First trip this year!

[BikerBilly]

YeeeHaa.... Had our first weekender trip this weekend. Went only about 300 miles each way, but gosh we had fun. There weren't any fish caught by the girls but the attempt was made. Relaxation was the order of the weekend and sucess was had. On the way home a rattle developed down around the bottom of the steering column and when we arrived home the front wheels were Hot, really hot and the brake pedal was too firm. Methinks I have a brake problem....Oh well, The mechanic needs a job too. The 30mph wind gusts on the way home were a new challenge since this was my first trip over a few miles, but we made it and it was good practice. We think we are going to like this. :D :) :D Sorry wrong place, should have been in chit-chat, don't know how to move it. :oops:

[03heritagerider]

Congratulations! It was great reading about your maiden weekender voyage. Love the attitude. Fishin' aint always about catchin'. And what's a little brake problem as long as you all had fun. It's all good!

Hope to read more, regardless of how far or where you post it.

[RayHarkness]

Heh..keep us posted as to what went wrong down there....hope its something simple or easy to fix. At least you made it home...It always about a challenge...if its not one thing.its another...good part is if you can keep going and dont' sit on the side of the road someplace!
watching the traffic go by....with people all muttering to themselves, that poor guy is stuck there..too bad!!!

r

[BikerBilly]

Update.......
The Mechanic could find nothin wrong with my brakes and the rattle was the cover down at the bottom of the column. I think I may have over-reacted. The engine for this thing sits really low between the frame rails in the front and I got to thinking to myself the last time I drove it around, Self I thought, where else is all the heat from that big ol diesel going to go except out through the wheel wells and under the coach? On a very windy day there is enough heat blowing through the wheel wells to make the wheel on the downwind side feel quite hot. I am going with that theory until something happens to make me believe different, since the last couple of drives have been on calm days and no wheel overheating has occurred. :) Since my experience at coachlight was as good as it was, they will get to look at it if the problem re-appears.

[BikerBilly]

Update 2

Well the rattle is back, but I found it, and the brakes are heating up but i think i know why, just don't know how to fix it. The rattle is from the u-joints and slip joint on the steering linkage under the floor. It didn't appear they had ever been greased although there were zerts everywhere. I greased it all and if that didn't do it I will get them replaced. The brake deal seems to be the pedal doesn't come all the way back up and leaves enough pressure on the brakes to drag just a little. If I pull it all the way up with my toe everything is peachy. This system appears to be air-over hydraulic and I suspect that the air part isn't releasing all the air pressure when it should. I have reservations 1500 miles away on the 24th., anybody got any Ideas? I hope I can get it in at coachlight if I can't fix it myself.

[RayChez1]

I am sure that the lubrication will help. I can't see replacing the u joint on the steering column or the slip joint. Not much movement there to be worn out already. So the lubing should do the trick.
Now as to the brake pedal hanging up? Maybe you should take a closer look at that problem, something is not right.

[BikerBilly]

Got an appointment with freightliner shop in town on friday they can surely fix it. Thanks for the concern, its nice to know somebody reads these things!