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08-08-2011, 05:09 PM
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#21
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Garrison, NY
Posts: 218
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Buying SMB sight-unseen
Your girlfriend is behind the wheel of your new Sportsmobile and has a big ax within reach - I think you best behave.
__________________
Mike W
Pueblo Gold Ford EB 350 v10 with EB 50 floor plan & Quigley 4x4 from Huntington (aka: Minerva)
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08-08-2011, 10:13 PM
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#22
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,005
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Re: Buying SMB sight-unseen
Sweet!
__________________
Sportsmobile-less.
"A job worth doing is worth doing at least twice."
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08-10-2011, 11:42 AM
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#23
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 10
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Re: Buying SMB sight-unseen
So Sunny is making her way back up through California, right now going past Mono Lake having overn ighted in Yosemite. She keeps sending me pictures, and I remain suitably jealous.
She has had a problem with violent steering shake a couple of times, though, braking downhill into right handers. No idea what is going on there ... Difficult to diagnose from here, but nothing appears loose and they had a front end alignment done just prior to picking it up ... which in itself is making me nervous that they decided to do that to a vehicle they were selling. Any ideas?
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08-10-2011, 12:08 PM
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#24
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Site Team
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southern New Mexico
Posts: 10,179
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Re: Buying SMB sight-unseen
Could be something simple like out of balance tires, uneven brake pad wear, or something more complex/costly like a warped rotor.
Herb
__________________
SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.
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08-10-2011, 12:09 PM
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#25
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 7,644
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Re: Buying SMB sight-unseen
"warped" roter: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=7075&hilit=warped
Driver's side gets more weight in a right hand turn, so I'd say that side. Could also be ABS sensor. Where is the destination?
A quick check would be to swap roters and see if the problem switches sides... but I guess if you were going to do that you might as well have them checked at a brake shop.
__________________
it was good to be back
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08-10-2011, 12:56 PM
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#26
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 10
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Re: Buying SMB sight-unseen
Sunny's heading for Seattle, and has modified her driving style to suit ... she rides my sidecar rig, so is well used to approaching left and right hand turns completely differently.
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08-10-2011, 03:14 PM
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#27
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Arcata, CA
Posts: 623
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Re: Buying SMB sight-unseen
Congratulations on your new van.
Your steering problem sounds like the 'death wobble' that's been discussed here before. Search on that term to find the threads.
It could be caused by tires, worn tie rod ends, bad alignment in addition to brakes.
Bottom line: get it to a mechanic who knows 4x4 suspension & front end and make sure they use the quigley specs to check the alignment.
__________________
2002 E350 7.3 PSD
Quigley 4x4, EB50 floorplan
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08-10-2011, 11:32 PM
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#28
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 477
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Re: Buying SMB sight-unseen
Regarding that shimmy..
I have an older Sportsmobile 96' that I have had rehabbed thru the years. Had a similar steering shake when I first got it, not violent though but annoying enough for me to have the rotors replaced. They had to be replaced since even re-surfacing the front brake rotors didn't work. After replacing it with new ones, I could see where the imperfections (cracks) were on the old rotors... I think the rotors turned out to be for an F-450..
__________________
96 RB E-350 460v8 4x4 Custom RestoMod
Warn12kWinch,FFloater,LSlip,Pwtrx Locker 4.10 305x70x16 ToyoMTs,Eagle Alloys,Stove,4CF Ppane Fridge, Air CompTank,Supersprings, Bilstein Shocks,Deavers,CastIron Diff Case, Bullet Proof ReBuilt Transmission, Tubulator DeRale Trans Pan Cover, SSExhaust, KyoceraSolar, Tripplite UPS, 8D AGM, TivoHD, 24in HDLED
95 FJ80 ARB/Kaymar/Emu
2005 AMG CL65 691hp 875tq
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08-12-2011, 01:45 PM
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#29
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 10
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Re: Buying SMB sight-unseen
Well, Sunny made it home last night, safe and sound!
After a first quick look around and spin around the block, I am very happy with my purchase.
Of course, there are a few issues to address, especially the death wobble, which occurred 4 times in the 1400 mile drive home. Then there's a couple of hinges and latches to fix and a lot of stickers to remove, before I get on to modifications and improvements (wheels, tyres, cure the rear end sag, ICE, etc ...).
First order of business is to figure out how the hell the 'RV' part of the van works, as we are heading off for a week with the kids tomorrow lunch time.
Thanks for all the comments and advice thus far, I'm sure there are going to be plenty of questions over the coming weeks to bug you all with!
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08-12-2011, 02:36 PM
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#30
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Washington - Ridgefield
Posts: 4,728
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Re: Buying SMB sight-unseen
If your van has the dreaded 'Death Wobble', it is because something has too much play in the steering system.
First place to start looking is under the van. Have someone sit in the van and turn the steering wheel back and forth, hard and quick while you lay under and watch all the pieces and parts for some improper movement.
On my van it was the track bar that was loose. Others have have loose steering gears, ball joints, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, etc.
Good luck with it. And hang onto your GF, she's a keeper. If my wife ever felt the Death Wobble, she wouldn't get back in the van, let alone drive it.
Mike
__________________
Alaska to Key West, Labrador and more
Prostate cancer survivor. See Thread Prostate cancer and Sportsmobiles
2015 VW GTI 2020 Fiat 124 Spider
2012 E250 Hitop camper
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