Bronze with wet bolts or never fail bushings?

Lynnmor wrote:

colliehauler wrote:


Thanks a forum member made his own and posted pictures don't remember who, that's what gave me the idea. What did you use to cut a groove in the bronze bushings? Possible metal jig saw blade?

You can use a Dremel type of tool with a ball end. Do not cut very deep, the material is very thin, and do not cut the groove all the way to the outside, Use a crude figure eight design, it doesn't need to be pretty, and install with the grease hole where the design crosses.

You may have seen my installation:

Thanks for reposting the pictures, will pick up a Dremel.

myredracer wrote:
Good call on the Dexter wet bolts. Their EZ-Flex equalizer is also a good idea. We have both. The OEM cheapo/cr@p plastic spring bushings just don't last very long, as in only a couple thousand miles.

You might also consider installing a stronger axle instead of a cross-brace. You can order a 5-lug axle with a larger diameter 3" tube so you can keep your existing wheels. If you turn a sharp corner, stop and get out and look at your axles, one pair of wheels will be substantially off-camber due to bending of the axle. Our TT has a 6800 lb GVWR and we have 5200 lb axles instead of OEM 3500 lbs. Huge improvement.

Adding gussets directly above the spring hangers will help to reduce flexing of the lower web of an I-beam. The photos below are from a previous 29' TT we took into a frame shop. Notice the distortion in the I-beam due to the spring hangers constantly flexing left/right. This is after only 2K miles from Indiana to the dealer on the west coast. Eventually, this would probably lead to fatigue cracks in the frame. The spring hangers which were bent to one side by around 5/8" out of plumb.

Personally I wouldn't just install a cross-brace only. Besides adding gussets, boxing in the spring hangers would help reduce the side-side flexing. Any welding should be done by a certified welder who knows what he/she is doing. But like the frame & axle shop said about our previous TT, no amount of upgrading to the weak frames will make it like it ought to have been in the first place at the factory.

Maybe install stiffer springs too. To go even further, install shock absorbers - the improvement is amazing. Everything you can do to reduce movement of the trailer "box" relative to the ground will help. Even upgrading from LRC to LRD tires will help.

I thought about upgrading the axles but didn’t want to get to much money into this project. Your right on where do you stop trying to make a sow's ear into a silk purse. I ordered load range E tires to replace the load range D as well. My neighbor can weld up some braces that I can bolt into place for very little money.

dodge guy wrote:
I have the Dexter Ezflex and wet bolts with bronze bushings. One of the best things I’ve done. I didn’t like the look of the equaflex system. There is a video of an install on you tube. Because they are taller they place more leverage on everything. In the video you can see things moving that shouldn’t. And during braking you can see one axle lift because of the leverage it introduces to the suspension.

This video also has the correct track installed along with the equa flex. Maybe that makes a difference? I don’t know, but no thanks!

Equaflex testdrive.

Thanks for the video, I already have the equaflex, shock kits, wetbolts, and bronze bushings. I figure it will be better then stock. Now just need some decent weather so I can go retrieve my project trailer from back East.

Good call on the Dexter wet bolts. Their EZ-Flex equalizer is also a good idea. We have both. The OEM cheapo/cr@p plastic spring bushings just don't last very long, as in only a couple thousand miles.

You might also consider installing a stronger axle instead of a cross-brace. You can order a 5-lug axle with a larger diameter 3" tube so you can keep your existing wheels. If you turn a sharp corner, stop and get out and look at your axles, one pair of wheels will be substantially off-camber due to bending of the axle. Our TT has a 6800 lb GVWR and we have 5200 lb axles instead of OEM 3500 lbs. Huge improvement.

Adding gussets directly above the spring hangers will help to reduce flexing of the lower web of an I-beam. The photos below are from a previous 29' TT we took into a frame shop. Notice the distortion in the I-beam due to the spring hangers constantly flexing left/right. This is after only 2K miles from Indiana to the dealer on the west coast. Eventually, this would probably lead to fatigue cracks in the frame. The spring hangers which were bent to one side by around 5/8" out of plumb.

Personally I wouldn't just install a cross-brace only. Besides adding gussets, boxing in the spring hangers would help reduce the side-side flexing. Any welding should be done by a certified welder who knows what he/she is doing. But like the frame & axle shop said about our previous TT, no amount of upgrading to the weak frames will make it like it ought to have been in the first place at the factory.

Maybe install stiffer springs too. To go even further, install shock absorbers - the improvement is amazing. Everything you can do to reduce movement of the trailer "box" relative to the ground will help. Even upgrading from LRC to LRD tires will help.

You can replace the straight grease fittings with 90 degree fittings to make it easier.

Charlie D. wrote:
Also place the bolt head with grease fitting where it is easiest to grease. I didn't do all of mine that way and some are a bear to grease.

x2 on that. I put the grease fittings turned to the inside away from the tires. It was so close to the tires the other way it was impossible to grease them without removing the tires.

Also place the bolt head with grease fitting where it is easiest to grease. I didn't do all of mine that way and some are a bear to grease.

ScottG wrote:

A tip: When you get your wet bolts, pump grease through them BEFORE you install them.
Some of mine wern't drilled all the way! (and after a bit of time, eTrailer wouldn't replace them.)

X2. I had the same problem with my wet bolts.

^^^^
Nice job Lynnmor, that is a great looking suspension set up!!

Jerry

colliehauler wrote:


Thanks a forum member made his own and posted pictures don't remember who, that's what gave me the idea. What did you use to cut a groove in the bronze bushings? Possible metal jig saw blade?

You can use a Dremel type of tool with a ball end. Do not cut very deep, the material is very thin, and do not cut the groove all the way to the outside, Use a crude figure eight design, it doesn't need to be pretty, and install with the grease hole where the design crosses.

You may have seen my installation: