Made in USA leaf springs

[ScubaRx]

My new springs should be here next week. That will make The Outlaw Oliver the oldest trailer to have them retrofitted to. I am excited to get them and although I've never had a problem with my original 5-leaf springs that came with the 5200 pound axles, I'm super confident that the new stronger Alcan springs will be much better.

Edited April 26 by ScubaRx

[Mike and Carol]

1 hour ago, MAX Burner said:

We'll be in Hohenwald 8-9MAY to have a couple 5.2k# Nev-R-Lube Dexter's mounted over the Alcans - so, we'll probably miss meeting you and Carol until we make it down to the rally...FYI

We leave on Wednesday the 8th.  We’ll probably leave late morning.

[Geronimo John]

8 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:

We'll be in Hohenwald 8-9MAY to have a couple 5.2k# Nev-R-Lube Dexter's mounted over the Alcans

Are you going with a disk brake version with electric over hydraulic?

GJ

[Mike and Carol]

9 minutes ago, Geronimo John said:

Are you going with a disk brake version with electric over hydraulic?

GJ

I’m keeping my axles, MAX Burner will be there for the axle upgrade.

[Patriot]

41 minutes ago, Geronimo John said:

Are you going with a disk brake version with electric over hydraulic?

GJ

I will chime in.
The Dexter 5200# never lube axles that Oliver retro fit on our Ollie last Oct, are only the larger 12” drums. To my knowledge I don’t believe they are installing disc brakes. Service just grabs a set of Never Lubes from the plant and installs them at the service center.

 

Edited April 26 by Patriot

[CRM]

On 4/25/2024 at 1:48 AM, ScubaRx said:

I'm unclear why you would think that. Your wheels have you at 7.8K pounds, well above the stated 7K GVWR.  Which tires, axles and spring packs are riding under your Hull #045? How much does your trailer weigh full of water, gear and ready to camp for a 3 month long foray?

 

I was only responding to the section of your post where you said

"For those owners that either already have or have switched to the 5200 pound Nev-R-Lube axles you would now effectively have a GVWR of 10,400 pounds upon the installation of these heavier springs."

And I responded-  "In this scenario, I think the wheels and/or tires would limit most of us below that effective GVWR. Mine wheels are stamped with a 1950# rating." 

People should make sure that they check their wheel and tire combo if they plan on loading over the factory limits with the the upgraded springs and 5200# axles. Legally, it shouldn't be done anyway, but that's a whole other can of worms!

 

 

[Patriot]

[rideandfly]

2 hours ago, CRM said:

Legally, it shouldn't be done anyway, but that's a whole other can of worms!

Agree, tow vehicle and trailer GVWR should never be exceeded.

Edited April 26 by rideandfly

[Vector - Lanham]

Well, my Lippert 5200# axles are doing well enough. Probably repack the bearings sometime this summer.

I think I might be the only one with Lippert axles, whatever that means.

Ha.

[Geronimo John]

5 hours ago, rideandfly said:

Agree, tow vehicle and trailer GVWR should never be exceeded.

And that's if you are only a flatlander.  If you go up into real mountains, then I would suggest saying "Should never even come anywhere close to maxing out the capabilities of their rig.".  

It's always about having a significant margin of safety for your gear, loved ones, and others that may need to get involved.

[MAX Burner]

9 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:

Are you going with a disk brake version with electric over hydraulic?

@Geronimo John - That's a Phase-3 upgrade for us down the road, amigo.  

The electric over hydraulic disk brake conversion kit's price point has skyrocketed over the years - a decent setup using the preferred Dexter K71-651-00 1600PSI brake actuator runs north of $1,100/wheel; can you spell, OUCH ?

We're thinking the larger 12" drums on the new running gear will meet our braking needs and RV camping style for quite awhile.  That said, the disk conversion will still stay on our radar, for sure.

OBTW:  We never come close to the 7k# max GVWR for our camping style, even in the winter months when carrying more gear.  We encourage others to do the same, no matter what suspension upgrades are present.

"Roll-On" and have fun out there, All!

Cheers!

[Geronimo John]

This is a nice start on the cost rollback for the system.

If you are buying new axles, are the cost of disks vs. drums a wash?  Then you need hydraulic lines and the EOHA.  Does this bring the costs down significantly enough for reconsideration as your "This Summer's" project?

