hershey
Albuquerque,(fulltime) NM, USA
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vtbigdog wrote:Sometimes what you may think is a spring squeak is actually a broken weld in the front end where the nose is welded to the frame. I chased a similar situation to yours last fall. I oiled the******out of the springs. When that did not resolve the issue I had three people get into the drivers area and rock the coach side-to-side while I crawled underneath to see where the squeak was coming from. There was one broken weld which I repaired and now no more squeaks.
Good info Bigdog. I hadn't thought of that and it certainly is something that I will do. Thanks to everyone for their input.
hershey - albuquerque, nm
Someday Finally Got Here
My wife does all the driving - I just get to hold the steering wheel.
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hooligan
Pensacola,FL
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Hershey: There was an XCS- Freightliner Service Bulletin 32-4 about noise from the front springs. Applied to 2000 or earlier models. The shims may still be available from Freightliner in Gaffney. If they have a copy of the Service Bulletin it explains how to install the shims. (My copy has text but not the photos referred to)
General Information
XCS Model Recreational Vehicles equipped with Stabil-RideTM suspensions and built before May 15, 2000, may have banging noise problems in the front suspensions and excessive rebound in the front shock absorbers.
To remedy this situation, replace the front shock absorbers and the front and rear suspension sway bars, and install a noise reduction kit on the front springs. "
hope this helps
Hooligan USCG Ret.
2000 GeorgieBoy Landau DP
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hershey
Albuquerque,(fulltime) NM, USA
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This doesn't sound like the issue I'm having with my chassis. It just has an annoying squeak when driving slowly like on a city street and reacts to the irregularities in the road with a squeaking sound.
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J Walker
Oakton, Va
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hershey wrote:J Walker wrote:Hershey, I have the same chassis and had the same problem. I went to a Freightliner Club rally in Wyoming and chatted with the techs. One of the techs designed the XCS chassis. I learned that the initial spacer was rubber and a plastic replacement was available. He had a box of them under his desk and agreed to mail me some which he did. I installed them by using a pry bar and sliding them in. I raised the MH using the levelers. No more squeaks for about seven years. All for free. There is nothing like Freightliner support. I wish I remembered the tech's name but I don't
Thanks for that information. I'll check at the Freightliner shops along the way to see if they have the spacers available.
I feel sure that only a call to Gaffney customer service will lead you to the plastic spacer.
Jim Walker
2000 34' Damon Ultrasport DP
2009 Malibu
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wolfe10
Texas
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Freightliner Gaffney 800 385-4357. Have your VIN handy.
Brett Wolfe
1993 Foretravel 36' U-240
Cat 3116, Allison 3060
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hershey
Albuquerque,(fulltime) NM, USA
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Just got off the phone with Freightliner Gaffney and talked to slow talkin' good-ole-boy who told me that the plastic inserts were no longer available and didn't work anyway. Parts for the XCS chassis are no longer made or available. (really liked hearing that). So my next step is to perhaps fabricate my own inserts, perhaps some brass stock might work.
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wolfe10
Texas
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Hopefully, someone with one of the old spacers can tell you of what material they are made.
In the absence of that information, I have found that cutting up a Clorox bottle gives one some very good quality thin shim stock.
On edit: the shim stock I am talking about would be inserted between the spring leafs to address the squeaking.
* This post was
edited 01/05/12 02:47pm by wolfe10 *
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J Walker
Oakton, Va
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There is a possibility that we are not all talking about the same spacers. The one I am talking about is at the end of the leaf spring where it comes in contact with the frame. I had rubber spacers between the spring and the body originally. They wore and worked their way out. Freightliner sent me free plastic replacements that I installed and indeed the irritating squeaking went away. I can describe the plastic spacers as black and stiff. They have a concave shape which keeps them in place at the eye of the leaf spring. Any good durable plastic should work but keeping it in place without the concave property might be an issue. A spring shop should not have any trouble coming up with the spacer. They could install them at a low cost, but you can do it if you have a big pry bar. If you call Freightliner again you could ask for the tech who designed the XCS chassis. I believe his first name is Glen.
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hooligan
Pensacola,FL
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I think that would be Glenn Hoops at Gaffney. He made the arrangements for getting the Chassis Service updates done on my XCS chassis.
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J Walker
Oakton, Va
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hooligan wrote:I think that would be Glenn Hoops at Gaffney. He made the arrangements for getting the Chassis Service updates done on my XCS chassis.
That is the guy. Thanks
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