Made in USA leaf springs

[mountainoliver]

Are you sure about the 3 3/8 diameter axle tubes? My 2017 LEII D35 tubes measure exactly 3 inches. The 10 inch brake assembly uses four mounting bolts. If the 2 3/8ths and 3 3/8ths diameter numbers are correct then that would make three different axles used. That doubly reinforces your good suggestion to measure first then order the springs and U bolts.

[Geronimo John]

17 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

For the most part, this is a straight forward plug-and-play R&R effort.  The new springs are several pounds heavier and definitely a bit higher drop than the Chinese-made 4-packs:

Art:

Did the new AlCAN springs change the OE2 clearance height any?  Could be critical for storage clearance for some of us.

GJ

[jd1923]

I believe there was a mention of another 1" +/- in an earlier post (pages back). Likely you need to have as extra 1-2" height clearance in your garage door.

Our Oliver will likely never see the comfort of a garage!

[MAX Burner]

2 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

Did the new AlCAN springs change the OE2 clearance height any? 

Hey, John:

Not sure yet - Casablanca is still off the ground.  Took today off to give my low back a break!  Should know by tomorrow afternoon...

[2008RN]

3 hours ago, mountainoliver said:

Are you sure about the 3 3/8 diameter axle tubes? My 2017 LEII D35 tubes measure exactly 3 inches. The 10 inch brake assembly uses four mounting bolts. If the 2 3/8ths and 3 3/8ths diameter numbers are correct then that would make three different axles used. That doubly reinforces your good suggestion to measure first then order the springs and U bolts.

My 2020 LEII  also measure within a couple thousands of 3", and I have the same brake assembly as @mountainoliver.

[jd1923]

@MAX Burner what was your installation procedure? Was the tension released as soon as you lifted the frame? Does it matter which bolt you pull first? Thanks

[MAX Burner]

22 hours ago, jd1923 said:

what was your installation procedure?

Good question, John.  Due to prior commitments, the process is still underway, worked on it for a couple hours yesterday, plan to finish it up this morning.  After speaking with Mike/Alcan, here's a high-level List of Instructions for the leaf spring R&R.  

1.  Break loose the wheel lug nuts on all wheels;

2.  With the OTT connected to the the TV, raise enough that wheels are just high enough to spin and that 4 jack stands can be placed in front and to the rear of the running gear on the OTT frame;

3.  Lower OTT onto the jack stands - wheels must still be able to spin;

4.  Remove wheels;

5.  Pick a side to start.  Place a jack stand under front axle about 2 feet inboard of wheel assy. - use a floor jack under the spring plate to raise the axle just enough to adjust the jack stand under the axle, then lower the floor jack so the axle rests on the floor jack.  There should be very little tension on the suspension at this point;

6.  Remove the lower shock absorber nut and push the shock up and out of the mounting hole on the spring plate, use safety wire to hold lower shock outboard and away from spring plate - helps with aligning the spring plate later on;

7.  Remove the 4 U-bolt nuts/washers;

8.  Remove the spring plate (at this point - we wire brushed the plate, cleaned with acetone and rattle-canned it with RustOleum, set aside to dry for later);

9.  Remove the forward wet bolt from the frame mount - this allows the spring pack to drop;

10.  From the Dexter center shackle, remove the corresponding Dexter shackle nuts and the outboard connecting plate - the inboard connecting plate will be removed with the wet-bolts still "press fitted" into the plate.  Keep as is and ChemKlean the shackle plates, wet bolts and nuts for later assembly;

11.  Throw away the cheap-ass Chinese made spring pack.  (OBTW:  Our's weighed 10lbs even as compared to the Alcan 5-leaf spring pack of USA steel at 18lbs!  We still have the fourth spring to replace today - but the three removed so far were definitely starting to flatten.)

12.  Check the centering bolt head on the Alcan spring pack so it fits into the corresponding centering hole in the spring plate.  We had to file the corners on a couple of the bolts to get the correct fitment.

13.  Insert the "now cleaned" shackle components to the Dexter center shackle assy.  Connect Alcan spring pack (this would be the rear-most spring pack bushing for the front axle), bolt on the outboard connecting plate.

14.  Check the forward wet bolt after cleaning by connecting your Lock'nLube and squeezing grease through the journal (be sure to do this with all wet-bolts).  Thoroughly grease the spring pack brass bushing and wet bolt.  Ensure the wet bolt can fit through the brass bushing - tap in gently using a socket over the grease nipple.

15.  Lift the forward end of the spring pack and place a floor jack under at mid-point (where the spring plate will be placed in a later step).  Lift the Alcan spring pack up to the forward spring mount on the frame.  Ensure the centering pin on top of the Alcan spring aligns with the centering hole on the axle's spring pad.

16.  Insert the forward wet-bolt by raising/lowering the floor jack and tapping the center shackle fore/aft until the bushing aligns with the mounting holes.  This is a step that takes some patience.  We had to use an alignment bolt from the outboard side of the mount to get the wet-bolt through from the inboard side.  (NOTE:  The wet-bolts have splines near the head to keep them from spinning once tightened in the shackle plate - we oriented them so the grease hole on the wet-bolt faced "UP").