GJ

[MAX Burner]

Unfortunately, the disk kits are the long pole in the tent - out of our price point range...  The larger 12" drums will suffice for our needs for some time.  The additional/high cost for disks doesn't make up for the benefit gained in braking performance, maintenance, and overall peace of mind, IMO.

[jd1923]

7000 LB GTWR is enough, as this limit is truly difficult to exceed. Any suspension upgrade is for performance and safety, not additional trailer capacity.

I imagine full-timers would go a little over this number. We would have to take everything out of the bed of my TV (spare the full 35-gallon water tank) and load it into the center aisle of the OTT to get over the GTWR. I measured ours during a first trip at 6000 LBS "travel-ready" and a Fresh Tank full. Now after 4 trips it's likely close to 6400 LBS.

There aren't enough cubic feet of actual storage space onboard to exceed the limit unless you fill all those little overhead cabinets with GOLD!

[jd1923]

On 4/26/2024 at 10:14 PM, MAX Burner said:

The electric over hydraulic disk brake conversion kit's price point has skyrocketed...

We're thinking the larger 12" drums on the new running gear will meet our braking needs...

We never come close to the 7k# max GVWR for our camping style...

The upgrade from 10" to 12" trailer brakes is huge! Your braking efficiency will improve significantly. Are disc brakes better performance? Yes, better precision. Less maintenance? Yes. Extremely expensive, considering it's for a trailer! Yes!!!

You will have new dual 5200 LB axles, new 12" brakes with new bearings, new HD Alcan springs, shocks, wet bolts, U-bolts, etc. basically a new suspension. Very nice! 😂

Edited April 29 by jd1923

[Dave and Kimberly]

   This subject has been an "interesting read".   I started when it was only about 10 pages long... reading all of the opinions and results from the beginning.   I want to say thanks to all of you for your hard work and leading the pack on this rather significant upgrade.   I'll be watching to learn how you feel after some road testing, but I suspect its going to feel much better.   

   It's definitely on my list of things I want to do before too long.  We've got better than 20K on the trailer now and despite "most of the time" on reasonable roads I've hit some hard bumps and such and definitely would like the peace of mind from an upgraded suspension system.   I just greased the 16 zerks and noticed the tell-tail marks of the U-bolts hitting the frame on a few occasions.

   PS-  We travel well under the Max of 7k lbs.... until we stop at Costco on the way home where I'm certain we've always exceeded it because the pantry at home was empty.

[2008RN]

1 hour ago, Dave and Kimberly said:

   This subject has been an "interesting read".   I started when it was only about 10 pages long... reading all of the opinions and results from the beginning.   I want to say thanks to all of you for your hard work and leading the pack on this rather significant upgrade.   I'll be watching to learn how you feel after some road testing, but I suspect its going to feel much better.   

   It's definitely on my list of things I want to do before too long.  We've got better than 20K on the trailer now and despite "most of the time" on reasonable roads I've hit some hard bumps and such and definitely would like the peace of mind from an upgraded suspension system.   I just greased the 16 zerks and noticed the tell-tail marks of the U-bolts hitting the frame on a few occasions.

   PS-  We travel well under the Max of 7k lbs.... until we stop at Costco on the way home where I'm certain we've always exceeded it because the pantry at home was empty.

Wow! You have a Costco you can park a truck and trailer? Ours is always so packed that I have trouble finding room for the truck.

[jd1923]

And do we hear 15 pages?! 🤣 Going once, goin' twice, sold to a future post!

[taylor.coyote]

I'm coming very late to this party but posting because we broke a spring January last year on hull #124. We ran our tires hard for a long time and do a lot of off road driving. We replaced both springs on the axle with the damaged spring.  This information about all the bad springs mades me uneasy because we are headed for an extended trip with lots of off road driving this week.  We now run tires at 45psi and will check the springs each day.  Will replace all when we return home. 

Grateful  to all for sharing this information. 

[2008RN]

On 3/22/2024 at 10:36 AM, Geronimo John said:

Please share with us the Bulldog shock info and assessment after you get some miles on them.

GJ

I finally had a chance to try out the Bulldog HD shocks I put on the Oli.  I put 300 miles on them this last week. Most of it was on small 2 lane roads that had some rough areas.  I did go over a 40 mile stretch that I did last September, It made a world of difference. The trailer did not sway all over like it did before.  I could feel the difference in the drivers seat of how the trailer rode. I truely think the shocks  where pretty much shot when I got the trailer 3 years ago and  it was 10 months old at that time. I remember following the trailer for about 20 miles and you could see the top of the trailer swaying side to side about 4-5" going  down the freeway with small road imperfections.  Now on rough roads the sway is less than 2". 

