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Legacy Elite II.... which Dexter axle?


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2017 Legacy Elite II. As has been stated, it has the Dexter 3500 lb capacity axles.

 

The Dexter web site lists several axles in the 2300 - 4000 lb capacity:

 

D30 #10L 545 Hub Group with 10" x 1 1/2" brakes

D35 #10. 545 Hub Group with 10" x 2 1/4" brakes

D40 #10F 545 Hub Group with 10" x 2 1/4" brakes

 

I ask because I'd like to order a couple of spare sets of bearings and seals from Dexter. All of the parts and their serial numbers are listed on the Dexter web site.

 

Which axle is it, the D30, D35 or D40?

 

Thanks

Bob G

Bob G

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Can you confirm by looking at the Dexter stickers that are on your axles? Should be on the axle tube near the center.

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John


"I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt."


LE2 #92 (sold),   Black Series HQ19   

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Bob,

 

If the stickers John refers to are not on the axles, the following Dexter link will tell you where to locate the serial number. With the SN call Dexter and they will email you a build/spec sheet with part numbers:

 

http://www.dexteraxle.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/light-duty-axle-identificationba11829d2ba463c18d7aff64007a4014.pdf?sfvrsn=0

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2015 LE2 #75 / 2024 F-150/5.0L

 

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Your axles take standard 3500 axle bearings and seals, no need to call Dexter.

 

https://www.etrailer.com/question-181919.html

 

You can get a generic bearing kit but I strongly recommend buying high quality Timkin seals at your local bearing supply company. All the $1 seals, including those sold by Dexter, are Chinese made garbage, they have very minimal quality control and will eventually leak and screw up your brake linings. These are about $20 plus tax for five, I always get an extra one for when I screw up during installation... like forgetting to insert the bearing first ;(

 

48EBF545-A795-463A-859D-540DE2FB5271.thumb.jpeg.53bbb8f4c0f03fce223ef26b0bbf59a8.jpeg

 

Or here, for a lot more.... https://www.amazon.com/Timken-473336-Seal/dp/B001544U88

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

 

 

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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: 

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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Thanks for your reply, John. Those eTrailer links lead to $3.38 and $4.77 Chinese bearings. While they may be alright, I have the time to search for what may be higher quality bearings.

 

I'll take your advice on the Timkin bearing seals. I too have destroyed seals during installation.

 

Thanks,

Bob

Bob G

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To update this thread:

 

The axles that I have are the D35

 

The Dexter bearing kit is K71-717-00, and the inner bearing is L68149, outer L44649, as John's link stated.

 

Dexter lists the kit for $37.46. I ordered the kits from TrailerPart.com for less.

 

John, when the parts arrive I'll update this thread to let everyone know if the bearings are stamped, "China."

 

Bob

Bob G

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Your axles take standard 3500 axle bearings and seals, no need to call Dexter.

 

It's good to have the actual part numbers John and Bob listed because there is no "standard" 3500 lb bearings. There are at least two different sizes for the 3500 lb axles. Brand and manufacturer are not enough. Actual part numbers or spindle diameters are required.

 

I wonder if we can get Timken bearing? All the ones I've seen say China on them. That, in itself, does not mean poor quality, but thre is no way to tell.

 

The fact that there are different sizes and different qualities, makes it even more important to have spares on hand when travelling.

 

I got my set from Oliver and now can get more of the same to carry along. Lots of spare seals is also a good idea because they get replaced every time the bearings are greased.

 

It's also good to have a large drift punch, hammer, seal driving tool and even a hub cap driver. The Dexter rep told me at the rally that Dexter had bearing punches, but when I called to get one, they had never heard of them. Hmmm. So a large drift, preferably a brass or mild steel one, could be made fairly easily from round bar stock. These are used to drive the bearing races out of the hub, if needed.

 

 

John


"I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt."


LE2 #92 (sold),   Black Series HQ19   

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I wonder if we can get Timken bearing? All the ones I’ve seen say China on them.

 

John,

 

Crossed the bearing numbers Bob posted to Timken at Motion Industries and came up with these:

 

Inner Bearing L68149: https://www.motionindustries.com/productDetail.jsp?sku=00660237

 

E-Trailer Recommends L68111 Race: Timken crossover: https://www.motionindustries.com/productDetail.jsp?sku=00660229

 

Outer Bearing L44649: https://www.motionindustries.com/productDetail.jsp?sku=00659271

 

E-Trailer Recommends L44610 Race: Timken crossover: https://www.motionindustries.com/productDetail.jsp?sku=00659251

 

John Davies used Timken 473336 seal. Link at Motion: https://www.motionindustries.com/productDetail.jsp?sku=01317904

 

We have 5200 pound Dexter axles on Hull 75 Elite II.

