Forum Discussion

Sonora108's avatar
Sonora108
Explorer
May 19, 2021

Axle Spindle Nut Wrong

I have a 2013 Arctic Fox 27-5L which has been setting beside the house for 4 years unused due to illness and many other things. Long story short I am repacking wheel bearings to start with, also looking for new tires. This will be first time I have done this myself on all four wheels.
The axle nut on rear left wheel cannot be correct. When I removed the cotter pin I noticed it was bent(twisted) and I actually had to move the nut with wrench to get it out. When I did get it out it came out in two pieces. Now I cannot for the life of me get the new cotter pin to go through. I have moved the nut both ways and the cotter pin will not go through. Is is possible to have a mismatched nut on this spindle? I have ordered a couple different types and hope my suspicions are right.
Thanks in Advance,
Bill
  • schlep1967's avatar
    schlep1967
    Nomad
    May 19, 2021
    My guess is that there is still part of the old pin in the hole. Drive a punch through the hole.
  • Sonora108's avatar
    Sonora108
    Explorer
    May 20, 2021
    OK now I am really confused. The pin fits through the spindle just fine but not when nut is installed. The left front was exactly the same as the left rear? Cotter pin twisted like someone tightened the bolt with pin in so as to get it to go through. The axles on this 5th wheel are Al-Ko now Dexter. Talked to Dexter, took about 5 different people before I found someone who could help. They are sending some different spindle bolts.
    What confused me is that the right side is different, it has tang washers instead of cotter pins?? Different spindles with the flat spot for the tang washers. This is not the first time I have ran across something like this with this trailer. It almost like it was the end of a run and they didn't have enough parts to complete it so the just threw in what ever they could find.
    Bill
  • bucky's avatar
    bucky
    Explorer II
    May 20, 2021
    I've run into this before also. The hole for the cotter pin was not centered. Previous owner had bent the cotter pin into an arc to force it in. The nut only had 6 slots. I went to NAPA and got nuts with 12 slots to allow the key to pass thru easily matching the offset of the hole. Visualize using the slots at 5 and 12 instead of 3 and 6.
  • Sonora108's avatar
    Sonora108
    Explorer
    May 20, 2021
    Thanks for all the great suggestions. The hole in the spindle on mine is actually located in the the lower half of the spindle, more closer to the bottom.
    I am still confused as to why the left and right sides are different? One cotter pin and other tang washer?
    Bill
  • Sonora108's avatar
    Sonora108
    Explorer
    May 23, 2021
    Yah, one of the two would have been me :o getting outsmarted by a nut. :R
    Bill

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