Kwikee step adjustment

[Gjac]

I have a 1996 2 step vintage Kwikee step, steps are loose and when fully retracted they do not fully retract to the stops. If I help them up with my hand there is no difference. I can push the step to the stop by hand easily but it just drops down. The forward rubber bumper stop is about 1/2 in away and the rear stop is about an inch away from the stop. Steps work find otherwise they go in and out as they should. All joints are lubricated and lower cams are adjusted per the manual. I can't find any other information in the manual that will adjust the steps up another one in or so. Any help would be appreciated.

[FIRE_UP]

MrWizard wrote:
No adjustments
The parts are all fixed length
Gears wear, and the ball joints at the end of bells crank wear
If it stays up, and doesn't come down you are ok

Pretty much the correct answer here. The ONLY adjustments on any Kwikee steps I've ever seen and owned are the cams on each side. And contrary to some believers, those cams have absolutely NOTHING to do with STABLIZING the steps. All they do is allow for a coordinated stop that ties in with the end of the motor/swing arm travel so the steps stop with the cams and the end of the travel, at the same time.

Other than those, as stated above, the travel is a fixed distance, in both directions with no possible adjustment.
Scott

[D_E_Bishop]

MrWizard wrote:
No adjustments

If it stays up, and doesn't come down you are ok

I cannot agree with that. If it that badly worn, it is going to fail and probably at the lest convenient moment. Besides the possibility of failure, there is the noise caused by road bounce and abnormal wear caused by not being held firmly in the retracted position.

Trying to write out everything I would do and look at would take a lot of time and may not speed up the process for the OP. It is a lot like wiring outlets, if you know how to do it, it is easy, if you don't, it can be time consuming and cost a lot of money.

A search of posts in the archives will give the OP the things that should be checked.

[Gjac]

MrWizard wrote:
No adjustments
The parts are all fixed length
Gears wear, and the ball joints at the end of bells crank wear
If it stays up, and doesn't come down you are ok

This was my first thoughts also seeing I could not find anything in the manual. I was hoping someone figured out a way to fix this.

[MrWizard]

No adjustments
The parts are all fixed length
Gears wear, and the ball joints at the end of bells crank wear
If it stays up, and doesn't come down you are ok

[D_E_Bishop]

My first thought is that your batteries are low but that seems unlikely after some thought. I would be inclined to think that your motor s=assembly has some wear problems and or that the lift motor is failing. There isn't any adjustment other than the cams you mentioned.

If you disconnect the complete motor assembly and the steps move freely from fully extended to fully retracted by pushing on them, there is nothing left but the motor assembly. Without being there to see it, I would suggest matching up your lift motor with one from a motor parts store and try that. There are literally hundreds of threads maybe even thousands of them just on the Kwikee steps and the best thing is experience in repairing them to diagnose the problem.

[garyemunson]

Be SURE to unhook batteries when you work on steps or you may become the latest guy out there with the nickname "Nubs".

[DSDP_Don]

Look carefully under the steps. Often near the front edge, where the steps bolt to body, there are some bolts that tighten the frame to the body and some bolts on both ends of the assembly that keeps the steps tight. You'll have to look up there with the steps out.

[wa8yxm]

There may well be no adjustment.

Kwikee steps use a current sensor. when the motor "Stalls" the current increases and the controller shuts off
IF Same on extension when teh steps hit the stops (Those may be adjustable) the motor stalls and power is removed.

The other "Stop" is the curved arm. with steps extended you will see a curved arm attached to the transmission then a straight "link" to a bell crank that extends the steps.

Now do not be under the steps when they move but is the curved rod swinging all the way back and hitting the transmission housing. It should