finally got around to repacking all the wheel bearings and checking the brakes on my 5er this weekend. took a while and what a pain but definatly worth it since i know the bearings have nice fresh grease and seals and the brakes are good to go. its obviously been a few years since the bearings were done in this rig, several of the wheels had very little grease in the bearings and what was there was getting pretty dry. also, all the grease seals were leaking grease so a good cleaning was needed. sure was a messy job tho, even with my trusty bearing packer. found out that i also need to replace all the suspension links and equalizers earlier than i was hoping, they are effin loose!! i thought they were doing ok, and the links are, but the bolts are really worn out. was a bit of a task gettin this rig off the ground safely, but a 12 ton bottle jack and 2 good jack stands got the job done.

just a reminder, service the bearings every once in a while and check the suspension components frequently.

UPDATE: dexter EZ-flex installed post #23

Nice job. Just reminds me of all the things I need to get done before I bring it back down to Dunes Edge. Ive only had like all summer to to the work.

Randy, you are not alone. I don't usually procrastinate I just put things off till I really need to do them.

Thanks for adding to my list... again.

First... the roof.

Now this. Thanks.

Good Job!

gotta be done man, last thing ya want is water in the roof/wall structure and/or to lose a wheel because a bearing fails. i finished the bearings at about midnight last night, was a long day......

I think you should look into 2" hollow spindels for that rig

How did your suspension look? Quite a few posts on RV.net about suspension issues.
I think this is the next project. One of the threads talks about beefing up by adding cross members and gussets too. Figure it cant hurt...


Value of pre trip inspection
EZ flex for 3 axle

Edit to add El Camino Man already saw this. Leaving it linked for others.

Last season we saw atleast 10 trailers at work, main problem was bearings going out. Bearing goes out, you mess up the spindle, hub and most of the time the wheel. You lose a wheel and major damage to your trailer can occur. If you dont have the ability or the tools we can do it at my work. We have a full inventory of trailer parts.

The EZ-flex is pretty impressive!

Did my trailer this weekend, 6 hrs, dual axle Rampage. Also had to swap out a spring because when I broke one in Glamis I bought the wrong size, but it did get it home.

The drums had some play in them.

Other things. I packed one bearing in the summer because I found the drum had play. I only had time to do the one wheel knowing during the summer I'd check the rest. I used Valvoline grease for Ford bearings. Well that bearing was dry when I checked it this weekend. Repacked that one with the others using Lucas Red and Tacky #2. Hopefully this time the grease sticks.

yea, the EZ-flex is what i plan to get, now that i know my axles are on 35" centers, just gotta come up with the extra $$. also need tires and to do my own version of the cross braces....yikes, expensive year for the trailer.....

as far as looking at the suspension, it looked fine, i only noticed the huge amount of play in the shackles and equalizers when i was lowering the trailer off the jack. everything moved ALOT when the suspension started to load... like the threads on rv.net, ive never understood why the hardware on these rigs is so lightweight....oh yea, cost thing i guess...

great to know loko, whats the name of your company so i can give info if someone needs it?


yes it is, UBER BEEFY!!


took me about 8 hrs for this triple, did hit a hiccup with the grease seals tho. the ones i got from the trailer place were the wrong size (was almost positive that would happen) and unfortunately the trailer place in hemet was closed. thankfully napa had what i needed, but almost $12 a piece!! and that was with the acct discount. let us know about that lucas grease, ive always just used the standard red bearing grease from work in my trusty matco bearing packer. used almost the full grease cups worth!

that would be the ticket!! im also thinking about going long travel, but with fox shocks so i dont get all the noise that kings are known for......

Wymore, Inc. , www.wymoreinc.com Ask for David, say Carlos recomended, I might be able to get you a discount.

well, i ordered up the complete EZ-flex system from Dexter last night, supposed to get it next week so hopefully next weekend i can get it all installed and report back

Take lots of pics! Im ordering mine in the next day or two...

ill do my best, maybe ill put my bro on camera duty while im workin....

recieved the 54 pound box today........HOLY CHIT THESE PARTS ARE NO JOKE!! ill post up some pics after while for you all to see

the pics dont show how huge these parts really are, they are massive! i put my truck keys next to the front equalizer in one pic to try to give perspective. no more suspension issues with this setup

dang thats some heavy duty stuff

what does that setup run?

this kit for triple axles with 35" axle spacing runs $300 + tax and shipping. its a no brainer really, the heavy duty kit which is the same kit but with standard equalizers vs the flex equalizers is $380....

Nice!!! I was looking at those for next season

alright.......

if anyone is hesitant about the dexter EZ-flex, DONT BE!! i installed the goods today and am AMAZED!! the trailer tows like a dream and is sooooo quiet. heres some pics for ya of the install.

first and foremost, make sure you have the proper equipment at hand. i used a 12 ton bottle jack to lift the trailer then supported it with 2 12 ton stands and 2 6 ton stands. i put 2x4 pieces of wood between the stands and the frame to help distribute weight and to not risk bending part of the frame. i then used 2 aluminum racing jacks to move the axles up and down while working on the parts

time to pull the old stuff. i ended up having to use a grinder with a cut off wheel to cut off several bolts on the left side. TIP: use wd40 on the nuts and let em sit for a while, it makes the job ALOT easier! after i pulled the parts, it was evident that it was past due for these parts to be replaced...

the new stuff!! i put all the zerk fittings to the inside so i dont have to take off the wheels and so it forces me to get under the trailer and check for anything out of the ordinary

i was blown away on the test tow....it tows great, and to my delight the chucking has deminished ALOT!! now bearable

time to celebrate with a tastey beverage......or 2.....

Hey John what year is your trailer? Just curious to know the time frame on the amount of wear on the parts. Also did you previously have zerks?

my rampage is a 2003, built in december 2002. and no, it didnt have zerks and it was noisey as hell. those orange nylon bushings that were in the leaf springs were DESTROYED!

Very nice looking kit. I just finished greasing my wheel bearings and suspension this weekend. I had a blow out in phoenix, and one of the lug nuts was cross-threaded and it ruined the stud. I figured since I have to replace the stud, I might as well do the whole thing.

if anyone has any questions on the install, let me know as i have some additional pics of different parts of the install. a ball joint press from harbor freight will be a wise investment for pressing in the splined bolts as a c-clamp just doesnt cut it. also, use one of the old suspension bolts to aid with installing the brass bushings. itll keep from deforming the bushings as you either press them into the springs or as i did, you can use a small sledge hammer and gently tap them in, but DONT GET CARRIED AWAY!!

alright, i just towed the trailer down here to el cajon from hemet. i must say, the trailer tows nothing like it did before, with the exception of the chucking that this thing has always had. it has however diminished ALOT and really only does it now on rough sections of freeway. the biggest difference i noticed is that the trailer no longer bucks and bounces when going over bumps, expansion joints and bridge junctions. its very controlled and smooth, the trailer also feels ALOT more stable going down the road, doesnt seem to sway like it did before. the weird part is that im not used to hearing zero noise from the suspension, not a squeak or rattle or anything! for the last 4 years, between this trailer and ye ol warrior, nothing but rattles, clunks, pops and creaking.

very happy with the results, its refreshing that a product delivers on its claims. i HIGHLY recommend this upgrade to any leaf sprung rig

Nice Thread thanks for posting

Thanks for sharing the info. Just baught a project singlewide for storage and spun a bearing and wheel on the way home, only 10 miles away. Resorted to getting 2 new 5500 lb. axles each to keep that little scare from happening again.

got mine....thanks for the heads up. this kit is great. my pictures suck, sorry. trailer is an 08 cr3905 triple axle. the new shackles are 1/2" thick!! they are tilted in the pictures, because the trailer is parked in a downhill gutter. when it sits level, they look like elcaminomant's pictures.

nice kit eh? im VERY happy with this purchase for my trailer, well worth the $$.

keep an eye on your hanger to equalizer clearance, does it rub the rubber at all? might have to move the springs and equalizers to the other mounting hole if they do

First off this needs to be Pinned because all of us are going to be doing this sooner or later and it is a great wright up with Photos. The past year I have had 2 spare shackles - a bolt with me and praying everytime I hit a bump or bump the tires or look at the suspension... Time to suck it up and spend the time & $$$$ Thanks again

maiden voyage with the trailer was fantastic. nothing rubs, tows smooth, and handles great. i might also add, that in addition to having this suspension kit on my trailer, i also have a fifth airborne hitch on the front of my warrior. makes towing just that much better!

as a side note to all you people out there with trailers, especially heavy trailers (15k& up). i am very good about greasing my suspension on my trailer, and keeping it greased. the stock shackles, wet bolts and equalizers were starting to show significant wear, and the bushings were ovaling out. these parts were brand new when i picked up my trailer new in june of 07. if you have not bothered to take a look at your suspension bushings and shackles in the past 2-3 years, you are in for a rude suprise.

if you dont put this kit on your trailer, at least replace it with the dexter shackles and bushings. well worth the money and peace of mind when towing.

^^ zactly!

i ran into this over new years was going to leave tuesday afternoon.i was checking the tire pressures and found a rear spring sitting on the frame.went to lowes and got some flat 1/4in steel and made some new ones shackles.then while i was under there i found the otherside was about to break so i made a coulpe more and off i went.i will be looking into this kit for a summer project

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

i dont get it...

what exactly is this "kit" suposta improve?

what is chucking?

the rubber 'cushions' you see actually compress and absorb shocks and vibrations from the suspension while traveling down the road. it is supposed to dramatically cut down on stress to the coach itself. people may not believe it, but let me say this. i have a little digital thermometer that sits on my kitchen counter, its not held down by anything, it just chills there. before i put this kit on the trailer, the thermometer would either have fallen over on the counter or fallen on the floor whenever i got to my destination and other stuff in the trailer would move around. after the kit was installed, the thermometer doesnt move more than an inch even after traveling some rather rough roads.....such as going up the cajon pass and 395 to lone pine. stuff in the back of the trailer that is just on the floor doesnt move either. that tells me that the overall ride in the trailer has smoothed considerably and the vibrations have diminished greatly. the biggest thing i noticed in the truck is when traveling over bridges and other 'joints' in the road. it used to be very rough and jarring, now the trailer just cruises over them without so much as a rattle from the magnets in the trailer brakes.

'chucking' is pretty much contained to 5th wheel trailers and is a back and forth jerking that is felt in the tow vehicle. it usually happens on rougher roads or freeways with apparent expansion joints. my trailer used to just do it all the time, smooth road or rough it didnt matter. i think alot of it had to do with the loose suspension and the trailer bounced around alot more.

I see that most of you guy's have installed this kit on newer WW and such (06+). I have an 04' SLC, with Alko axles(I think!)

Will this Dexter kit work on my coach? Has anyone done this to an older WW?

By chance, does anyone have a part # for the kit that I would use?

Thanks in advance for any/all help.

Mike

Dexter Equalizers

Just measure your axle spacing center to center. They have plenty of kits to fit various trailers. Both double and triple axle setups.

like the camino man says,,,

it will help eliminate a lot, not all, of the road vibrations. it reduces the vibrations on the coach, as well as on the tow vehicle. its a cushion between the road and your truck and trailer. it really does improve the tow quality of your trailer.

this is how i describe "chucking" to those that dont know what it is.

you are towing your fifth wheel down the road. you start hitting a bumpy patch of freeway, almost like a rhythm section off road. the truck and trailer will buck together, kind of feels like you are "dry humping" (bad visual, i know) your steering wheel while sitting in your seat. although its not that bad, it gets annoying. i put a fifth airborne air ride hitch on my trailer in conjunction with my dexter axle kit, and it all but eliminates it. the heavier the fifth wheel, the heavier the "chuck" my old fiver barely did this, but it was only a 9k travel trailer. my warrior is 18k loaded.

lets get this back to the top so people see it and can take note for summer maintenance

btw, as already asked, can we get this thread pinned please?

another suggestion is to check and clean your lug studs and lug nuts when you have them off for whatever reason. also a good idea to put a little dab of anti sieze on the threads as well to keep them from galling. last time i put the wheels on my trailer, i noticed the lugs at one of the wheels were a little rough going back together but they all tightened down ok. this past weekend i replaced all the tires on my trailer and when was putting the wheels back on, and even with a little anti sieze, 2 studs on that troubled wheel stipped right off. sooo i got to pull that drum back off in order to replace all 6 studs and nuts with new. the bearings, grease and seals still look great after just about a year. napa had the closest thing i could find for parts, for a cool $45! effers! the studs and nuts are a little different design but fit perfectly and i know they are torqued properly.

btw, if anyone is looking for a good solid bottle jack to lift their rig, i highly recommend the 12 ton unit from harbor freight. ive had this thing since i bought the warrior which is more than 5 years now and it works great! lifts my 5er with ease and the price is right as well

Projects look great guys! These kits are well worth the money. If I may add one more suggestion as well.... Cross bracing is a good idea with these systems. The reason being is since you have stiffened up your suspention, the forces that were being distributed through the play in the undercarriage are now going to be transferred into the frame of the trailer. Over time, this will fatigue your frame and cause some pretty serious damage. I will post some pictures of damage I have seen from "flipping axles" and/or stiffening the suspension without cross supports. I will also post some pics of a few different cross support systems we have built to give you some ideas. Enjoy!

now, thats some serious stuff right there!

You guys do some nice work.Rob sent me those pics of his trailer and the toolbox mount on the truck.
Sweet work guys.