rideadeuce Posted May 24 Posted May 24 (edited) Bulldog shocks are a bit beefier and look like they are well made. Easy swap. Leaf springs look good, still on the fence about upgrading to the Alcan 5 leaf springs. Clips were loose on both springs on the right. Center bolt nut on the left EZ flex was loose and about to fall off. All of the Monroe shocks seemed to be in good working order just rusty. Future plans include the ALCAN highway so trying to get everything done now. New tires in the morning. https://www.4statetrucks.com/bulldog-hd-shock-absorber-replaces-555001-19-050000007 Wildpeak H/T02 LT225/75R16 E/10PLY BSW *** Now back to torquing the shocks so that the cushion is the same diameter as the metal retainer but not larger. *** Edited May 24 by rideadeuce 3 10 - Mike Brentwood, TN - 2018 Elite II - Spirit of Adventure Hull #308 - 2016 Toyota Tundra Limited 5.7L Class IV hitch with 12k lb coupler, Starlink, Cradlepoint cellular modem, Victron Multiplus II 12V 3000W, Ekrano display, Orion XS 50amp DC/DC charger with Mechman 370 amp HO alternator, Atmos 4.4 15k AC/12K Heat pump, Nova Kool 5810 fridge, Epoch 460aH x2, 520 watts solar, Custom rear bicycle rack, Alcan Springs, Bulldog shocks, Falken H/T02 tires, Seabiscuit Metal Designs front storage box and moose rack.
jd1923 Posted May 24 Posted May 24 Good plan on tightening the shocks. First I heard of this model Monroe still holding pressure, especially when looking like that. Mine looked much better (AZ trailer) and 3 of 4 were totally shot and the 4th barely holding on. Too bad I did not know of the Bulldogs last fall. Your leaf springs, at least what's showing in the pics look nicely arced in very good shape. 2 Chris & John in Prescott, AZ | 2016 EII #113 | '01 Ram 2500 Cummins!
Moderators topgun2 Posted May 24 Moderators Posted May 24 Those rubber "cushions" look like they are a bit better than the Monroe's too. I really like the attention to detail by facing the Bulldog label to the exterior - assume that four all were installed that way. Nice job! Bill 1 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Near Asheville, NC
Galway Girl Posted May 24 Posted May 24 @rideadeuce - A tip...Last year when we went to Alaska we bought some yoga mats and used some 3M no residue tape to attach them to the lower front of our trailer. They worked like a champ at keeping gravel from the Yukon highways from chipping the body of the trailer. We also used a roll of clear rug protection plastic from Home Depot on top of the Yoga Mats to keep them from absorbing moisture. Below: First week of the trip and the yoga mat's are doing well...tne extra coat of vinyl floor protection film is holding water at bay. F Below: After a full 9 weeks on the road the yoga mat's took the beating, but our trailer was protected. Below - After yoga mat removal and quick wash... 9 1 2019 Elite II (Hull 505 - Galway Girl - August 7, 2019 Delivery) Tow Vehicle: 2021 F350 King Ranch, FX4, MaxTow Package, 10 Speed, 3.55 Rear Axle Batteries Upgrade: Dual 315GTX Lithionics Lithiums - 630AH Total Inverter/Charger: Xantrex 2000Pro Travel BLOG: https://4-ever-hitched.com
Geronimo John Posted May 25 Posted May 25 19 hours ago, Galway Girl said: A tip...Last year when we went to Alaska we bought some yoga mats and used some 3M no residue tape to attach them to the lower front of our trailer. I saw this idea before our trip to Alaska. Didn't do it as I felt that the Husky mud guards, and a large one at the bumper would do the trick. They did their job well.... maybe 99.5%, But that last one half of a percent was noticeable. When we go back to AK, I'll be sporting Yoga Mats. GJ 1 TV: 2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, 10 Speed Trans, Max Tow, FX-4, Rear Locker OLLIE: 2018 OE2 Hull 342, Twin Bed. OLLIE DIY’s: Timken Bearings, BB LiFePO4's, Victron 712 Smart, 350 Amp Master Switch, Houghton 3400, Victron Orion DC - DC, 3000-Watt Renogy Inverter, P.D. 60-amp Converter, Frig Dual Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Drawer Straps. Front Wardrobe Shelves, Snuggle Shelf. TV DIY’s: 2 5/16" Anderson System, Nitto recon’s, Firestone Rear Air Bags, Bilstein 5100’s, Mud Flaps & Weather Tech all, installed Ham Radio (WH6JPR).