The price was comparable to online Monroe shocks.  if the Bulldogs last 4 years, I will be happy and buy them again.

here is the link to where I bought them:  https://www.4statetrucks.com/bulldog-hd-shock-absorber-replaces-555001-19-050000007

FYI: At the same time, I replace the the Oliver's shocks, I replaced the original 1999 shocks on the F250 SD with Bilstein 5100 shocks. The truck does ride a little stiffer but handles what little front to back  movement I get on the trailer better.  I did have to nail the brakes really hard this weekend when someone cut in front of me and then slammed on the brakes.   The TV and camper acted as one, and handled great.

Now I will go for the Alcan springs sometime in the next year, before we start the long cross country trips.

Edited April 30 by 2008RN

[rideandfly]

15 hours ago, 2008RN said:

I finally had a chance to try out the Bulldog HD shocks I put on the Oli.  I put 300 miles on them this last week. Most of it was on small 2 lane roads that had some rough areas.  I did go over a 40 mile stretch that I did last September, It made a world of difference. The trailer did not sway all over like it did before.  I could feel the difference in the drivers seat of how the trailer rode. I truely think the shocks  where pretty much shot when I got the trailer 3 years ago and  it was 10 months old at that time. I remember following the trailer for about 20 miles and you could see the top of the trailer swaying side to side about 4-5" going  down the freeway with small road imperfections.  Now on rough roads the sway is less than 2". 

The price was comparable to online Monroe shocks.  if the Bulldogs last 4 years, I will be happy and buy them again.

here is the link to where I bought them:  https://www.4statetrucks.com/bulldog-hd-shock-absorber-replaces-555001-19-050000007

FYI: At the same time, I replace the the Oliver's shocks, I replaced the original 1999 shocks on the F250 SD with Bilstein 5100 shocks. The truck does ride a little stiffer but handles what little front to back  movement I get on the trailer better.  I did have to nail the brakes really hard this weekend when someone cut in front of me and then slammed on the brakes.   The TV and camper acted as one, and handled great.

Now I will go for the Alcan springs sometime in the next year, before we start the long cross country trips.

I was going to place an order for Monroe 555001 shocks about this time last year, but failed to do so.  Just placed an order for a set of Bulldog shocks you referenced in your post. The Bulldog set cost about $150 delivered with tax. Going to buy & keep one spare 5 leaf spring  (matching originals) for 5200lb axles, too.

Thanks for the info!

 

Edited April 30 by rideandfly

[Geronimo John]

15 hours ago, 2008RN said:

  On 3/22/2024 at 7:36 AM, Geronimo John said:

Please share with us the Bulldog shock info and assessment after you get some miles on them.

GJ

2008RN

Roger.  It will be this summer, likely in late July.

GJ

[MAX Burner]

23 hours ago, 2008RN said:

The price was comparable to online Monroe shocks.  if the Bulldogs last 4 years, I will be happy and buy them again.

 

We bought our OTT a year ago, it was 6 years old.  3 of the 4 Monroes were totally shot - they wouldn't extend after compressing them.  The 4th was very slow and never fully extended.  We replaced them with the OEM Monroes (black in color now instead of the older yellow ones), not knowing about the Bulldog option.  

Please let us know about how well they wear and perform as you use them this year.  They sound like a very promising upgrade...

Cheers

[rideadeuce]

Just ordered the Bulldog shocks from 4StateTrucks.com. I used the code: PT15MAG for 15% off. Maybe it will work for someone else. 

Best, M

[rideandfly]

2 hours ago, rideadeuce said:

Just ordered the Bulldog shocks from 4StateTrucks.com. I used the code: PT15MAG for 15% off. Maybe it will work for someone else. 

Best, M

I used a 5% discount code yesterday, you did much better on the discount! 4StateTrucks.com has an A+ BBB rating, too.

Picked up a spare 5 leaf spring and Ubolts/nuts for less than $100 today (original 5200lb axles on our Ollie) from the local Dexter distributor since there has not been any reported Ollie failures on these springs, yet. Going to install bronze bushings in it left over from the EZ Flex installation a few years ago.

Edited Wednesday at 06:49 PM by rideandfly