EZ Flex Dexter broken suspension bolt

[joebedford]

Here's something new to look for:



Both ends of the bolt (& nut) were there but on my pre-drive inspection I noticed that the ends were not lined up. Anyway, it snapped in the middle where the grease comes out.

[Learjet]

call Dexter...they may take care of you!

[joebedford]

The problem with replacing all the bolts is that most of them came pre-pressed into the heavy duty shackles and are probably not replaceable. There are only six stand-alone bolts like the one that broke. In my previous experience, the shackles are much more likely to fail than the bolts and I don't want to go back to thin ones. I could replace the 5 other stand alone bolts I suppose.

[time2roll]

First I have seen that. I would replace all and continue down the road.

[joebedford]

I put my grease gun on the broken bolt and with very little pressure, old grease came out.

In my opinion, the center hole in this bolt was drilled too far and that's why it broke. It looks like the hole is about 3/4 across the bolt.

[ScottG]

Lynnmor wrote:
Test that broken bolt by trying to grease it, maybe the zerk is plugged. It sure looks like it was never greased. Twice a year isn't much unless there is very little mileage. The wet bolt system does not distribute grease well, if at all. Grease should be forced thru the hole to the load side of the bolt, but the hole may not have been installed there and then even if it is, grease may not flow since the bolt and bushing forms a perfect seal. Some jack up the trailer in order to open that seal and then grease. If a groove is cut into the bushing it will help distribute the grease and prevent that perfect seal. The companies that make wet bolts should have enough sense to keep the hols very small, but that is harder to do, thus the holes large enough to cause weakness.

I bought a set of wet-bots from eTrailer and about half of them were only drilled deep enough to install the zerk. No way to grease them.
Unfortunately, I slathered them with grease as I installed them and didn't put a grease gun to them until the next year - when they were out of warranty.
etrailer told me I was SOL.

[Lynnmor]

Test that broken bolt by trying to grease it, maybe the zerk is plugged. It sure looks like it was never greased. Twice a year isn't much unless there is very little mileage. The wet bolt system does not distribute grease well, if at all. Grease should be forced thru the hole to the load side of the bolt, but the hole may not have been installed there and then even if it is, grease may not flow since the bolt and bushing forms a perfect seal. Some jack up the trailer in order to open that seal and then grease. If a groove is cut into the bushing it will help distribute the grease and prevent that perfect seal. The companies that make wet bolts should have enough sense to keep the hols very small, but that is harder to do, thus the holes large enough to cause weakness.

[fj12ryder]

Gdetrailer wrote:

azdryheat wrote:
Appears it never had any grease in it.
Plus all that corrosion. Replace all the wet bolts.

Replace with SOLID bolts.

That IS a hazard of using HOLLOW bolts (strike one), the bolt snapped off right in the exact center of the cross drilled hole (strike two). You have TWO very weak spots in that type of bolt, overtightening or even hard cornering can easily exceed the tensile strength of any bolt then weaken it with hollowing it out.

Two strikes, do you feel "lucky", the next strike might be at the most inopportune time..

There is zero need for wet bolts, my 1980s trailer still has the ORIGINAL suspension bolts, they are solid, they have never been greased and they do not have plastic inserts to make them quiet.

They work and will not fail as easy..

I respectfully but completely disagree. When two pieces of metal work against one another with no lubricant, which that bolt looks like it has never seen, there will be wear. I've seen many more OEM solid bolts that have worn out their suspension parts than I've ever seen wet bolts fail.

Where I used to work, can factory, we used many, many bolts with holes through them to grease operating parts. I've never seen one fail that had been greased regularly. So I do think you're wrong in that respect.

[Gdetrailer]

azdryheat wrote:
Appears it never had any grease in it.
Plus all that corrosion. Replace all the wet bolts.

Replace with SOLID bolts.

That IS a hazard of using HOLLOW bolts (strike one), the bolt snapped off right in the exact center of the cross drilled hole (strike two). You have TWO very weak spots in that type of bolt, overtightening or even hard cornering can easily exceed the tensile strength of any bolt then weaken it with hollowing it out.

Two strikes, do you feel "lucky", the next strike might be at the most inopportune time..

There is zero need for wet bolts, my 1980s trailer still has the ORIGINAL suspension bolts, they are solid, they have never been greased and they do not have plastic inserts to make them quiet.

They work and will not fail as easy..

[joebedford]

I used to grease the suspension twice a year. This was the end bolt on the 3rd axle - the easiest of all to do. The rig had been sitting for a year and a half in Florida humidity when I noticed the broken bolt.

[azdryheat]

Appears it never had any grease in it.
Plus all that corrosion. Replace all the wet bolts.