Dexter HD Suspension & EZ-Flex Install (long w/ pictures)

[LAdams]

I recently purchased the Dexter HD suspension kit that comes with the new EZ-Flex Idler... I had installed a similar kit on my previous Nomad 27' TT and it worked quite well so I decided to install the newer kit on my 31' Nomad... Below is a picture of the kit I installed...






Now it's worth mentioning here that this type of job isn't exactly for the "faint of heart"... Basically what your going to do is to put your TT on Jack stands and rip off the suspension and install a new one... Your going to need a pretty good assortment of standard mechanics hand tools and an air compressor with a variety of air tools is also very helpful... I would also suggest that you buy the

Harbor Freight Ball Joint Tool

that you see in this post... It is used for pressing in bronze bearings and serrated bolts and works very well for this application...

You could just use a big hammer and beat things into submission, but pressing the bearings and bolts in is a lot more elegant and easier on the frame and also the installers hands... I also used an air operated impact (gun) wrench, an air operated ratchet wrench, demolition bar, numerous 1/2" drive sockets, 3 pound hammer, grease gun, assorted screwdrivers, vise grips and other hand tools...




Start the project by putting your trailer on jack stands on a good firm surface... I also used my 6 stabilizer jacks attached to the trailer to further aid with stability... Here are some photos of that...



















You should also have 2 or 3 hefty jacks, either the bottle type or floor type to aid in the installation... I use a 4 ton floor jack and a 12 ton bottle jack... The 12 ton picks up the TT effortlessly and is small and compact... Here are a few photos of them...



















Start by removing the standard OEM idlers and shackles... This is done by removing the lock nuts on the inside of the suspension components and then hammering the bolts out of the hangers... All the bolts on my OEM suspension system were serrated, so using the impact gun to turn them and remove them would have damaged the shackle hangers by reaming out the mounting hole... If I would have done that then the new serrated bolts would have no material to bite in to... Here are a few pictures of the old suspension components...









Here is the rear OEM bolt...









In this photo the springs have been removed from the idler and their plastic bearings have not yet been removed...









Once the old components have been removed, you can begin to install the new ones... When pressing in the new bronze bushings, it is a good idea to use a pilot bolt or installation bolt so that the soft bronze bearing does not distort or bend... Here is a bolt I used for that purpose... Note that I ground off the serrations... This bolt is also used to push out (hammer out) the plastic bearings...









Here are a few typical plastic bearings after about 6000 miles... Some were already showing signs of extreme wear...









Now we can install the bronze bushings in the spring eyes... Apply grease to the inside of the spring eye, the outside of the bronze bearing, and the inside of the bronze bearing as well... Then use the Harbor Freight Ball Joint Tool (HFBJT) to push the bronze bearings into the spring eye as shown below...



















Once the bearing is pressed into the spring eye, then we press the serrated greasable bolt into hanger using the HFBJT...









This isn't the spring eye but here we are pressing the idler bolt into the hanger the same way you would do it with the spring hanger...









Once you complete the spring eye ends, then you can install the EZ-Flex Idler... It is installed by holding the idler between the frame hanger, inserting the proper size bolt and using the HFBJT to press the serrated bolt into the hanger... In the picture below the EZ-Flex idler has been hung on the bolt...









In the picture below, the serrated bolt is being pressed into the hanger...









Once you have the EZ-Flex Idler mounted you can install the HD shackles for the front and rear springs... Here are a few photos of that operation... The photo below shows one shackle in place...









The photo below shows the second HD shackle being installed...









And this is what the assembly looks like when completely installed...









Here are a few photos from underneath the trailer looking at the inside view of the suspension components...














And here are a few extra views of the HFBJT in use... This tool was really a life saver... We used a similar tool that my buddy had at his shop when we did the previous trailer and I knew I would need a similar tool to successfully complete the installation of the HD EZ-Flex Kit...














And the finished product with the TT wheels again mounted...














It took me all day yesterday to install the EZ-Flex kit and HD suspension shackles on the curb side of the TT... I spent about 8+ hours on it but it was somewhat a learning experience... Today I installed the street side portion of the kit and I did that in about 4 hours... Not too bad for the first time although I don't plan to do another any time soon...

I haven't done a test ride yet - that will come in about 2 weeks when we attend another rally, but I suspect the HD Suspension shackles and EZ-Flex will be a big improvement just like the last one was, although my last one had a solid idler assembly, not rubber shock mounted like the EZ-Flex...

I'm having some problems getting grease to flow in the spring eye portions of the greasable bolts... I called Dexter Tech support and they suggested I reverse their direction... All the greasable bolt holes should run in a horizontal plane facing either the front of rear of the TT as opposed to pointing either skyward or ground ward... Dexter says the grease will not migrate properly if they are in the up or down position... So I reversed the direction of the leaf spring eye bolts and I still can't get grease into them...

I'm going to run the TT a bit and see if the bronze bearings loosen up to the point where they will take grease readily... I remember my last TT being like this and sometimes I had to jack the frame a bit to relieve pressure on the greasable bolts... We'll see what happens with this issue... There were no problems getting grease into the center idler and shackles...

Les

[Steveque]

Installing shocks is not all that difficult. I would post the place I bought mine but I sustained a major computer crisis lately and all that information is sitting on my floor, locked away for ever on the broken hard drive.

Locating the place on the frame to drill for the upper shock mount was straight forward in the instructions from Monroe. I did buy an extra long drill bit to drill all the way through the 4" box frame.

