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Old 12-01-2016, 11:36 PM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: Illinois
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THOR #5895
Swaying

Has anyone figured out a way to insatall a rear sway bar on a 2016 Thor outlaw?

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Old 12-02-2016, 01:18 AM   #2
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THOR #4160
The F53 chassis should already have a front and rear sway bar. My Challenger has it so I would assume yours does. I would look into the Cheap Handling Fix (CHF). I completed it myself and it was well worth it. Greatly improved the rocking.
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Old 12-02-2016, 02:57 AM   #3
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Model: vegas 24.1
State: Florida
Posts: 126
THOR #1466
Outlaw handling

The F-53 chassis is big, burly, dependable and rugged. You just cannot kill it. It is , however, not a Ferrari. Out of the box, they handle like overloaded bread trucks. Sure, Ford puts generic, one size fits all medium-duty sway bars front and rear. They are woefully undersized for loading of a heavy coach of long length and higher weights. Each coach manufacturer should remove the factory sway-stabilizers, and add bigger, beefier bars as a matter of course. But, they do not, for cost reasons. This situation goes right back to the fact that the dopes who design and build motorhomes never actually drive, travel or camp out in them. The diameter of the track bars, sway bars, or stabilizers should be almost double what Ford provides as standard equipment. There are many after-market suspension improvements that can be made to make the F-53 handle like a champ. I have driven before/after suspension upgrades, and the difference is astounding. Most RV manufacturers are guilty of overlooking handling to make their respective coaches more enjoyable and safe to drive. My 2010 Tiffin Allegro handled like an ape on skates. It was a white-knuckle drive especially at highway speeds with semi-trucks all around. Handling upgrades were done, and the coach actually was fun and easy to drive for the first time.
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Old 12-02-2016, 03:43 AM   #4
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Model: 2017 Windsport 29M
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THOR #5196
The rear swaybar is actually pretty easy to replace, 18mm socket, and 15mm wrench. The swaybar is not under tension when the coach is setting level. If you look under the coach you'll see there really isn't much to replacing the bar. Like Techn0 said, have you done the front and rear CHF yet, makes a big difference.
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Old 12-02-2016, 03:47 AM   #5
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 25.2
State: Alaska
Posts: 16
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And the sway is gone...

We drove to Eugene, OR. Spent time with Kaiser Alignment and Brake (KAB) - First step was full inspection; several parts had too much play and needed to be replaced (the tie rod end and pitman arm connector). The parts including front and rear Roadmaster Sway bars were ordered with delivery the next morning. For the night, KAB had a 30A plugin available for me, we parked it, fired up the TV, had dinner and got a great nights sleep. The next day, parts arrived, parts installed, alignment performed, test drive accomplished, minor adjustments done, one more test drive and job complete. The handling is now unbelievable, fingertips, you can even let go and it tracks straight, steering wheel is centered, hard turns don't give the feeling of wanting to roll over. Driving through the winding roads of coastal Oregon has become a much more pleasant endeavor. We have not had an opportunity to drive in any high winds yet, however, actually looking forward to see how it handles. We arrived KAB at 1pm and left at 5pm the next day...
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Old 12-02-2016, 03:56 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam2016 View Post
Has anyone figured out a way to insatall a rear sway bar on a 2016 Thor outlaw?
Thor specs for Outlaws show that chassis should have come from Ford with 38.1 mm (1-1/2 inch) diameter anti-roll bars from the factory both at front and rear. If in doubt take a quick look to verify it wasn't removed or left off.
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Old 12-03-2016, 02:41 AM   #7
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Model: Vegas 27.7
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Exolain CHF please

Would someone please explain what the CHF is...what it does...how it is done, etc.
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Old 12-03-2016, 02:50 AM   #8
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The CHF is for the F-53 chassis. By moving the attachment points on the sway bar you have essentially stiffened the bar by changing the leverage and reduced sway in the coach.
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Old 12-03-2016, 02:52 AM   #9
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This is probably the best video showing you the Cheap Handling Fix (CHF) fix plus the Safe T Plus. I just ordered the Safe T Plus and will be installing it next week for give me the ultimate handling fix. Let me find the details of when I completed my install and I will send you the link as well.

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Old 12-03-2016, 02:56 AM   #10
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Here is my post from when I completed the install:

Okay, I just completed the CHF for the front and back. Including getting tools ready and putting them away, it was a total of about 2 hours. It was not as complicated as I thought it was going to be. After completing it, I took my rig for a little drive and you can definitely tell the difference. That was the best two hours spent and I am sure saved me more than $2000 installing third party Sway Bars.

Here is how I did it for a Ford F53 Chassis:

Front Sway Bar:
You will need a 18mm socket, 15mm wrench, 100lbs torque wrench, hand jack, thread locker blue, and maybe a hammer. Make sure your jacks are up and that you are on level ground. Loosen the bolts and remove them from the SB. Don't worry about getting hit by anything as there isn't any tension in the SB. Try to position the bars into the inner hole. In my case, I was on very level ground and was able to slide the bolts into the inner holes with very little effort. I put thread locker on the nuts and tightened them back up to about 68lbs of torque. I think 66lbs is required but I am an overachiever. That is it, all done.

Read Sway Bar:
You will need the same tools. For the rear, you will see that both holes are used. Is all you have to do is remove the bolts and reverse them. The rear SB was a little tight so I had to use a hammer knock the bolt back for it to come out. Once they were all out, I tried to line up the bolts in reverse order. In my case, I noticed that one was lower to the ground so I saved that one for last. I put the bolts in the opposite side then I needed the hand jack to raise the SB up a little for the bolt to align. Once all the bolts were in, I put thread locker on the nut and tightened it back down to 68lbs torque.

Approaching the task was more intimidating then actually completing it. I am glad I finally did it and now all I need is a Safe-T-Plus stabilizer for the front and I will be a happy camper. Sorry, I wasn't able to do a video because the DW wasn't around and I couldn't put it anywhere that wasn't wet from last nights rain. I also didn't get a chance to try the chalk trick that Dave recommended but will do that some other time when I am in dry conditions. If you haven't done the CHF yet because it appears intimating, no this. If I can do it, I promise that almost anyone can complete it successfully.
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