Need Specs for Dexter #9 Axle for 1972 Boler - Page 2 - Fiberglass RV
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Old 01-04-2021, 02:33 PM   #21
Member
 
Name: Josh
Trailer: 74, 13' Boler
Alberta
Posts: 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cesar View Post
Where are you located Josh? I went through this about a year ago and i think the dexter is the best solution for the money.

We're in Calgary. I hate to let cost override the best function, but so far for Flexiride, Standen's is around $1000, and both shops in Edmonton are around $860, but driving there would eat the difference in gas.


Because PO installed a 3500 lb axle I can't use any of the parts like drums and brakes. I could but part of the problem is the 3500 lb axles have 11" drums, I want 7" drums so I can use those mini wheels I bought from Princess Auto to get it in and out of the low garage opening seasonally to work on it.


As it is we had to let the tires go completely flat, remove the roof vent, and remove the eaves trough and soffit from the garage to get inside. Quite the ordeal, even twice a year.
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Old 01-04-2021, 03:47 PM   #22
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Name: Cesar
Trailer: Boler American
Oregon
Posts: 42
Quote:
Originally Posted by Josh Robinson View Post
We're in Calgary. I hate to let cost override the best function, but so far for Flexiride, Standen's is around $1000, and both shops in Edmonton are around $860, but driving there would eat the difference in gas.


Because PO installed a 3500 lb axle I can't use any of the parts like drums and brakes. I could but part of the problem is the 3500 lb axles have 11" drums, I want 7" drums so I can use those mini wheels I bought from Princess Auto to get it in and out of the low garage opening seasonally to work on it.


As it is we had to let the tires go completely flat, remove the roof vent, and remove the eaves trough and soffit from the garage to get inside. Quite the ordeal, even twice a year.
Well, not sure if this will help but i got mine from a place called 6Roblees in the US, they are a dexter distributor. Ordered the 0 degree option to get a little more clearance. It was nice that they have 7 inch brakes on 4 bolt pattern so i dont have to get new wheels (replacing factory axle). I paid 499USD in may of 2019 for reference. removed and installed my self using a 4" tubular section to so the beam clears the kitchen floor (went from leading arm to trailing arm as is recommended for applications with brakes) Some pictures on the last post of this thread https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...sto-88515.html

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Old 01-05-2021, 02:01 PM   #23
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Name: Josh
Trailer: 74, 13' Boler
Alberta
Posts: 39
That's great to have, thanks Cesar. Just started looking through your pictures. Thanks for posting that all up, from tape holding the door closed to a 10/10!


I found a guy here in YYC willing to make me a Flexiride axle to fit my frame for $950 CAD, he seems to think the 1.5" difference between the arm length on the Dexter #9 and the Flexiride is massive and will totally throw off the handling of the trailer. Looking at the pics here I'm not even sure my axle is in the correct place. When PO swapped from leading axle to trailing that alone moved the position of the wheels back quite a bit.


Does anyone have a reference datum for where the axle should be? Maybe measured from the front of the ball hitch or some other point common to all trailers?
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Old 01-05-2021, 04:21 PM   #24
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Name: Cesar
Trailer: Boler American
Oregon
Posts: 42
Still very much a work in progress.

there are a few diagrams out there if you search for "boler frame dimensions" but i think most show what people designed when replacing a frame completely.

In reality, the axle centerline should be concentric with the wheel arches in the "loaded" state for aesthetic reasons. If you choose a start angle near 0, the centerline wont move much fore and aft when the suspension moves up and down. If you choose a larger start angle, in theory, the wheel centerline would move fore and aft through the suspension travel, but still a very small amount, and would you actually be able to tell if your axle centerline was "too forward" or "too rearward" if the error was less than 0.5"? i would say no.

From a practical perspective, it really doesnt matter where the axle centerline is (within reason) as long as your position and tire size combination don't contact the wheel well during a compression event. it is far more important that the axle centerline be pretty dang perpendicular to the frame travel direction.

For what its worth, i believe the axle centerline is approximately 4" ahead of the kitchen floor "drop" in the frame.
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Old 02-08-2021, 02:04 PM   #25
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Name: Josh
Trailer: 74, 13' Boler
Alberta
Posts: 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cesar View Post
...

For what its worth, i believe the axle centerline is approximately 4" ahead of the kitchen floor "drop" in the frame.

A quick update, I ended up paying Joe at Outback Trailers to install the Flexiride on our trailer. https://trilliumtrailers.com/


I called quite a few vendors and none had the flexiride in stock, one recommended Joe. He had it in stock and once I looked the axle over I realised the metal fab required was worth paying for. The axle alone without brakes ended up being around $600, plus $130/ h to install it. I also went for a 2" receiver hitch welded on and got it back within a week.


Since my goal was a higher ride height for rougher terrain, and also more roof clearance for a low garage opening, I took a bunch of measurements for reference height with the mini wheels, with stock wheels and with the axle arms in a couple different positions.


Axles straight up couldn't be done on the 175/75R13 tires because they would hit the door opening on the frame. The lowest position I could do on stock wheels was 78 degrees up trailing giving 13 1/4" to the bottom of the frame behind the wheel.



Axles straight up on the 4.8-8 mini wheels from Princess Auto was 10" to the bottom the the frame. So here the mini wheels gave me an extra 3 1/4" of clearance.


With the axle trailing at 25 degrees down on 13" wheels, the same frame clearance was 19 1/4 "


and lastly the axles in the trailing 25 degree down position on mini wheels gave about 16 18".



So the mini wheels without being able to move the axle position like on the dexter axle would only buy you 3" extra clearance, but being able to mount the axles straight up on mini wheels gives an extra 9 ish inches clearance over stock wheels at my normal ride height.


These measurements are without the body of the Boler on the frame but they do give a good idea of the height flexibility that Flexiride axles can give if you have a low garage entrance like I do.
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