018, 01:47 PM

Well, in this case, LTZ470 got his rig from Longhorn in Mineola, TX. They pick up their own units. So its either the father of the GM or his helper. These same guys I bet you have over 100,000 miles logged in the past few years on XL, DX3, 3's, 4's and 5's. These are not run of the mill drivers. They also own a Ford/Jeep dealership, so these guys are not driving beaters.

Bill Davis · 05-31-2018, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bclemens

Well, in this case, LTZ470 got his rig from Longhorn in Mineola, TX. They pick up their own units. So its either the father of the GM or his helper. These same guys I bet you have over 100,000 miles logged in the past few years on XL, DX3, 3's, 4's and 5's. These are not run of the mill drivers. They also own a Ford/Jeep dealership, so these guys are not driving beaters.

So that blows that theory.

Bill Davis · 05-31-2018, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bclemens

Well, in this case, LTZ470 got his rig from Longhorn in Mineola, TX. They pick up their own units. So its either the father of the GM or his helper. These same guys I bet you have over 100,000 miles logged in the past few years on XL, DX3, 3's, 4's and 5's. These are not run of the mill drivers. They also own a Ford/Jeep dealership, so these guys are not driving beaters.

Mine came from MHS. Do they pick up theirs as well? Mine shook pretty bad with no wheel weights on the aluminum wheels. Minor problem that I took care of myself. Smooth as silk since. Love the coach and all the information provided by you and this forum. Looking forward to the rally. See you there.

**bclemens** · 05-31-2018, 03:32 PM

MHS does not. But there was a while there that the aluminum wheels were an issue, not not always immediately apparent, but the wheel would seem like it was fine, when it wasn't;t actually seated properly. Once the lugs are re-torqed it might seat and then cause an issue. We had the same issue with the Alcoa's when we started using them...there is a learning curve.

geegoat · 06-01-2018, 04:58 PM

LTZ470 I heard a knocking in my 2018 XL when I drove it home, Turns out it was a piece of molding between the storage bins and the slide out on the passengers side. Missing a bunch of screws.

LTZ470 · 06-01-2018, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Davis

So that blows that theory.

They can't even tell me who the driver was, they are trying to blame the salesman...lol...for selling a high dollar RV with a knock under it...

Longhorn is still a Stealership in the end, like most the right hand don't know what the left hand is doing...I can give a comprehensive list of why they are just like the rest of the Stealerships out there...as is most RV repair shops...it's the people that make a Dealership and they have to care about details, details, details, customer, customer, customer...Longhorn really doesn't, it's about sales at the end of the day...as long as they are taking your money they are all ears, once they have your money, it's a different story...I'll see how well they do when they repair it, if they don't fix it correctly, the knock, the steering, and the cyclic vibrations we will go to court in a jiffy...not a threat a promise...I'm not paying a Quarter of a Million Dollars for a Lemon Freightliner Truck Chassis....I paid for top of the line and thats what I will get or it will be back on their lot and they can sell it to some other sucker...

You may also like: