Trailer suspension repairs?

[Boldt's Wagon]

I ran across a post on IRV2.com about the suspension system on a fifth wheel trailer:



http://irv2.infopop.net/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=089094322&f=992099422&m=2383045465



This posting describes the nylon bushings in the spring ends and equilizers wearing out early. I looked at my trailer suspension and it is obvious that the bolts are not in the center of the spring ends, the bushings are worn and may be grooved into the metal. I went to a local axle parts store and found the nylon bushings are only about 1/16 inch thick. I have put over 30,000 miles on the trailer. I had read before that the average travel trailer only gets 10,000 miles in its life. It appears that the standard Dexter suspension system is designed for only 10,000 miles.



Have any of you taken the suspension apart and observed damage similar to the description on IRV2.com?



I found the Dexter "Heavy Duty Suspension Kit" for my trailer at:



http://www.dexteraxle.com/dexter_marketplace/product_info.php?kit_id=209



The price is $140. 90. I am still considering if I want to open this can of worms.

 

[Royal]

The reason most suspension systems wear is they do not have grease (zerk) fittings on the standard axels. I updated my Dexter axels with the heavy duty shackel kit. You get new bronze bushings,step bolts and nuts with grease fittings,heavier links and equalizer links with grease fitting. If you keep them greased regularlly they should last a life time. I jacked one side of trailer and supported it on the frame with 10 ton jack stands,and did each side seperately. The Dexter instructions says to remove the axels. That would require jacking the complete trailer and be a lot of extra work. They probably do it to save their A-- on liability.

I bought my kits from a local spring and axel dealer about 6 months ago and paid 110. oo dollars. 140. 00 is probably list, but many will give a discount. They wanted $125. oo labor to install the kit. My Bud and I did it in about 3 hours ,so we made good beer money.

 

[Boldt's Wagon]

Well, I installed the heavy duty suspension kit from Dexter. The job took me about 8 hours, it was hot in the sun and I was not moving very fast.



The 11,000 lb trailer has 38,000 miles on it. The shackles from the equalizers to the spring eyes had the 9/16 bolt holes elongated about a 1/4 inch. I estimate I would have had a suspension failure within 10,000 miles. The old shackles were 1/4 inch steel, the heavy duty shackles are 1/2 inch steel. The plastic sleeve bearings were worn or extruded out and had steel riding on steel. The heavy duty kit has greasable bronze bushings.



Cost was about $150 fedexed to my door from Dexter. I could not find any kits in stock locally.

 

[Dieselnerd]

I have the heavy duty Dexter suspension and it is far better than the system on my old fifth wheel. One thing to note, I did read a report a few years back in Trailer Life, right after the Dexter kit came out. They said to use locktite on the nuts because there were reports of the kit coming loose on the road. I don't know if they have added cotter pins to the kit or not. My fifth wheel came from the factory with the Dexter HD and does not appear to have any cotter pins. It's never come loose.