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12-27-2022, 10:40 PM
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#1
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,152
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2014 E21 Dexter axles...
in early 2024, I'll be dragging our E21 on a several 1000 mile Mexican journey, going with a organized caravan of a dozen or so RVs. At that point, my E21 will be just about 10 years old. Wondering if I should consider swapping the dexter axle elastomers out before this trip ? I'll certainly be getting the brakes checked, wheel bearings repacked, etc before the trip, and probably all new tires on both the trailer and my tow vehicle, including new spares
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12-28-2022, 11:02 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,786
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I can't remember any posts that mentioned that the trailer was drooping and the clearance from the top of the tire to the wheel well had decreased.
Maybe you could measure yours, average them out and see if anyone else with the same or slightly newer has the same numbers. If you have 14" wheels then numbers from folks with newer 15" wheels wouldn't be valid.
Sounds like a great trip and as much as we never minded heading to Baja solo, one that we'd be more comfortable doing in a convoy.
Ron
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12-28-2022, 12:44 PM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,152
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this trip is three months, starting in Texas, heading down to Yucatan while hitting lots of spots en route, then criss crossing the central country, up the west coast to Mazatlan, we spend a week ro so there, and experience the April 2024 total solar eclipse from near Durango, back to Mazatlan, then head up to Copper Canyon, and exiting into Arizona or so.
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12-29-2022, 01:20 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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Since replacing the Torflex rubber means replacing the entire axle assembly, I wouldn't suggest doing it unless it was needed.
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12-29-2022, 05:54 AM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,152
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I thought they wore out in 10 or 15 years? Am I way off?
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12-29-2022, 07:59 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Burlington Twp., New Jersey
Trailer: 2010 Escape 19
Posts: 7,146
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We are going on 13 years and all is well. Personally I wouldn't worry about it unless you suspect the stance of the trailer is uneven or the wheels seem to be pushing up deeper into the wheel wells. I know the Scamp axles seemed to wear out but they were single axle and probably very close to capacity at all times. With a dual axle sharing the load I bet we'll see these axles easily go 20-25 years or more. If you want to take some measurements I found this on a Boler site:
https://www.boler.ca/2017/05/19/torsion-axle/
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12-29-2022, 11:01 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,152
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rubicon327
We are going on 13 years and all is well. Personally I wouldn't worry about it unless you suspect the stance of the trailer is uneven or the wheels seem to be pushing up deeper into the wheel wells. I know the Scamp axles seemed to wear out but they were single axle and probably very close to capacity at all times. With a dual axle sharing the load I bet we'll see these axles easily go 20-25 years or more. If you want to take some measurements I found this on a Boler site:
https://www.boler.ca/2017/05/19/torsion-axle/
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ok then, i won't worry about it. indeed, the ride height seems fine.
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12-30-2022, 12:18 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Whitehorse, Yukon
Trailer: 2022 Escape 21NE, 2018 Ram 1500 Eco Diesel Laramie
Posts: 6
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Further to your axle servicing comments, I went my local Dexter rep and bought castle nuts with twelve slots for the cotter pin, as opposed to the six slots ones that came with the trailer. Perhaps I’m overthinking that the ‘fine tuning’ provided with the new nuts is a great benefit, but for $10, I have some piece of mind believing that the bearings should last a little longer.
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12-30-2022, 12:52 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Grand Junction, Colorado
Trailer: 2022 Escape 17A, 2021 F-150 3.5L Ecoboost
Posts: 256
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pender
Further to your axle servicing comments, I went my local Dexter rep and bought castle nuts with twelve slots for the cotter pin, as opposed to the six slots ones that came with the trailer. Perhaps I’m overthinking that the ‘fine tuning’ provided with the new nuts is a great benefit, but for $10, I have some piece of mind believing that the bearings should last a little longer.
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I notice you have a 2022 Escape and wondered if you've looked a the spindle nut and retainer? The new Dexters don't us a castle nut. The cotter pin would block the zerk fitting on easy lube axles. The bearing nut is held in place with a nut retainer. Maybe I'm misunderstanding your post. If so sorry in advance.
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12-30-2022, 01:51 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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Not to start a new thread, both those who travel down south, does your auto and health insurance cover you in those places? Just wondering?
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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12-30-2022, 01:54 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,213
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Is Escape still using Dexter axles? Seem to recall people mentioning having Lippert axles recently. The Dexter castle nuts don't have cotter pins- they do have the metal clip retainer for sure since EZ-Lube became standard around 2015.
__________________
"We gotta get as far away as we can!"
