Made in USA leaf springs

[rich.dev]

1 hour ago, Mike and Carol said:

 

I ordered a set of springs this morning.  I was the second order they had this morning.  Lou said they’ve had 4 to 5 orders a week for a while.  They now have an Oliver Kit that includes springs, U bolts, shackles and wet bolts.  Mike

 

If they haven’t already, they should touch base with Oliver, maybe strike a deal as a supplier! 

[Paul and Santina]

I also just ordered springs from ALCAN for my 2022 LE2. My existing U-bolts measured 1/2” diameter (thread) by 3” wide (axle diameter), but Lou mentioned that other Oliver’s U-bolts have been 9/16” diameter by 3” wide, or 1/2” diameter by 2 1/2” wide. Anyone else have the 1/2” by 3” U-bolts?

[Mike and Carol]

Mine are 3” wide and 9/16” diameter.  Mike 

[Mountainman198]

2 hours ago, Paul and Santina said:

I also just ordered springs from ALCAN for my 2022 LE2. My existing U-bolts measured 1/2” diameter (thread) by 3” wide (axle diameter), but Lou mentioned that other Oliver’s U-bolts have been 9/16” diameter by 3” wide, or 1/2” diameter by 2 1/2” wide. Anyone else have the 1/2” by 3” U-bolts?

Mine were 1/2”x3” and the new ubolts provided by Alcan were 9/16”x3”. Fit perfect. Longer to accommodate taller Alcan spring packs. 9/16” fit thru spring retainer plates fine as holes are larger than 1/2”

[Geronimo John]

We should be getting up the enough with ALCAN for a volume discount!

[MAX Burner]

Just by way of an "UPDATE":  We pulled into a nice Harvest Host location yesterday afternoon at the "BAR-Z Winery" in Canyon, TX about 20 miles south of Amarillo near Palo Verde SP.  We've logged just over 1,400 miles since R&R efforts of the AxleTek and ALCAN spring packs.  A prior-to-departure torque inspection revealed no more "U-bolt stretch" as the nuts met target torque specs.

For us, at least, our higher level of confidence in the running gear and general peace of mind knowing we've got 2k#-rated 5-spring leaf packs under our 3.5k# axles was worth the $'s, time, and effort in this upgrade, FYI.

Cheers from a couple "Happier Campers"!

 

[Mountainman198]

1 hour ago, MAX Burner said:

Just by way of an "UPDATE":  We pulled into a nice Harvest Host location yesterday afternoon at the "BAR-Z Winery" in Canyon, TX about 20 miles south of Amarillo near Palo Verde SP.  We've logged just over 1,400 miles since R&R efforts of the AxleTek and ALCAN spring packs.  A prior-to-departure torque inspection revealed no more "U-bolt stretch" as the nuts met target torque specs.

For us, at least, our higher level of confidence in the running gear and general peace of mind knowing we've got 2k#-rated 5-spring leaf packs under our 3.5k# axles was worth the $'s, time, and effort in this upgrade, FYI.

Cheers from a couple "Happier Campers"!

 

Good news and thanks for the road trip update. My Alcans are installed and I have a 1,700 mile trip scheduled for later this month. I too am looking forward to the peace of mind over the poor performance of the EMCO spring packs that came on my E2. Did you notice any negatives from towing with the 2,000 vs. 1,750 rated spring packs?

[John Welte]

1 hour ago, MAX Burner said:

Just by way of an "UPDATE":  We pulled into a nice Harvest Host location yesterday afternoon at the "BAR-Z Winery" in Canyon, TX about 20 miles south of Amarillo near Palo Verde SP.  We've logged just over 1,400 miles since R&R efforts of the AxleTek and ALCAN spring packs.  A prior-to-departure torque inspection revealed no more "U-bolt stretch" as the nuts met target torque specs.

For us, at least, our higher level of confidence in the running gear and general peace of mind knowing we've got 2k#-rated 5-spring leaf packs under our 3.5k# axles was worth the $'s, time, and effort in this upgrade, FYI.

Cheers from a couple "Happier Campers"!

 

Did you drive into Palo Verde?  I was on a bicycle trip from San Diego to St. Louis and an Austrian cyclist rented a car and we all drove through it.  I had never heard of it. 

