blizzfam
illinois
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Joined: 12/23/2008
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Thank you BarneyS. That helps.. I will be looking to do this to my camper.. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile") .. I learned something today... Now I can g back to sleep..
See y'all down the road!
PB&J with a Side of Z.
Big Rhonda's gonna get us there!!
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Canadianxplorer
Calgary,Alberta
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Joined: 08/20/2005
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Thanks for the Idea guys, I could not believe the condition of the plastic bushing when I took them out! I just did the hd kit not the ez flex one.
This was the best 5 hours spent working on the trailer in a long time.
cya
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Highway 4x4
La Verne, Ca
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Joined: 12/07/2006
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One of the things I noticed is how quiet the suspension on the trailer is now. Going slow through a CG with turns and bumps, everyones TT pops and other wierd noises, mine is silent. Does it ride smoother? How would I know.
2014 Ram Cummins Laramie, Crew cab, 4x4, Loaded, Snugtop camper
2014 OutdoorsRV Wind River 250RDSW
Big spoiled Bernese Mountain Dog
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LAdams
Northern Illinois
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Joined: 10/06/2000
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I finally got grease into my spring eye bolts... I relaxed the suspension by jacking up the TT frame, removing the wheels (I was doing bearings and brakes anyway) and by doing that I got grease into the upper shackle bolts...
On the spring eye bolts, I had to back them out and turn them (the grease opening in the bolt) to the 5 O'clock position and grease finally went in - not ideal, but better than no grease at all...
Les
2000 Ford F-250SD, XLT, 4X4 Off Road, SuperCab
w/ 6.8L (415 C.I.) V-10/3:73LS/4R100
Banks Power Pack w/Trans Command & OttoMind
Sold Trailer - not RV'ing at this point in time
HUNTER THERMOSTAT INSTALL
HOME MADE WHEEL CHOCKS
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Learjet
Louisiana
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Joined: 02/21/2006
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Highway 4x4 wrote:One of the things I noticed is how quiet the suspension on the trailer is now. Going slow through a CG with turns and bumps, everyones TT pops and other wierd noises, mine is silent. Does it ride smoother? How would I know.
I'll second that, no more squeak squeak squeak going over bumps in the campground.
2017 Ram Big Horn, DRW Long Box, 4x4, Cummins, Aisin, 3.73
2022 Jayco Pinnacle 32RLTS, Onan 5500, Disc Brakes, 17.5" tires
B&W Ram Companion
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jz1028
North Florida
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Joined: 02/17/2009
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I just got my kit in the mail. Noticed that two of the four shackle plates do not exactly line up with the bolts pressed into the other shackles. They are about .050" off center. Should I open up the holes in the plates so that the bolts will go through or what? I have two pair that will slide all the way down the bolts and two that won't even enter the holes in the heavy duty plates.
Thanks
Trailer is 26FK 1996
Kit is K71-652-00
After some more inspection, I see that the pressed in shackle bolts have the grease holes at the 6 or 12 o'clock position (which ever way you hold it). I have read posts concerning these. Can someone set me straight on this. Are these Ok as they are or should Dexter send new assemblies with the 3 or 9 o'clock positioins?
* This post was
edited 07/29/09 02:43pm by jz1028 *
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LAdams
Northern Illinois
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Dexter says in their manual that the grease hole should beat the 3 or 9 O'Clock position but this for the spring eye bolts... They obviously don't say anything about the shackle assemblies as these are already pre-assembled... IIRC, I think mine were at the 3 and 9 position but I can't say with 100% degree of certainty, but I don't have any difficulties getting grease into those...
Maybe the best thing to do is give them a call and see what they say... I would assume that the compressive load on the idlers is going to be on the back side, say between the 12 and 5 O'Clock position - kinda depends on the position of the idler at the time...
I would assume that you could probably press out the bolts and turn them if so required... You could do this with a shop press or maybe even a c-clamp or the HF Ball Joint tool with a little shade tree ingenuity ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin")
Les
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JBarca
Radnor, Ohio, USA
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Joined: 12/16/2004
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jz1028 wrote:I just got my kit in the mail. Noticed that two of the four shackle plates do not exactly line up with the bolts pressed into the other shackles. They are about .050" off center. Should I open up the holes in the plates so that the bolts will go through or what? I have two pair that will slide all the way down the bolts and two that won't even enter the holes in the heavy duty plates.
