Caster settings

olebusman · September 20, 2018, 06:45:19 AM

Hello all. I hope someone has gone through this before. Wander I have a 4106 with sheppard steering, 12.00x22.5 tires and it is set at 3 degrees caster now. So what have you found to work best. Damn thing tires me out chasing it for days on end. Any ideas??? olebusman

Jim Eh. · September 20, 2018, 07:12:26 AM

Quote from: olebusman on September 20, 2018, 06:45:19 AM
Hello all. I hope someone has gone through this before. Wander I have a 4106 with sheppard steering, 12.00x22.5 tires and it is set at 3 degrees caster now. So what have you found to work best. Damn thing tires me out chasing it for days on end. Any ideas??? olebusman

By "wander" are you saying you are experiencing " steering wander"? If so and you have 3.00° caster then other than loose/worn components you have a toe out issue.

chessie4905 · September 20, 2018, 07:15:04 AM

First, make sure you dont have any play in those little u- joints from box to steering wheel. Also check for play in those slip joints. Do you have the 1 to 1 ratio in your angle box at bottom of steering column? If you still have the manual steering ratio of 1 1/2 to one, this will increase hunting. If a slip joint is sloppy, take shaft to a location that fabricates pto shafts. They can make up a new one. Dont tell them it is for a steering shaft, as some won't touch it due to "liability". If all that is ok, increase the caster some more. Maybe 3 degrees is only less due to age and axle twist. Too much positive caster will increase steering effort, regardless of power steering. We went through all this several years ago on our 4104. When done, we had one inch or less play at rim of steering wheel.

bevans6 · September 21, 2018, 09:58:52 AM

Castor not always adjustable on bus axles, it really is not without great effort on my MCI anyway. 3 degrees is a fair bit, my MCI spec is only 1.5 degrees. My wandering problem was resolved when I took the time to check the centering of the steering box to actual steering center on the wheels. Length of the drag link was out by over an inch, meaning the power steering box was always trying to seek center, and was forcing the bus to steer off line. So check the center adjustment of your steering box. On mine there is a witness mark on the output shaft that has to align with a reference edge on the box.

olebusman · September 21, 2018, 11:37:39 AM

Thanks guys. I'll try a little of all except trying to bend the axle. Chessie, if you have a spare 1 to 1 angle drive I will gladly trade my spacer. olebusman

chessie4905 · September 21, 2018, 05:05:15 PM

Sorry, already got one, but my nephew is dismantling a 4905. I'll see if he saved it. If so, ill let you know shortly.

Geoff · September 21, 2018, 05:13:54 PM

I had wandering problems with my bus-- I could hold the steering wheel dead center and my RTS would still wander on the freeway. After rebuilding everything up front without relief, I replaced the radius arm (dogbones) bushings in the back, and that was the problem-- the rear end was shifting it's alignnment constantly which would make the bus change direction. Worn out radius rod bushings.