Cheapest source for Dexter rebuild parts - hubs and brake assemblies?

[John E Davies]

I need to rebuild one axle before I head up to Alaska in the Fall, I already did the other one due to a seal leak (and I swapped the brakes for the much more reliable manual adjust type). I would love to install disk brakes but that is not going to happen for a while. I blew my Ollie Ca$h Re$erve already over the winter, big time. 😥 I need to order a pair of manual adjust brake assemblies and 2 hub assemblies. I found these.

And these:

 

They ship FREE and the cost is a whole $100 less than the same exact OEM parts from eTrailer.com. Any other suggestions, or is this a winner? FYI I will install really good Timken bearings, races and seals, and use really good grease.

Thank you.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited March 10, 2021 by John E Davies

[mountainoliver]

John, I rebuilt my axles this past November and purchased all of the parts from Textrail. The facility that I happened to order from is in Cookeville Tennessee. Complete hub/drum assemblies including bearings were something like 45 +/-dollars each. Complete brake assemblies ready to mount were about the same 45 +/- dollars each for the self adjusting type. The manual adjustment type is less. My complete rebuild of four complete brake assemblies, four complete drum/hub/bearing/seals assemblies including shipping to my door was around $500. Hope this helps 

Side note: These parts were all genuine Dexter not an off brand.

Edited March 11, 2021 by mountainoliver
Added information

[John E Davies]

29 minutes ago, mountainoliver said:

John, I rebuilt my axles this past November and purchased all of the parts from Textrail. The facility that I happened to order from is in Cookeville Tennessee. Complete hub/drum assemblies including bearings were something like 45 +/-dollars each. Complete brake assemblies ready to mount were about the same 45 +/- dollars each for the self adjusting type. The manual adjustment type is less. My complete rebuild of four complete brake assemblies, four complete drum/hub/bearing/seals assemblies including shipping to my door was around $500. Hope this helps 

Side note: These parts were all genuine Dexter not an off brand.

Is there a retail website? The only one I found is for manufacturers, dealers and repair shops. I would love to order at wholesale, but I have no affiliation with a shop. The closest Textrail dealer is near Boise, almost 300 miles away.

Thanks,

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

[mountainoliver]

The facility that I contacted is over 400 miles from my home. I first contacted the Dexter representative that had been at one of the Oliver rallies, he suggested that I call this particular distribution facility as it would be closest to me and just talk to the sales department. I know of another owner who called this facility after I did and also ordered the same parts for the same costs. I would call your closest distributor and get a price quote. Maybe the difference was me ordering four sets of everything. I tried to pm you and a note  came up that you weren’t receiving pm’s. If we can get that fixed, when we get home from our trip I’ll send all the information that I have. 

[BackofBeyond]

I am curious guys - how many miles did you have on the Ollie when you determined a rebuild was in order?

RB

[John E Davies]

8 hours ago, BackofBeyond said:

I am curious guys - how many miles did you have on the Ollie when you determined a rebuild was in order?

RB

It is not a simple answer, it depends on a lot of things. When the brakes quit working (the autoadjust brakes are prone to, well, not autoadjust) or the bearings start showing signs of distress (like dry rumbling sounds, excessive heat, play in the hub or outright failure) or you have simply worn out the linings from not having a diesel TV (or not using your gears in a gas one). Or you are headed out on a really long and important trip with few services.

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2778-brakes-auto-adjust-vs-manual-adjust-what-are-the-differences/

In my case one Dexter inner seal failed two years ago on a local trip. The brake shoes got contaminated with oil and started grabbing so badly at the slightest application that the tire would skid on concrete below fifteen mph. Backing way off on the controller was the only way to proceed, which means essentially no trailer brakes for the rest of the trip... So I installed new brakes on that axle and installed new Timken seals on all of them. Now I am at 16,000 trailer miles with the OEM bearings and it is time to freshen everything. If you have an older Ford Power Stroke 6.0 you may be familiar with the term “bullet proofed” engine. They have some really serious design flaws but they can be made reliable with certain upgrade$$$$$ and continued use of potion$. That is what I am doing, making the drum brakes as good as they can be for short term reliability. 

Replace just backing plates or also replace the hubs? New linings will eventually work with slightly worn drums, but it will take a lot of miles before they work well, since the diameters do not match (the shoes touch entirely in the middle). Putting new linings in very worn drums is never wise. And most shops will insist on all new parts at full retail prices so they will function reasonably well when the trailer leaves the shop - shops hate warranty returns!

The fix for long term reliability and easy DIY maintenance is di$k brake$$$$. I hope you understand my humor. And I hope you are not paying shop labor for all this.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited March 11, 2021 by John E Davies

[BackofBeyond]

1 hour ago, John E Davies said:

 

The fix for long term reliability an easy DIY maintenance is di$k brake$$$$. I hope you understand my humor. And I hope you are not paying shop labor for all this.

John Davies

Spokane WA

I do love disk brakes - so easy to R&R. I haven't paid a shop for service in a long time - usually when away- and no choice - ie- a fuel filter and oil change 1/2 way in last trip.

I don't plan to even look at my brakes until after this summer - bearings I've done - only a few thousand miles on last repack. 

I remember as a young lad - my first drum brake rebuild - did one at a time - I needed the unassembled one for reference! No phone camera's back then. (and little $$$) Almost everybody turned the drums - now  - all want new drums - or disks......

I was just curious how many miles - given normal wear and tear. 

Thanks

RB