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2015 LE2 #75 / 2024 F-150/5.0L

 

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The Dexter Axle Genuine Replacement Parts, K71-717-00, Bearing Kit #84 for 3.5 K Spindle arrived today.

 

42022174354_ac28535ffe_c.jpg

 

 

Stamped clearly on the bearing is "China." Perhaps these are high quality Chinese bearings, and perhaps that phrase doesn't contain an oxymoron. It's likely that these are the bearings that are stock on Oliver trailers with 3.5 K axles.

 

Bill: thanks for posting the link to cross referenced Timkin bearings.

These kits are from Southwest Wheel, Dallas.

 

Bob G.

Bob G

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Bob - There was an interesting discussion on this topic back in January, 2017. Redneck Trailer Supply (which used to be/may still be an Oliver supplier) had a kit (which I still carry). Since I had planned to only used this kit in the event of an emergency and since the kit(s) are nicely packaged with all the necessary parts in one place, I didn't mind (too much) that they were made in China. I've not had to replace my bearings (yet) but when I do I will keep the kit as is and look for US made bearings.

Bill

2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

Near Asheville, NC

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  • 4 months later...

As some of you know, my Ollie is in cold storage in a shed up in the OK mountains.  I plan on traveling from the Islands and giving Ollie a visit and am planning from long distance on what I would like to do while there.  The above thread has generated some questions.  As I had not heard or seen the Dexter EZ Lube Spindles before this morning in the above thread, it generated some questions.  So, here goes:

 

A.  Would my 2018 Elite II have the EZ Lube Spindles?

 

B.  Assuming that I do have them, also assuming that I have raised Ollie off it's tires, inspected all four wheels and found no concerns with wobble, bearing play, sticking spots (Brake Shoes or Bearings); would a bearing flush be adequate for service after my summer's 8,000 mile travels?

 

C.  I would like to check on the brake shoes.  Are there inspection ports on the brake plate that would would allow inspection of the brake shoes in lieu of pulling the drum?

 

D.  If not, than I will need to pull the brake drums for inspection.  Does just pulling the drums necessitate replacement of the rear seal?  Even it it looks good after I have inspected it?  I have a pretty good idea what the answer will be for this one.....

 

E.  Assuming that none of our trailers had submerged the axles, have you had an axle bearing failure?  If so, what kind of service had it received?  Do you have any idea why it failed?

 

F.  Do you recommend having a couple sets of brake shoes in your road tool chest?

 

G.  Do the brake shoes tend to wear evenly on the tandem axles, or so you see one or another shoe pulling more than it's share and there by wearing more quickly than the others?

 

Thank you for your time and for sharing your expertise.

 

John R.

TV:  2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, 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.    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).

  image.jpeg.9633acdfb75740f0fd358e1a5118f105.jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi John

 

Please excuse my slow response.  I don’t check in here regularly.

 

A and B:   I have 2017 chassis 244, which does not have the EZ Lube spindle connectors that would allow a bearing “flush” with fresh grease.  I formerly owned a Casita that did have the EZ Lube design.  I think that the 2018 Oliver models do not have the EZ Lube spindles.

 

C.  Backing plates on my wheels have two oblong openings at the bottom that are used for adjusting the brake shoe “star” cluster.  I don’t think that you can visualize the shoe wear through these holes.  There is a small circular hole (~1 cm diameter) at the top of the backing plate.  I’m not sure if this can be used to visualize the brake shoe wear either.  Maybe someone else can clarify.

 

D.  In the wheel bearing lubrication section of the Oliver manual, no mention is made of replacing the inner bearing seal if the hub is removed.

 

E.  I repacked my bearings recently at nearly 10,000 miles and noticed no uneven wear on any of the bearings or spindles.  Similarly, there was no excessive or uneven wear on any of the brake shoes.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Bob G

 

 

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Bob G

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John -

 

Sorry for waiting so long to get back to your questions but I had imagined that some of our true gearheads would have jumped on these questions by now.

 

Having had some wheel bearing problems in the past, I'm a bit on the conservative side with regards to the care of these puppies.

 

My answers to your questions:

 

A.  No

 

B.  At 8,000 miles, plus some time sitting plus probably near a year since the bearing were serviced you should get your bearings serviced.

 

C.  No inspection ports.

 

D.  Yes - pull the drum.  No unless there is evidence that the rear seal is suspect (i.e. grease on the wrong side of the seal or obvious other problems).

