Forum Discussion

Explorer

Sep 09, 2013

Changing an Axel

I have a bent axel on the Jayco 5er, I lost the spare off the diesel
somewhere on the Trans Labrador Highway and believe the 5er tire and it had a mishap ?

Anyway the front left tire has taken to having all the tread worn
off the inside 2" in about 2,000 miles. I took it to an alignment shop
that does trucks and trailers and they confirmed it was bent and offered to bend it back but the replacement axel is only in the low $200 range so I decided to swap it out and do the work myself.

I have the 5er up on concrete blocks and the U bolts soaked with penetrating oil.

Before I do it I thought I would post the story to get any
"Watch Out For" advise ?

I especially am a bit worried about getting it re assembled in the same place.

It is a Dexter axel with 16" wheels

any advise would be great

Aloha Leon

13 Replies

byronlj
Explorer
Sep 09, 2013
Locate a center point near the front between your landing gear that can be reached by a straight line from your axles. Confirm you have the center by running a tape measure or string from both sides of your good axle.
Before you tighten the u-bolts on your new axle, align it to this point. When you do take it to be aligned, you should be very close.
Dave
westend
Explorer
Sep 09, 2013
What I have typically done is to break out the measuring tape and a square. The square will get you on to a good start and then I measure triangulation to the frame and the hitch to make sure everything is square.

Do a search about axle orientation or squaring axle to frame. Good luck and Aloha!
wcjeep
Explorer
Sep 09, 2013
New axle should have the spring perches welded in place. In addition to normal safety precautions Ubolts normally require a retorque within so many miles. Typically 500 miles or what your manufacturer recommends. Do not reuse the old Ubolts. They are usually designed for one time use. Be sure to make a good electrical connection for the brakes. Now is a good time to check the other axle electrical too.