- Russell Casse, Independence Day
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12-30-2022, 02:05 PM
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#12
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,152
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
Not to start a new thread, both those who travel down south, does your auto and health insurance cover you in those places? Just wondering?
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you have to get Mexican auto insurance at the border, and its highly advisable to have a Mexican rider on your health insurance. Some US insurance companies, like Progressive, have a optional rider on their RV insurance that will ensure your broken RV (and vehicle, if any) gets transported back to your home city, but you still need the Mexican liability insurance.
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12-30-2022, 02:18 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Grand Junction, Colorado
Trailer: 2022 Escape 17A, 2021 F-150 3.5L Ecoboost
Posts: 256
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rossue
Is Escape still using Dexter axles? Seem to recall people mentioning having Lippert axles recently. The Dexter castle nuts don't have cotter pins- they do have the metal clip retainer for sure since EZ-Lube became standard around 2015.
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I think Escape uses whatever axles they can get. A couple of months before we got our 17 delivered on August 1, 2022 they had been installing Lippert. We got a Dexter. The spindle nut is just a regular nut and the retainer slips over it. I've repacked lots of wheel bearings in my younger days and the castle nut & cotter pin were a PITA. This new system is much nicer and easier. When we got our trailer I pulled the drums to makes sure the inner bearings and seals were good. The nut adjustment is much the same as it's been for years, but simply sliding the retain over the nut is easy and reusable.
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12-30-2022, 02:24 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,213
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Yes, I misspoke- it is indeed a spindle nut. Good idea to take pictures of the labels on the axles.
__________________
"We gotta get as far away as we can!"
- Russell Casse, Independence Day
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12-30-2022, 03:23 PM
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#15
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Whitehorse, Yukon
Trailer: 2022 Escape 21NE, 2018 Ram 1500 Eco Diesel Laramie
Posts: 6
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The cotter pin goes thru on an angle to avoid the grease channel.
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12-30-2022, 03:43 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SLO County, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21C 2019 Expedition
Posts: 5,213
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Curious, do you know for sure you have Dexter axles?
__________________
"We gotta get as far away as we can!"
- Russell Casse, Independence Day
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12-30-2022, 07:53 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: 50 miles S of Atlanta, Georgia
Trailer: 2008 BigfootRV 25B21RB
Posts: 289
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If you have cotter pins securing the axle nuts here is my explanation of why you need the 12 slot nuts. Assuming you tightened the axle nut to preload the bearings and spin the wheel and loosen/tighten/loosen/tighten until you feel the zero freeplay position, and starting from there....... The axle nuts are 1"-14 thread, which means a full rotation of the nut is equal to 0.0714". Divided by six different positions, a six slot nut yields 0.0119" which puts you outside the commonly accepted .005" freeplay, however a 12 slot nut effectively gives you 0.006" per slot so if you tighten the nut to zero freeplay and need to back off a slot to get a pin in, you are not exceeding the common bearing freeplay.
While Dexter has vague specifications for bearing torquing, you can go to Timken information for everything from semis to utility trailers, and you can go to any old car manual that covers automobiles with loose bearings and spindles, and you get the same general figures, which is zero to five thousandths (0.0 - 0.005") of free play, then if you tighten the bearings to a slight preload, and back them a quarter turn as many people say to do, you are way outside that five thousandths specification.
I tighten to 20 lb/ft or so while spinning the wheel, to seat the bearings and wipe out excess grease from the bearing surfaces, then I loosen, then snug until the nut just touches, then I back off to the first notch of my 12 slot nuts, which is the current Dexter standard nut.
This nut is sold under the same part number as the older six slot nut, p/n 006-176-00
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With regard to whether a Dexter Torsion axle is worn out or not, Dexter says in their maintenance manuals, "Except for periodic inspection of the fasteners used to attach the Torflex® axle to the vehicle frame, no other suspension maintenance is required on Torflex® axles. They are, of course, subject to the maintenance and inspection procedures regarding brakes, hubs, bearings, seals, wheels, and tires, as outlined in this manual."
Now, the Airstream folks on the AirForum have some Dexter data that says if a torsion axle moves from fully extended to normal weight on wheels position of more than 2.3 inches the rubber has failed inside.
Charles
__________________
'03 Ram 2500 CTD, 5.9HO PacBrake six speed std cab long bed Leer top and 2008 Bigfoot 25B21RB.. Previously, 2008 Thor Freedom Spirit 180, SOLD! 2007 Winnebago View 23H Motorhome, SOLD!
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