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Topic ClosedReplacement axle?

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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Replacement axle?
    Posted: 03 Oct 2018 at 11:38am
I love Baja, want to move permanently to the Ensenada area. Same climate as San Diego at 10% the cost.

If you think boats are bad try owning an airplane. Been there done that, can’t afford the FAA approved tee shirt...1 boat buck = 1 aviation monetary unit= $1k.

None of the pretty minor things you’ve listed would convince me to change trailers if I liked my rPod. All that can be fixed for a few hundred dollars. If you haven’t already, get a dual voltage TV when you swap it out, no more inverter use for watching the tube.

Just to be sure I’m being clear on the 15 inch wheels. If you change to a 5000 plus lb axle that is a different wheel than a 15 inch wheel for the 3500 lb axle. So, make your axle decision first. Good luck!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2018 at 8:53am
StephenH, did you glean any new information on your axle issues and options at the KY rally? How did your brake and bearing problems work out? 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2018 at 9:57pm
I found out that although the hardware is 4400 lbs, it is derated to 3500 because of the space between the axle arms and the mounting brackets. If it were closer, the rating would be higher. I did not get a good answer to either but I do have an appointment to take it to the dealer where I bought it where the axle and brakes will be checked.

I had cleaned and repacked the bearings and replaced the grease seals before this trip. I think the brakes worked pretty good. However, toward the end, I started to notice a little pulling, probably the door side where the magnet was showing quite a bit more wear than the one on the slide side. Still, the brakes on both sides did not seem excessively warm, even after some significant downhill grades today.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2018 at 4:00am
Interesting Stephen, I wonder if modified mounting brackets could be welded up? Did you get a contact info for the tech you talked to, I'd like to research that further?

Sounds like you have your brake issues under control. I'm still working on mine, I have about 800 (mountainous) miles on my new brakes and drums and am still learning and sorting things. There's more on my other thread for the that. 
  
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Oct 2018 at 11:50am
StephenH, I called Lippert back to see if I could get better clarification regarding the axle rating question. 

Instead, the new response I got just created more confusion. Josh in the sales configuration group said that the information I was given initially (that our axles could have been rated for 4400 lbs) was incorrect. John said that none of the 3500 lb series torsion axles can be uprated to any higher load rating. 

He also said that the 3500 lb series leaf spring axles could be uprated and that the spacing between the axle arms and mounting brackets would effect that. However, I doubt that the original person I spoke with could have been confused about the axle type as I gave him the same variant number, which he looked up and discussed with his configuration techs at that time. 

Finally, Josh said that Lippert could not provide a 5200 lb torsion axle (their next available higher rated size) that would fit to replace the axles we have.

So, the confusion increases. In any event, one way or another, at this point I think Lippert is a dead end. I'm going to put in a call to Dexter and see what I can find out from them. 



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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Oct 2018 at 6:01pm
Thanks for your research work. I look forward to seeing what you find out.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2018 at 7:52am
StephenH, just as an update, I gave up for now on my axle upgrade research. I was working on it primarily because I had already made the decision to upgrade to 15 inch wheels and tires and wanted to be confident that I wouldn't need to then get a 5200+ lb axle and turn right around and buy yet another set of 6 lug wheels. 

But it just became too frustrating to get a straight answer from anyone and I also got sticker shock on the cost of a new axle plus new brakes and hubs, about $900.  And after all I don't have an axle problem now and I drive very slowly when I get on rough roads. 

So, I went ahead and ordered  15 inch 5 x 4.5 wheels and 225/75R15 LRD tires to fit the oem axle. The tires and wheels are rated at 2520 lbs so at least this will reduce the likelihood of a catastrophic failure on the road. Axle problems seem like they take time to develop and give  plenty of warning via tire wear, while overloaded tires can suffer blowouts. Time will tell if I made the right decision or not I guess.

I know you have your trailer in the shop now so I'm very curious to hear what they find when they inspect your axle and what solution you go with, so do please keep us posted.

Thanks!



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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2018 at 11:03am
I'm waiting to hear from the dealer's service department. Hopefully, that will be soon.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2019 at 3:07pm
After explaining to the rep at Lippert that I had a bent axle he said that if I upgraded to a heavier duty axle it would affect the ride of the trailer body negatively with a rougher ride.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2019 at 5:20pm
Originally posted by condensed

After explaining to the rep at Lippert that I had a bent axle he said that if I upgraded to a heavier duty axle it would affect the ride of the trailer body negatively with a rougher ride.

Whether or not you should get a heavier axle will depend on ow much weight you're carrying on it. if its not near its 3500 lb limit then it probably bent from hitting a pothole really hard or something like that, and a heavier axle wouldn't be either needed or desirable.  But if its at or near its load limit then a heavier axle would probably be an appropriate choice because replacing it with the same axle will likely just result in another bent axle, and because you'd be in the appropriate weight range for the next size up, so the ride wouldn't be a significant issue. 

Can you weigh your axle as you load your trailer currently? Try a public scale or your local wast transfer station.  If you use a weight distribution hitch,  leave that tensioned, it adds weight to the rear axle. 
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