 

E.  I have had no failures on my Oliver but have had failures with previous trailers.  The failures were due to bad bearings and not due to regular service.

 

F.  No.

 

G.  Mine are wearing evenly and still have more than half life left after three years of towing and over 30,000 miles.

 

There are all kinds of reasons as to why your bearings just might still be in very good shape (no load during storage, dry enclosed storage facility, even with 8,000 miles if they were "easy" miles with little water/rain or dusty roads, etc.).  My last service two months ago showed that even at 10,000 miles my seals and grease still looked very good even though I did a bunch of Interstate miles with temps in the 90's and also did a bunch of driving down very dusty dirt roads.  However, the question I always ask myself - is the saving of those service dollars worth the risk?

 

Bill

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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

Near Asheville, NC

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Bill and Bob:

 

I very much appreciate your insights and responses.

 

My past boat trailers always got an annual spring "Full Monte" when it comes to bearing service.  I also always carried two sets of spindle rehab spare parts just in case.  I know for boat trailers, the issue water intrusion.  Especially in Utah with altitude, high speeds, and extremely hot sun heated bearings getting quenched into a chilly Lake Powell.  Add to that winter salt and you have the perfect conditions to eat seals and bearings.  Hence the annual Full Monte.

 

Without inspection ports and flow-through grease replacement, I will follow your advice and pull them all the way down.... and my gut to have a Dexter repair kit in the boot as well.  The PITA of being on the side of a highway 95 miles from anything makes the service effort seem really easy.

 

Thank you again,

 

John R

TV:  2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, 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.    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).

  image.jpeg.9633acdfb75740f0fd358e1a5118f105.jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 6 months later...

Bill,  thanks for the post.  Do you have the Dexter Part # for the 5200# axle? If i have axle damage, I may go ahead and upgrade to the 5200.  The braking power of the 5200 seems like an attractive element of that set-up.  You pretty happy with the 5200s?

 

thanks kindly, Vector/Lanham

2016 Oliver Legacy Elite II;  #129

Ordered in 2015, picked up in 2016.  My friend Don Thompson picked his up right in front of me, very cool dude.

2016 Nissan Titan XD, Diesel

 

 

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Vector,

 

Very happy with 5200 pound axles. Larger bearings and brakes.

 

It was my understanding Oliver temporarily ran out of  3500 pound axles when they installed Legacy Elite axles on our Ollie. Ours is not the only LE2 Ollie with 5200 pound axles.

 

Will be happy to email a PDF spec/build sheet that Dexter emailed for my axles. Will send you a PM with email address in a few minutes. I don't know how to post a PDF file here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2015 LE2 #75 / 2024 F-150/5.0L

 

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If you plan to switch to the 5200lb axles and install disc brakes, make sure to order them WITHOUT electric brakes. This will save you $$$. I just replaced one of mine and it ran a little over $450.

 

A year or so ago I posted about my switch to from electric drums to electric over hydraulic discs complete with a shopping list of all parts needed with prices. If you are handy, you can do this yourself. Are you going to be at the rally?

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Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved dogs Storm, Lucy, Maggie and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge)

2008 Legacy Elite I - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #026 | 2014 Legacy Elite II - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050 | 2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD SRW Diesel 4x4       

MAP.jpg.50b5b70e70e454e07f7750b90d6f166f.jpg    

 

 

 

States Visited Tali and Steve 08-23-2021-H.jpg

States Visited Tali and Steve 08-23-2021-I.jpg

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Has anyone installed disk brakes on their Oliver? I installed them on my last fifth wheel and my last trailer before that. I'm assuming the Dexter axles can be fitted with new hubs, bearings, etc. It's not too hard to do it, just takes a little time. For me, installing the hydraulic lines is the most difficult part because crawling around under the trailer is a pita because of my age. I ask if Oliver would do it, but it's not on their radar screen yet. We pick up our new trailer in July and I don't expect the electric breaks to be around too long. If someone has already done this conversion, I'd be interested in knowing the part numbers. IMHO, electric brakes, even self-adjusting ones, are one iteration advanced over mechanical brakes on a Model A.

 

Bob

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Steve did - see his post just before yours. Oliver put hydraulic disks on my trailer as an experiment, and I think one other that was in line along with mine. Perhaps more but I don’t think so.  That was a while ago and I don’t think they plan to offer the option anytime soon.  I think Steve’s components are better, but then I’ve never towed his trailer, nor he mine, so I only feel that way because he seems content with his and I’m sort of meh about mine.

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