Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Dexter HD Suspension & EZ-Flex Install (long w/ pictures)
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 > Dexter HD Suspension & EZ-Flex Install (long w/ pictures)

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Learjet

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Posted: 03/12/09 05:50pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

What I discovered was my Nylon bushing were starting to wear through on a couple of them. The the real problem I discovered, was after 22,000 miles some of the bolts had sheared the spline's that lock them in place, so instead of turning in the nylon bushing they were wearing the linkage plates.

A couple of them looked ready to fail.

[image]

[image]

Another TIP:


If your bolts are hard to remove, or you don't feel like removing them, you can leave the bolts and shackles attached to the center equalizer and save some time. See pic below
[image]

[image]

* This post was edited 03/15/09 01:54pm by Learjet *


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Learjet

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Posted: 03/12/09 05:54pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

and it is done...

[image]

Learjet

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Posted: 03/12/09 06:00pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

after I finished the suspension install, I pulled the hubs and found a couple of bearing starting to fail (pitting and galling). I pulled the hubs last @ 10,000 miles and cleaned and repacked by hand. The grease still looked great. Must be the made in China that caused them not to last more than 22,000 miles. note: races looked fine.

Off tomorrow for new bearings and races.

[image]

[image]

* This post was last edited 03/12/09 07:59pm by Learjet *   View edit history

Learjet

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Posted: 03/12/09 06:05pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

now Mods and other well informed folk here, need suggestions on frame repair. I think I have seen this problem posted here, I know I need some plates welded to beef it up. Any suggestions and tips when talking to my welder?

See pics:

[image]

[image]

[image]

[image]

[image]

[image]

LAdams

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Posted: 03/12/09 06:40pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Nice job Learjet [emoticon] Boy, looks like you got to those shackles just in time, that one looked pretty thin toward the top...

Regarding the frame issue, I'm not seeing what you say needs repair - could you expound a little bit [emoticon]bearing looked pretty sad for only 22K miles [emoticon] I'm gonna have to pull mine this year and see what they look like... I have less miles than you did but no doubt they are chinese bearings as well [emoticon]

Les


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Learjet

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Posted: 03/12/09 07:32pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

LAdams wrote:

Nice job Learjet [emoticon] Boy, looks like you got to those shackles just in time, that one looked pretty thin toward the top...

Regarding the frame issue, I'm not seeing what you say needs repair - could you expound a little bit [emoticon]bearing looked pretty sad for only 22K miles [emoticon] I'm gonna have to pull mine this year and see what they look like... I have less miles than you did but no doubt they are chinese bearings as well [emoticon]

Les


Ok, I edited the pictures.

Les, look at the bottom of the side support where its welded to the frame. You can see I cleaned some areas in some of the pics where the crack radiates out. Follow the rust line from the bottom out. This is a thin wall box frame, not I-beam. Those rust lines are cracks.

[emoticon]

* This post was edited 03/12/09 07:57pm by Learjet *

LAdams

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Posted: 03/15/09 03:09pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Oh yeah - I see tem now - wow - that doesn't look good... Can you weld??? Maybe run a bead down the cracks or perhaps reinforce the outrigger with another piece of material...

Les

Learjet

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Posted: 03/15/09 04:09pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

LAdams wrote:

Oh yeah - I see tem now - wow - that doesn't look good... Can you weld??? Maybe run a bead down the cracks or perhaps reinforce the outrigger with another piece of material...

Les


I am trying not to get too disappointed about the cracks, because I'll get it fixed right.

I moved my problem to this link so I don't hijack this thread.

thanks.

RVhiker

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Posted: 03/19/09 03:01pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

My son and I installed the Dexter HD Suspension set (without the EZ-Flex Idler) yesterday. It took us about 6 hours; having a 20 year old to crawl under the trailer and do the hard stuff was very helpful.

A couple of comments:
1) I sprayed a "rust busting" magic spray over the threads and nuts of all we'd have to take off the day before. I think that this "soaking" time helped make the rusted nuts somewhat easier to get off.
2) Our fifth wheel has shocks installed. In order to lower the axle enough to get the spring ends installed, we had to remove the nut from the lower shock mount (no big deal, if the threads aren't too rusted).
3) Watch the wiring for your electric brakes. In order to lower the axle enough, we had to make some slack in the wire. There were some clips holding the wiring to the frame that we temporarily removed which created the slack, without having to cut the wire and then have to repair it.
4) That ball joint remover tool that has been mentioned earlier is really needed for this job. It would have taken much, much longer without it.
5) The directions included from Dexter are really not very helpful - read them while employing several grains of salt. The pictures and discussion in this thread, however, were very helpful. Thanks!


There's lots of advice and information in forums...
sometimes it is correct.

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Learjet

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Posted: 04/08/09 07:04pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

additional caution: after my first trip I noticed my gas line runs adjacent to the center hanger and was making contact with one of the shackle plates when going over speed bumps. I moved the gas line to provide clearance from the shackles.

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