How is the ride for the trailer?  Any stiffer?  Any down side?  We have a 2022 LE2 and I checked under the trailer for welds and leaf spring condition.  All looks good.

John

[routlaw]

On 3/14/2024 at 8:37 AM, DaveAndBecky_NorthernMI said:

Well Oliver gang, as usual, this forum has provided not only a fundamental understanding of the spring issue but options for mitigation and replacement. Hull #1047 will be sauntering soon with anticipated travel of 5000 miles including the daunting road to Chaco Canyon. Planning and executing @Geronimo John

Good luck, wonderful place to travel to. Have been on that road a number of times and sometimes it's terrible and once or twice fairly smooth sailing for a gravel road at least. Maybe you'll hit it just after a fresh grading. 

[MAX Burner]

3 hours ago, John Welte said:

How is the ride for the trailer?  Any stiffer?  Any down side?  We have a 2022 LE2 and I checked under the trailer for welds and leaf spring condition.  All looks good.

The trailer tows perfectly fine - perhaps even a bit better in high cross wind conditions when we traversed the TX pan-handle.  90-degrees off left to right at 30-35mph.  Solid!

3 hours ago, Mountainman198 said:

Did you notice any negatives from towing with the 2,000 vs. 1,750 rated spring packs?

Nothing noted…. I’m going to ride in the OTT while D drives thru the neighborhood as before we upgraded them to “feel” the before/after….

[Geronimo John]

On 4/5/2024 at 9:32 AM, Geronimo John said:

Spring Replacement Build Sheet:

Somewhere up above here in the scores of pages of this thread is a suggestion to get your Dexter axle build sheet(s).....

........Great Customer Services from all four of the Dexter areas I have spoken to.....

The Dexter Team was helpful, but not successful in finding my Build Sheet.  So a week later, I am still on the hunt.  Seems that as companies get bought up by the Dexter Hoover, records sometimes get "misplaced".  

I now have a former employee of a former company of a former company working the question.  More to follow likely early next week.

GJ

[Patriot]

2 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

Nothing noted…. I’m going to ride in the OTT while D drives thru the neighborhood as before we upgraded them to “feel” the before/after….

Hey Max,

Ask your bride to keep it under 100 while you’re in the Ollie. 😄

 

[Geronimo John]

 

IF your Axle Decal looks like this one, You may want to read the rest of the below.  

  

From what I can figure out, Red Neck Trailers was “Integrated” into Nuera Trans which was “Hoovered Up” into Dexter.  The original Red Neck Trailers is still in business as is Nuera Trans.  All flying the Dexter flag.

As clearly printed on a Dexter Label, they were made by NUERA TRANS likely in Cookeville Tn.   So don’t waste your time calling Dexter for a "Build Sheet".  The correct terminology is to request the Configuration Info associated with 6339056.  The Dexter Customer Service could not pull up this info.  So instead, call this knowledgeable contact that has been in her job with all three name changes:: 

 

Christy Gillentine | CSR

Dexter Distribution Group

christy.gillentine@dextergroup.com

direct tel:: (931) 739-4034

 An alternate would be Denise Ameling via E-mail:    <denise.ameling@dextergroup.com>

 Please keep in mind that these contacts are ONLY for NURA TRANS labels axels.  If your label is not like the one above, the regular Dexter Customer Service is by far the way to get your axle info.

 The Nuera Trans Axles (I.E.  Really Red Neck Trailer axles that were sold under the Nuera name) were purchased without springs.  The springs were sent to them for assembly.  They are the Chinese made PR4B springs.  Christi stated that if the springs are flattening out, then they were undersized for the application.  After they flatten out, then they generally fail as was originally reported on our thread.  She stated that the PR4 springs with their thicker steel (2,400 pound rated) would be a better choice. 

 Here is the CONFIG INFO for this Config Number for my rear axle on Hull 342.  If you have the same number on yours, here it is: 

Note it states “No Springs, Calculate Leaf Spring Capacity”. 

GJ

 

 

[2008RN]

3 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

 

IF your Axle Decal looks like this one, You may want to read the rest of the below.  

  

From what I can figure out, Red Neck Trailers was “Integrated” into Nuera Trans which was “Hoovered Up” into Dexter.  The original Red Neck Trailers is still in business as is Nuera Trans.  All flying the Dexter flag.

