Now that I've figured out HOW to post a new question I will... A couple days ago I drove my new coach on the freeway for the first time.. It was pretty difficult to keep it between the lines, more like a job then a pleasure.. I always thought it would be like an honor to drive such a beautiful machine but it was alot of work even though the ride was smooth and astounding. It feels as though something could be loose in the front end.. I suspect the steering box? Has anyone else had this problem?

I dont know the MCC chassis, but some ideas,
check airbag pressure in the front end.
Check your steering stabilizer(s) they will be shock looking things on the steering linkage.
Check shocks if equipped. You wont be able to do the bounce test, but unbolt one and see what the pressure is like up and down. If yit doesnt fight like hell to move in both directions, they are bad.
Check all your tie rods, idler arms, you can grab them by hand (or with rubber gloves) and try to move them up and down. If they have slop, they are bad.
All these can contribute, but the steering stabilizers can make the biggest impact.

Also check the condition and wear on the tires and consider getting a front alignmemt...............

Search the files about MCC. It is much like the nursery rhyme, when it is good it is very very good when it is bad it is very very bad. Probably time to make the call to the man near Chicago.

The first time I drove our coach it was awful and very bad I hab 120lbs of air in the tires which was too much. Fore a start check the air pressure that is supposed be in your coach the tag above my head said 90 front and rear(tag is the data tag it is important),If you have to much air it will be squirmy on the road .cross winds add to the problem.too much air in the tire gives you a small amount of your tires touching the road.
when you get it fixed you will love it I know because I love mineand you will to just don't worry.
lenny

In addition to the comments above the Gillig and other diesel pushers use torque tubes that keep the rear axles aligned and tracking with the front steering. These tubes are very much like a fore and aft stabilizer and they have large rubber bushings that wear out. When they wear they allow the rear end to "waddle" by first one wheel moving forward and then the other. This will feel like the steering is wandering and you are chasing the steering wheel. The solution is a heavy truck alignment that aligns all four wheels and replaces, as needed, both front and rear components. On my Regency this changed the entire driving experience and I feel like the Greyhound bus floating down the road with less noise, better mileage and one finger steering.

Ok, this probably doesn't apply but i thought i would throw it out here anyway. Have you driven anything this big before? Do you have a death grip on the wheel? I have an MCI bus. On the way home with it, (1100 mile trip) for the first hundred miles or so i was constantly correcting it. After i relaxed a little i found that i only had to correct it bout 10% of the time. It does not steer like a car....it is a bus! I talked to the PO and he said that for $2500-$3000 there was an upgrade that would tighten up the steering and get rid of most of the play. He also said that for that kind of money he could learn to live with it. I have found that over the last 6 years that if i just use a lighter touch on the wheel,(i still use both hands in case of a blowout) i don't even notice that it wanders a little bit and that it takes minimal effort to keep it straight. Depends a lot on the road surface and ruts too!!!

He has the MCC Chassis. Please, if you do not take any other advice from me.

Please, please, please... thoroughly check your steering and suspension in both the front and rear. There are so many parts on a 4 wheel independent setup that it is critical to the safe operation. If it wasn't properly maintained before, you might have a potential nightmare on your hands now.

If you break down, suspension wise, you WILL NEED A TOW and you will be down for a few days while the parts are shipped in.

That is exactly what I meant. The first time I saw and considered a Barth it was an MCC. It was in Ohio south of Columbus in 2002. Fortunately I found this site,asked Dave about it and got the number for the fellow that has the fix. I talked to him and decided it was beyond my interest level at the time. I was tdy in Circleville, OH and thought it might be a great alternative to motels for the 6 months I was there.
The MCC according to reports has the ride of a cloud the handling of a sports car and needs the front end modified with the upgrades. Story was that MCC was the only way Charles Curralt (sp)traveled.

quote:

Originally posted by ccctimtation:
Search the files about MCC. It is much like the nursery rhyme, when it is good it is very very good when it is bad it is very very bad. Probably time to make the call to the man near Chicago.

If you are referring to ‘the man’ at Motor Coach Restoration….he past away a while ago. Big loss to us MCC Barth owners. 

I redid my entire front suspension last year – check for some postings with pictures. I found that many of my ball joints were seized up and the tie rods ends were not in the best of shape. I full rebuild and an alignment and the coach is a joy to drive.

quote:

Originally posted by chrisW:
Big loss to us MCC Barth owners. 

What is this???



I can't make this out.

Sometimes when your computer doesn't recognize a character it displays something else, so the picture above is what I see. Does my image match and what is it???

OK here goes.... The coach is in the shop for an alignment but when the owner of the shop took it for a ride he said "it dosent feel right, it's like something is moving that shouldnt be".. The next day (yesterday) he mounted a camera under the chassis and watched the steering linkage move (he put chalk marks on the pitman arm and shaft) and it was in fact moving, so he retighned the pitman arm and that cured it until today... Now he is under the impression that the pitman arm and/or shaft are worn due to the loosened condition of the arm.. He is taking the pitman arm off today and I'll know more tomorrow... No wonder it was hard to drive...

I thought the son of the gentleman that passed away took over the business and was continuing to serve MCC owners.
Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jim and Tere:
I thought the son of the gentleman that passed away took over the business and was continuing to serve MCC owners.
Jim

Yes, the shop is still open - but without the guy who knew more about the MCC chassis than anybody else in the world!

quote:

Originally posted by Bill N.Y.:

quote:

Originally posted by chrisW:
Big loss to us MCC Barth owners. 

What is this???





I can't make this out.

Sometimes when your computer doesn't recognize a character it displays something else, so the picture above is what I see. Does my image match and what is it???

It was a frowny icon straight from the keyboard - here, I'll try it again!!