Thanks
Trailer is 26FK 1996
Kit is K71-652-00
After some more inspection, I see that the pressed in shackle bolts have the grease holes at the 6 or 12 o'clock position (which ever way you hold it). I have read posts concerning these. Can someone set me straight on this. Are these Ok as they are or should Dexter send new assemblies with the 3 or 9 o'clock positioins?
Hi JZ
Since you are a guy who uses 0.050”…(A guy like me…) I’m assuming you have a set of dial calipers. Measure down at the shackle plate across the 2 shoulder bolts. Then measure in the outside of the 2 holes on one of the shackle plates with the clearance holes. If those 2 dimensions are right with a few thousands then you most likely can make what you have work.
When they press in the shoulder bolts, they have serrated shanks too, the bolt take a hitch to the left and right some times. Mine had the same issue, but only about 0.020” beyond all the clearance. Screw the 2 nuts on, line up the flats and put a C clamp across the 2 nuts to draw them together. They can then flex in the hole and line up. I did mine right on the TT. Shoved the bolted shackle plate thru the spring and squeeze the studs enough to get the plate to go on.
![[image]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/T310SR%20Camper%20Upgrades/EZ%20Flex%20Install/Bushclearance.jpg)
On 1 I used 2 clamps. One to press on, like this, use light pressure to start. Then used the other to draw the studs together and she went on OK. If yours are truly drill 0.050” off center, well that is not going to spring into place.
![[image]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/T310SR%20Camper%20Upgrades/EZ%20Flex%20Install/24SchackleCclamp.jpg)
The grease holes, see mine here from Dexter
![[image]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/T310SR%20Camper%20Upgrades/EZ%20Flex%20Install/22HeavyDutyShackle.jpg)
![[image]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b378/JBarca/T310SR%20Camper%20Upgrades/EZ%20Flex%20Install/23Shacklegreaseholes.jpg)
I do not know how yours are. Mine where not at 6 and 12 on the shackles. The 6’o clock spot is sort of the worst if your lands there. All the weight of the TT is then pushing down on it. Mine where more like 2:00 or 4:00 on the shackles and they worked OK
On the spring hangers, yes I dialed mine so the grease hole would point to the clearance side of the play in the bronze bushing when the TT is towing forward. Which would be 3 or 9 o clock depending on which way you are looking at it.
Hope this helps and good luck
John
John & Cindy
2005 Ford F350 Super Duty, 4x4; 6.8L V10 with 4.10
CC, SB, Lariat & FX4 package
21,000 GCWR, 11,000 GVWR
Ford Tow Command
1,700# Reese HP hitch & HP Dual Cam
2 1/2" Towbeast Receiver
2004 Sunline Solaris T310SR
(I wish we were camping!)
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jz1028
North Florida
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Joined: 02/17/2009
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John,
The photo with your hand holding the shackle assy looks like the ones I got. It looks to me that the holes are facing downward at 6 o'clock. Am I missing something in the photo?
My bolts are canted inward toward each other. If they were canted outward, I would just put them in a vise or use a large c-clamp to align them to get into the shackle plate. It makes me mad that two are perfect and two are messed up. There should be some check for this at the factory. I guess there is no such thing as QA there.
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LAdams
Northern Illinois
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I would think guys that even if they are .050 out, that there will be enough "give" in the serrated end of the bolt and clearance in the bushing to pull it in...
While it may be "snug" these items we're dealing with here are not "space age" components and after the first few thousand miles, things are going to start to seat and wear anyway... The only key issue I see is getting grease into the,,, As I said in a previous post a few posts up the page, I ended up taking out 2 of my spring eye bolts and rotating them so I could get grease in them...
Maybe it was one of those laid off TT builders that went over to Dexter and started assembling HD shackle kits ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/rolleyes.gif "rolleyes")
Or maybe Dexter is outsourcing these items to China as well as their bearings ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/eek.gif "eek")
Les
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