As clearly printed on a Dexter Label, they were made by NUERA TRANS likely in Cookeville Tn.   So don’t waste your time calling Dexter for a "Build Sheet".  The correct terminology is to request the Configuration Info associated with 6339056.  The Dexter Customer Service could not pull up this info.  So instead, call this knowledgeable contact that has been in her job with all three name changes:: 

 

Christy Gillentine | CSR

Dexter Distribution Group

christy.gillentine@dextergroup.com

direct tel:: (931) 739-4034

 An alternate would be Denise Ameling via E-mail:    <denise.ameling@dextergroup.com>

 Please keep in mind that these contacts are ONLY for NURA TRANS labels axels.  If your label is not like the one above, the regular Dexter Customer Service is by far the way to get your axle info.

 The Nuera Trans Axles (I.E.  Really Red Neck Trailer axles that were sold under the Nuera name) were purchased without springs.  The springs were sent to them for assembly.  They are the Chinese made PR4B springs.  Christi stated that if the springs are flattening out, then they were undersized for the application.  After they flatten out, then they generally fail as was originally reported on our thread.  She stated that the PR4 springs with their thicker steel (2,400 pound rated) would be a better choice. 

 Here is the CONFIG INFO for this Config Number for my rear axle on Hull 342.  If you have the same number on yours, here it is: 

Note it states “No Springs, Calculate Leaf Spring Capacity”. 

GJ

 

 

Wow, The plot thickens.  I think we could make a Johnny Cash song out of this, trying to figure out what is on our "supposed" Dexter Axles.

[MAX Burner]

15 hours ago, Patriot said:

Ask your bride to keep it under 100 while you’re in the Ollie. 😄

 

Don't know how many of y'all ever rode in the OTT under tow, but I've done it a few times just to check what needs attending to.  I try to convince my bride to keep the speed down -- with little success...😜

FWIW, I rode in the back for the last several miles yesterday on our way back from the eclipse adventure....  From a qualitative perspective, the ride was interestingly noisy, solid/stiff - but not like a buckboard....  It was not appreciably different than the ride I took before changing out the springs.  Don't think it would comfortable for more than a few miles, IMO.

I checked the torque settings for each of the U-bolt nuts after logging 1,895 miles on the new springs over the last 9 days - all good, no more stretch.  Probably a good idea to keep doing so every 5k miles or at least annually.

Not to highjack this thread, but: Regarding frame cross member welds - visually inspected all yesterday and photographed each weld to set a baseline for our records.  All good.  I'm suspecting that the broken welds reported in a parallel thread could be caused by an inexperienced welder at the factory and not a design flaw.  I also suspect that Oliver engineers designed the frame to withstand "normal" usage (that may be difficult to define, however).  Like other owners, we routinely, yet carefully, travel over unpaved and unimproved roads with a full fresh (empty black/gray) tank without issue - I believe this practice is within the design limitations of the trailer.  We'll definitely keep inspecting the cross members after such trips...  Thoughts?

[jd1923]

2 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

I checked the torque settings for each of the U-bolt nuts after logging 1,895 miles on the new springs over the last 9 days - all good, no more stretch.  Probably a good idea to keep doing so every 5k miles or at least annually.

I believe once you have torqued the nuts 2-3 times and get to "no more stretch" you should trust the installation that they're good and you're done. The U-bolts need to be well seated, but they are not a maintenance item and once set will stay put for years, decades even.

[MAX Burner]

7 hours ago, jd1923 said:

they are not a maintenance item and once set will stay put for years, decades even.

Gotcha, brother!  Couldn't imagine one of those 90 lb-foot torqued nuts loosening up...

Edited April 12 by MAX Burner
added info

[SNY SD UP]

On 4/4/2024 at 12:56 PM, MAX Burner said:

Hey, John:

If you're only talking a couple inches of height - air-down your 4 tires enough to get that clearance.  Roll the rig into position in the barn.  This shouldn't damage the tires.  Air them back up once in position.  Problem solved.

GJ - Just remember to add 'Air-Down' to your step-by-step before leaving the 'Barn', if you do 'air-up' once in.

