Cost of axle

[rhkirkham]

Originally Posted by Reace

Hi Gen

If you are still looking to have your axle replaced, we now offer full repair service for fiberglass rv trailers. Even if you want us to just supply the axle, I don't believe any local company can beat our prices. Please let me know if you want the axle with or without brakes.

Reace

Reace
I phoned Escape to get a quote for an axle today - but you are not there. I will phone on Monday when you return.
Rick

[Reace]

Hi Francesca

Depending on how long you have owned the trailer...you can tell a lot by looking at your tires. If the tires don't show any abnormal wear (inside or outside edge) the axle/spindle is probably not bent. Keep in mind, most axles have a slight factory bend in the center of the axle. Removing the hub will expose the spindle for inspection as Bruce pointed out.

The most common problem with a torsion axle is the rubber in the axle hardens with time and being under constant pressure. The Dexter manual suggests we relieve some pressure off the axle when the trailer is in storage for long periods. Very few people do this and after 10 years or so, there is very little suspension if any left in the torsion arm. The tires become your suspension. This doesn't necessarily mean you need to change your axle...your trailer will just have rough ride.

Hope that helps

Reace

[Reace]

Originally Posted by rhkirkham

Reace
I phoned Escape to get a quote for an axle today - but you are not there. I will phone on Monday when you return.
Rick

Lol...I am actually down in Seattle at a fiberglassing conference and will be back on Monday. Love wi-fi.

Reace

[Carol H]

The only down side I can see with going to Reace for repairs is that rather than repair the old trailer one might have a hard time convincing one of his new trailers that it cant hook itself up to your tow and go home with you instead - or at least in my case Im pretty sure that would happen. Not sure I would have the will to tell it no. :-)

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Reace

Hi Francesca

Depending on how long you have owned the trailer...you can tell a lot by looking at your tires. If the tires don't show any abnormal wear (inside or outside edge) the axle/spindle is probably not bent. Keep in mind, most axles have a slight factory bend in the center of the axle. Removing the hub will expose the spindle for inspection as Bruce pointed out.

The most common problem with a torsion axle is the rubber in the axle hardens with time and being under constant pressure. The Dexter manual suggests we relieve some pressure off the axle when the trailer is in storage for long periods. Very few people do this and after 10 years or so, there is very little suspension if any left in the torsion arm. The tires become your suspension. This doesn't necessarily mean you need to change your axle...your trailer will just have rough ride.

Hope that helps

Reace

Can you post the "Dexter Manual" you refer to?
It remains unclear (to me, and perhaps other visitors to the site) what if any maintenance should be performed on the axle, whether the torsion suspension is an integral part thereof, and what performance characteristics are an indication that the suspension of the trailer needs attention.
It seems unlikely that this is a "throwaway/buynew/replace after a certain number of years just because it's old" item.
They didn't learn the wisdom of that marketing trick until some time after the '70's, when our little trailers were first manufactured.
Surely the seals, at least, can be replaced.
The "Dexter Manual" should give a maintenance regimen, and would be useful to all of us with this suspension system in our trailers!

Thanks for sharing your Professional expertise

Francesca

[Reace]

Ahhh....there are many more on this forum with more knowledge than I on these things....I just add my two bitz every now and again!

I will post the info on maintaining a torsion axle in the next couple of days.

Reace

PS...Carol...I will make sure non of those bad trailers got too close to your car!

[Marty D]

Here in Columbus, Ohio , I just had a Dexter 3500# axle with brakes, hubs, break-a-way switch with battery canister, and a standard ball coupler (couldn't stand the UHaul twist down) installed on my UHaul for just under $1000 including labor. Seemed like a fair price to me.

Marty D

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Reace

PS...Carol...I will make sure non of those bad trailers got too close to your car!

Thanks Reace you know me to well. I just have no back bone when it comes to saying no to one of them! ;-)

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Can you post the "Dexter Manual" you refer to?
It remains unclear (to me, and perhaps other visitors to the site) what if any maintenance should be performed on the axle, whether the torsion suspension is an integral part thereof, and what performance characteristics are an indication that the suspension of the trailer needs attention.
Francesca

Francesca I dont have the Dexter manual but I do know my Scamp manual does as has been suggested state that pressure needs to be relieved from the axle when the trailer is in storage for long periods for the reasons that where explained.

[Bruce H]

I just now went to Dexter's website to the frequently ask questions section. There was nothing posted about the expected lifetime of a torflex axle but there was an e-mail link to ask questions. I used that to send the following questions:


"Hello,

How can I tell if a torqflex axle is worn out and/or needs to be replaced. Specifically I am concerned about an older axle and wondering about the elasticity or “spring” of the rubber components. How many years is it reasonable to expect it to last before an axle should be replaced?

Thanks,"

I will post any response that I receive.

Cheers,

Bruce

[Mike Magee]

All this axle info is excellent. Or might I say, axle-lent?

[Lizbeth]

My only advice is to get brakes. Cheaper and easier to get now when you replace the axle.

[Bruce H]

Reference my above post, here is the official response copied and pasted from the e-mail I received from Dexter:

"There is no set time limit on the axle. As long as the axle has not been
overloaded and has been maintained it should last the life of the trailer.
Inside tire wear would be an indicator that the axle might need replaced."

[Lizbeth]

Yeah...the lifetime of a "regular" trailer not a fiberglass trailer.

The rubber does age and harden. Many of us here have had axles with no flex left in them. I wonder if Dexter should have replaced all of them since the email said they "should last the lifetime of the trailer"? haha!

[Carol H]

Liz I suspect your right but I also think the key words are "has been maintained".

Few of us actually jack up our trailers when not in use which is what Dexter says we should do so they would just say we have not properly maintained the axle.

[Greg H]

What is there to maintain? The wheel bearings, that's all. The spindle should always be good as long as you take care of the bearings, what's left?

[Carol H]

About the only other thing I can think of other than proper bearing maintance to keep the spindle fine is the need to taking the pressure off the axle when storing the trailer to stop the rubber from being under constant pressure.

[mcbrew]

The rubber is going to harden due to time no matter how it is maintained. I'm sure that keeping pressure off of it will help, but they will go bad. I'm sure my '84 Scamp does not have the same ride that it did when it was new. It's a bit bouncy, even with the tires down to the proper 15-20 PSI. If we keep this trailer long, I will put an axle on it -- with brakes! I'm just worried about what the local shops will charge. Everything costs twice as much around here. Except gas, fortunately... it's only $3.89 a gallon.

[Lizbeth]

According to the Dexter Service Manual there is no maintenance for Torqflex Axles. It's in .pdf so I can't cut and paste it.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Lizbeth

According to the Dexter Service Manual there is no maintenance for Torqflex Axles. It's in .pdf so I can't cut and paste it.

Lizbeth,

Any chance you could e-mail me the Service Manual .pdf if I P.M. you my address? Since Dexter seems to be saying that there IS no service to be performed, I'm sure curious to read the (no?) Service Manual!

Thanks

Francesca