If you contact Barney he probably still has the Monroe shock information.

[sbingham]

GREAT job with the how-to!

I installed shocks on my Nash 25S. Sure keeps things where they belong inside the trailer!!!!! One of my trailer repair techs (not the sharpest knife in the drawer) said thet were useless. Boy was he wrong! The little things can make a BIG difference.

Oh yeah, on my Nash 25S they are offered as an option so I simply called to get the model shock - and ordered a set. A BOLT on! Yeah.

[crash0057]

I was looking at getting this done at a shop. But you just answered my questions. nice writeup and pics. i think i will do my own now thanks

[bumpus4]

I think I am going to install a suspension kit on my 30 ft copper canyon. The posted directions on this forum convienced me I could do it myself with a little help from my second born.

I also want to install shocks all around. Does anyone know if this is a DIY job and where do the shocks go.

I'm pushing 70 and don't want to overload my schroney knees, elbows, back, arms, neck, sides, ankles, toes, wrist, and other parts.

I know I can do the suspension kit but don't even know about shocks.
Is welding required for them.

Thanks to all of you for the good information. I printed of the pictures and they will be a great help.

Regards,
bumpus4@attglobal.net

[gourmet]

Thank you for a wonderful article, as a novice I really appreciate your time and effort.

[drodabaugh]

jkhnc wrote:
Is it possible to purchase the kit for less than MSRP? I checked with Eastern Marine to see if they would discount a bit; no go.

Recommendations/suggestions?

I need the kit for 6K lbs. axles @ 33" spacing (Jayco 32BHDS)

I just listed a new 6k kit for 33" eyes in the classifieds section.

[LAdams]

Well Harmon,

Your going to need a little bit of mechanical apptitude but other than the fact your going to be lifting your #6000+ TT there is nothing daunting about the project...

By Piliot bolt I assume you meand the bolts holding the springs to the shackles... They come out with a little bit if effort, usually just a little hammering on the reverse side of the bolt...

HERE

is the link to the ball joint removal tool that was referenced...

Les

[charmnharmon]

How do you get the pilot bolt out. Is it easily removable. Would you reccommend that someone who is not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination, but can think reasonably, tackle this project? Also which Harbor Freight model did you buy?
Thanks
Harmon

[jkhnc]

Is it possible to purchase the kit for less than MSRP? I checked with Eastern Marine to see if they would discount a bit; no go.

Recommendations/suggestions?

I need the kit for 6K lbs. axles @ 33" spacing (Jayco 32BHDS)

[LAdams]

Put it up for sale in the RV.Net Classifieds and/or Craig's List... Explain the scenario and be prepared to reduce your price from the original price you paid albeite the minimal usage as it has now become a "used" product...

Les

[cooksvillewildc]

The installation photos were awesome - wish I could have seen them before my install.

Speaking of my install, I purchased and installed the Dexter EZ-Flex kit this summer on my Wildcat 5th wheel, but after installation I noticed I had some clearance issues with the shackles. The could potentially contact my propane pipe and my galley water waste pipe. I ended up taking the kit back off and installing the Trailair Equaflex kit because it was a closer match to my equalizers. The problem with my camper was that the equalizers were 4" tall and the EZ-Flex ones were shorter, so I lost clearance - about an inch and a half.

Since I had installed the EZ-Flex kit I could not return it (I knew that right away.)

Anyone know what I should do with the kit?? (it has been installed and removed from the camper, so there are marks on the parts ....)

I used the original bushings from the EZ-Flex kit for the Equalflex kit, so I also still have 8 new brass bushings and the additional wet bolts (from the Equaflex kit) as well as the Dexter HD shackles (these shackles would not work with the Equaflex due to their thickness, so I now have regular non-HD shackles on the 5th wheel..)

[LAdams]

Yes Red, the Dexter will smooth out the ride some - not a 100% but you'll notice the difference...

falconman,

When I did mine I used 4 jackstands plus my 6 (yes 6) stabilizer jacks... I removed 2 tires from one side and on supported the axle I WASN'T working on with several house bricks I had...

Les

[majgomoor]

Installed my EZ Flex on my Zeppelin 271. Used the posted pics as a guide for lifting and supporting. Also purchased the ball joint press. I found that the bushings went in using the bolt that had the splines ground off and just greased them and tapped them in with the hammer. But I used the press to seat the new bolts into the flanges the instructions called for hammering them to seat. You would have to use a 10lb sledge to seat them and risk bending the hanger flanges. By using the press it seated them with great ease and that allowed me to place the grease holes in the bolts in the proper orientation, which is at 3 or 9 o’clock. They took grease well. Took it for a tow and WOW there is a distinct difference I am pleased, thanks all for the pics and posts.

[Big_Red_F-150]

Does the Dexter HD Suspension on a TT help th ride of the TV? The bucking, porposing, ect,ect

[BarneyS]

Falconman,
I jacked up one side only but put the stabilizer jacks down all around. I used jack stands under the frame just on either side of the wheels on the raised side along with the stabilizer jacks. I also left the trailer hooked to my truck.

Altogether, I used two jack stands, four stabilizers, one 12 ton bottle jack, and one 3 ton floor jack to do the job. After I got the trailer lifted with the bottle jack, and the jack stands under the frame and stabilizers down, I then used the bottle jack and floor jack under the axle plates to raise/lower the axles as needed while working on the install.

Went through the whole procedure a 2nd time for the other side.
Barney