Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Alignment in Atlanta (Read 1305 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Alignment in Atlanta

Yahoo Message Number: 35675
When we returned from a 7,000 mile trip to Oregon and the Canadian Rockies in October I discovered that I had severe tire wear on the outside of the right front tire. It was worn down to 4/32 on a coach with 33,000 miles.

I called Dave Rutherford, head of service at CC, and he told me that on the east coast the best place for alignment was Josam in Orlando, FL. I had already heard of their good reputation aligning coaches and that is also where Lazydays in Tampa sends their alignments. I called Josams. They told me that they would be happy to align my coach, but that there was an ex-employee with his own shop in Atlanta that was much closer to me. He had worked for them for 8 years using Josam equipment and was shop manager when he left for Atlanta in 1998. I asked if he was using Josam equipment and they said he was.
So, I contacted Tony Belmar owner of Alignment Professionals at 4872 Clark Howell Hwy in College Park, GA. Phone: 404-209-7763. He limits his work to heavy trucks and motorhomes. I made an appointment and just had the work done yesterday. He seems to know his work and didn't mind me hanging around the shop while he worked. He is a friendly guy who told me a little bit of Josam history.

Josam stands is short for Joseph Samuelsen, a Sweedish engineer who worked for Volvo Truck. He invented the alignment equipment for heavy vehicles that is now used worldwide. When he left Volvo he bought the patent from them and has been selling the equipment world wide. Tony said about ninety per cent of the alignment equipment in Europe is Josam. He further stated that Hunter and V-Line where the traditional suppliers of alignment equipment in the U.S., but that Josam is increasing its market share.

My coach had severe toe-in of 26.4 mm. Tony reset it at 0.7 mm, or about 1/32 in which is called for in the Holland Suspension manual.
He found no problems with caster or camber. He told me that if we put worn tires on the rear inners that the smaller diameter tire would have less road contact pressure and could consequently slip and wear more. So, he moved the front tires which have the most wear to the left rear and balanced all four wheels that were removed.

The coach already drove OK, but seemed to drive better and was smoother during the test drive and on the way home.
Pictures of the alignment job on my coach and the Josam equipment can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/gharpercomcast/JosamAtlanta Double click the pictures to enlarge, or view a slide show.
If you would like to see my invoice and the computer generated before and after specs on my coach, e-mail me and I will send the files to you.

Now my challenge is to clean up the tires that were previosly mounted facing the inside!

George Harper
04 Allure
31093
Rome, GA

Re: Alignment in Atlanta

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 35685
George,

I had tire wear and vibration issues that alignments and balance didn't fix. I replaced the original Toyo's with Michelin XZA2 Energy tires.
Problems went away, but the tires were not cheap.
Toyo has been known to produce out-of-round tires. The problem gets worse because of uneven wear due to the tire bouncing all over the road. Actually, a Goodyear tire dealer told me about the Toyo issues, but I eventually went with Michelin.

You probably do have some alignment problems that were fixed, but inferior tires may be what's giving you headaches.

Rob

2002 Intrigue #11480

Re: Alignment in Atlanta

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 35714
Thanks, Rob

I have been wondering what make tire to go with when it is time to change in another year. I had the regular XZA's on my previous coach and had one blow out. I had head talk of a lot of sidewall blow outs. Wonder how the XZA2 Energy tire is different from Michelin's motorhome tire?

George Harper
04 Allure
31093
Rome, GA

George,

I had tire wear and vibration issues that alignments and balance didn't fix. I replaced the original Toyo's with Michelin XZA2 Energy tires.
Problems went away, but the tires were not cheap.
Toyo has been known to produce out-of-round tires. The problem gets worse because of uneven wear due to the tire bouncing all over the road. Actually, a Goodyear tire dealer told me about the Toyo issues, but I eventually went with Michelin.

You probably do have some alignment problems that were fixed, but inferior tires may be what's giving you headaches.

Rob

2002 Intrigue #11480

Re: Alignment in Atlanta

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 35715
I assume you originally had 12R's on the coach. Michelin according to their web site doesn't make the XZE in 12 r any more. But they have come out with 2 new tires that should work. The XDN2 is a true 12R. The new 305/85R22.5 XZU3 is their new performance tire with the strong side walls you are looking for. They both have new tread patterns and I am not sharp enough to know which is best for your or my application. But I am going to corner the boys At Les Schwab if they come to the rally in Feb. 08. Hope to see all of you there.
TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731. I noticed the other day they are putting 315's on the Allure's and that they say they are using a 8.25 rim, but they may have overlooked that spec when they changed tire size. Michelin says you can use one on a 8.25 rim but that you would lose some width and change the rev/mile of the tire. But here again, I'm not sure if we have enough space to use them in the dual position.

George,

I had tire wear and vibration issues that alignments and balance didn't fix. I replaced the original Toyo's with Michelin XZA2 Energy tires.
Problems went away, but the tires were not cheap.

Toyo has been known to produce out-of-round tires. The problem gets worse because of uneven wear due to the tire bouncing all over the road. Actually, a Goodyear tire dealer told me about the Toyo issues, but I eventually went with Michelin.

You probably do have some alignment problems that were fixed, but inferior tires may be what's giving you headaches.

Rob

2002 Intrigue #11480
 

Re: Alignment in Atlanta

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 35720
George,

Went from Toyo 12R's to Michelin XZA2 Energy 295/80R22.5

The metric replacement was recommended by Country Coach. The diameter is slightly less than the 12R. However, the tire does have a higher load rating. For correct speedometer readings, you will need to have your Cummins ECM reprogrammed to reflect this change.

Rob

2002 Intrigue #11480

Quote
I assume you originally had 12R's on the coach. Michelin according

to their

Quote
web site doesn't make the XZE in 12 r any more. But they have come

out with

Quote
2 new tires that should work. The XDN2 is a true 12R. The new

305/85R22.5

Quote
XZU3 is their new performance tire with the strong side walls you

are

Quote
looking for. They both have new tread patterns and I am not sharp

enough to

Quote
know which is best for your or my application. But I am going to

corner

Quote
the boys At Les Schwab if they come to the rally in Feb. 08. Hope

to see

Quote
all of you there.
TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731. I noticed the other

day they

Quote
are putting 315's on the Allure's and that they say they are using

a 8.25

Quote
rim, but they may have overlooked that spec when they changed tire

size.

Quote
Michelin says you can use one on a 8.25 rim but that you would

lose some

Quote
width and change the rev/mile of the tire. But here again, I'm not

sure if