Galway Girl Posted May 25 Posted May 25 This tape really worked...it left NO residue after 9 weeks of being on the road holding on the yoga mats. This carpet protection film that I had from a remodel was put on top of the the yoga mat and made it more waterproof. If we hadn't covered the yoga mat it would have absorbed a ton of water and likely fallen off. 5 2019 Elite II (Hull 505 - Galway Girl - August 7, 2019 Delivery) Tow Vehicle: 2021 F350 King Ranch, FX4, MaxTow Package, 10 Speed, 3.55 Rear Axle Batteries Upgrade: Dual 315GTX Lithionics Lithiums - 630AH Total Inverter/Charger: Xantrex 2000Pro Travel BLOG: https://4-ever-hitched.com
Geronimo John Posted May 25 Posted May 25 Love the duct tape! Why not use a closed cell foam yoga mat to avoid soaking up water or needing to add the clear layer? Per Google: Closed-cell mats are thinner and more water resistant, and don't absorb liquid (yes, that includes sweat) as quickly. These are generally more porous than thicker mats. Thicker, spongier yoga mats tend to have an open-cell construction, so they soak up more liquid (sweat) which also means they retain more bacteria.Mar 11, 2022 1 TV: 2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, 10 Speed Trans, Max Tow, FX-4, Rear Locker OLLIE: 2018 OE2 Hull 342, Twin Bed. OLLIE DIY’s: Timken Bearings, BB LiFePO4's, Victron 712 Smart, 350 Amp Master Switch, Houghton 3400, Victron Orion DC - DC, 3000-Watt Renogy Inverter, P.D. 60-amp Converter, Frig Dual Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Drawer Straps. Front Wardrobe Shelves, Snuggle Shelf. TV DIY’s: 2 5/16" Anderson System, Nitto recon’s, Firestone Rear Air Bags, Bilstein 5100’s, Mud Flaps & Weather Tech all, installed Ham Radio (WH6JPR).
Geronimo John Posted May 26 Posted May 26 Apologies for the thread hijack. GM TV: 2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, 10 Speed Trans, Max Tow, FX-4, Rear Locker OLLIE: 2018 OE2 Hull 342, Twin Bed. OLLIE DIY’s: Timken Bearings, BB LiFePO4's, Victron 712 Smart, 350 Amp Master Switch, Houghton 3400, Victron Orion DC - DC, 3000-Watt Renogy Inverter, P.D. 60-amp Converter, Frig Dual Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Drawer Straps. Front Wardrobe Shelves, Snuggle Shelf. TV DIY’s: 2 5/16" Anderson System, Nitto recon’s, Firestone Rear Air Bags, Bilstein 5100’s, Mud Flaps & Weather Tech all, installed Ham Radio (WH6JPR).
johnwen Posted July 31 Posted July 31 Here's my 2 cents... I just replaced all shocks with the Monroe 555001s. I did so as a first step in trying to figure out the cause of sudden scalloping of both fronts tires. One of the tires was severe enough to warrant exchange with our new spare. As per Scuba Rx, one of the Monroe cushions indeed needed to be compressed to get 1 of the shocks to fit. I'm happy with ease of installation and time will tell if the shocks were the cause. Tires were removed to facilitate installation. Hull 996, picked up new in Jan 2022 and now with over 41,000 miles, has had its share of highway hard knocks, most of which surprisingly occurred on very infrequent use of interstates. The included photos show one of the shock "stems" bent and both front shock shafts were indeed sheared. The other 2 rear shocks were intact, though badly worn. Since both front shock shafts were sheared and only the front tires showed unusual wear I suppose they were the cause. The 2nd picture shows the shaft was stuck in and I pulled it out with pliers. John 2 2 Oliver II #996 "Bessie", 2019 Silverado LTZ 5.3, Veterans https://wenandjohnsadventure.com/
Geronimo John Posted August 5 Posted August 5 At 24,000 miles on our OE2 I chose to replace the Monroe shocks when doing springs.. All four were still functioning with no leaks or adverse signs of wear. I would consider that 5 seasons or 24K miles would be a reasonable "end of life" goal. GJ: Crazy Horse adds: "Yea on the goal, but maybe early just for highway use. But for sure not for the boondocker five-leafer herd". CH 1 1 TV: 2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, 10 Speed Trans, Max Tow, FX-4, Rear Locker OLLIE: 2018 OE2 Hull 342, Twin Bed. OLLIE DIY’s: Timken Bearings, BB LiFePO4's, Victron 712 Smart, 350 Amp Master Switch, Houghton 3400, Victron Orion DC - DC, 3000-Watt Renogy Inverter, P.D. 60-amp Converter, Frig Dual Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Drawer Straps. Front Wardrobe Shelves, Snuggle Shelf. TV DIY’s: 2 5/16" Anderson System, Nitto recon’s, Firestone Rear Air Bags, Bilstein 5100’s, Mud Flaps & Weather Tech all, installed Ham Radio (WH6JPR).
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