 

I'm following this thread, with great interest and maybe I should have joined the discussion about 9 pages ago. 

Our (2) rear leaves broke on the 'eye leaf' at the point where the leaf below the eye ended.  I believe I saw some similar break points on other pics posted above.  We were in the NWT/TUK area so resources were limited.  We cobbled together 2 new but different LS's to get us back down to Whitehorse, YT.  Image a horse with two worn shoes in fronts, with a loafer & tennis shoe on the rears...  But it tracked & pulled straight.  OKAY, maybe not that bad, we can smile but not yet laugh about it now.

We had all 4 LS's replaced by 'Jacob Industries' (HIGHLY RECOMMEND IF YOU NEED WORK DONE...) the go-to suspension business in Whitehorse YT, last summer to get us home.  So we'll probably not be replacing LS's unless we break another on our return adventure to AK this summer.   And yes, we now carry 2 (the fronts) LS with new brass bushings if we  needed.  Our new LS's had some differences in length from what we had from the build, they are rated at 1830 lbs. 
The ride home from Whitehorse was slow and not 'stiff' at all, but by this time we were on pavement.

There is a lot more that ScubaRX & I found out about LS's that are compatible with the the LE2, in research & discussion.
Starting with 'where does Oliver source them from' to that sources part numbers & spec's.  Even on some of the supposed same universal PN's from different suppliers sometimes there are slight/negligible differences in the A B C D  measurements that make it less that totally consistent by supposedly the 'same industry PN' across suppliers. 
And that was just the 4 leaver's.  I have spreadsheets, but this thread is way beyond that point, by going with ALCAN.

I actually like the idea of going with 5 leaves, not for load increase (which we will not do), but the fact that the first leaf below the eye, extends to the eye.  

Snow maybe Wed, after the melt we'll pull SNYSDUP out of the nesting box, and start loading him up,
Cause "WE ARE GOING CAMPING".

B-Out,

 

[Ronbrink]

12 hours ago, SNY SD UP said:

I actually like the idea of going with 5 leaves, not for load increase (which we will not do), but the fact that the first leaf below the eye, extends to the eye. 

Thanks for pointing this out!

[Rivernerd]

20 hours ago, SNY SD UP said:

Our (2) rear leaves broke on the 'eye leaf' at the point where the leaf below the eye ended.  I believe I saw some similar break points on other pics posted above.  We were in the NWT/TUK area so resources were limited.

Perhaps anyone planning to tow their Oliver Elite II to Alaska should invest in a set of ALCAN 5-leaf springs before the trip.

[2008RN]

3 hours ago, Rivernerd said:

Perhaps anyone planning to tow their Oliver Elite II to Alaska should invest in a set of ALCAN 5-leaf springs before the trip.

My thoughts exactly!

[Half Fast Hugo]

Well, pulled my 2021 LEII out of storage on Friday and was able to crawl around underneath it. Looks like I do have 3,500lb axles (D35) on mine and the four leaf springs. All the springs look in good shape with nice bends but, the trailer only has about 2,000 miles on it so far. So as others have mentioned, now the dilemma is putting two 2,000lb springs on a 3,500lb axle. I found a few custom spring makers in Minnesota so, looks like I may try to source some 1,750lb springs somewhere in the state. Details to follow...

[Golfnut]

fYI,  justed looked at my axle , i have 6 leaf spring on my  5033 lb. Axle. LEI. July 2022..  just thought i would it out there for LEI owners..   ( very few of us,😁)..  All my welds look good also.

[carnivore]

I placed an Alcan order this morning with Luo for springs, 9/16" u-bolts and nuts.

 

Edited April 16 by carnivore
spelling

[MAX Burner]

22 hours ago, carnivore said:

I placed an Alcan order this morning with Luo for springs, 9/16" u-bolts and nuts.

 

We worked with both Mike and Lew at Alcan in ordering our 5 spring-packs.  Great guys and very helpful.  

FYI:  We decide to reuse our wet bolts as the brass bushings in the spring eyes (albeit very thin) were still intact which left the steel bolts totally serviceable.

IMO:  The 2k#-rated Alcan spring-packs (or similar 5-spring packs) pair better with the 3.5k# Dexters than the OEM 4 spring-packs...