17.  Place your U-bolts in place over the axle (we painted ours just to keep the rust down to a minimum - plus it looks way cooler).  Place the cleaned and freshly painted spring plate in place.  Install new U-bolt washers and nuts - using an "X" pattern, tighten the U-bolt nuts slowly pulling the spring plate up and into position.  Use a flashlight to check that the Alcan spring centering bolt is aligning with the centering hole in the spring plate.  We tied the lower shock outboard and away to a wheel lug with safety wire to make this alignment easier.

18.  Install lower shock to spring plate;

19.  Torque all nuts to specs.

20.  Move to same side rear assy. and repeat.

21.  Move to opposite side and repeat front and rear like steps 1 thru 20 above.

There's probably a few extra things I did (removed, inspected, and re-packed wheel bearing, for example) but these are the key steps.  

Very satisfying procedure.  It's worth the peace of mind knowing your running gear is in order!

More to report later after complete and test driven.

Cheers!

Edited March 30 by MAX Burner
fixed a typo...

[jd1923]

2 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

11.  Throw away the cheap-ass Chinese made spring pack.  (OBTW:  Our's weighed 10lbs even as compared to the Alcan 5-leaf spring pack of USA steel at 18lbs!  We still have the fourth spring to replace today - but the three removed so far were definitely starting to flatten.)

Must be a little adlib going on here, but I could not agree more. 🤣 I don't think the guys at "Forged in Fire" would touch this stuff while spring steel should make a good blade. 

[Geronimo John]

Art:

Excellent write up.  Will greatly ease the worry factor by those who have not messed with springs before.  

Couple of thoughts/questions:

Step 10:  "Dexter Center Shackle":  Are these the EZ Flex spring shackle connections?

Step 16:  "We oriented them so th grease ole on the wet-bolt faced "UP".  In the forum "Remove Wet Bolt", GAP replied " After talking to Dexter, my conclusion is that the nut had been installed incorrectly.  The little hole that the grease comes out is supposed to be at 3:00 or 9:00 and, turned facing say 6:00 or 12:00, will not dispense grease.  

Step 19:  "Torque all nuts to Specs".  What are the spec's?

I for sure will be using your procedure!  Many many thanks!

GJ

[MAX Burner]

Hey @Geronimo John;

Just wrapped up installing the Alcan spring packs....  Here's some clarification for you and those interested in this mod:

4 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

Step 10:  "Dexter Center Shackle":  Are these the EZ Flex spring shackle connections?

YES.  Dexter calls these "EZ-Flex Equalizers" for double-eye leaf springs.

4 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

Step 16:  "We oriented them so th grease ole on the wet-bolt faced "UP".  In the forum "Remove Wet Bolt", GAP replied " After talking to Dexter, my conclusion is that the nut had been installed incorrectly.  The little hole that the grease comes out is supposed to be at 3:00 or 9:00 and, turned facing say 6:00 or 12:00, will not dispense grease.

Good Catch, John! - I will need to re-orient my wet-bolts to the 3 or 9 position - no biggie.  My thought process was that the 12 position would have the least pressure from the suspension on it.  They're all flowing now, but the OTT is still "up in the air",  I'll get them changed out tomorrow.  This is a great example of how cool these forums are for OTT owners!

4 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

Step 19:  "Torque all nuts to Specs".  What are the spec's?

I got this from Dexter:

"Install the plain shackle links onto the bolt ends that protrude through the springs and equalizers.  Install the flanged lock nuts onto the bolts and tighten to 30-50 Ft. Lbs."

The torque values for the U-bolts will be either 45 or 65 pound-feet depending on the size of your axles/U-bolts.

Easy peasy!

Cheers, All...

[MAX Burner]

FYI:  Finished up today - tried to upload some random shots of the spring pack R&R, but the system must still be down.

Anyhow, we'll service the final wheel bearing in the morning, mount the wheels and take it for a test drive with the GoPro capturing vid of the curb-side forward assy.

Stay tuned...

 

[topgun2]

18 minutes ago, MAX Burner said:

tried to upload some random shots of the spring pack R&R, but the system must still be down.

Working on that problem now - hopefully the upload function will be restored soon - I'll keep everyone advised about this in the related thread.

Bill

[jd1923]

6 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

Art: Excellent write up.  Will greatly ease the worry factor by those who have not messed with springs before.  

Couple of thoughts/questions... GJ

GJ, I would put you up against the Terminator, for attention to detail. Thank you for all you do.

And @MAX Burner you are my recent favorite installer (after 45 years of me just pluggin' along). Great work in everything you do! I also love the fact that we purchased out OTTs within a few months of each other (you had a head start, not fair).

GJ and I already have a plan. We're meeting at your place this summer. And If I get there first, I'm backing my Oliver into your garage first thing, Ah mechanics heaven. Sorry, GJ!

God Bless you guys, God Bless America, and God Bless all y'alls on this wonderful Easter weekend. Not afraid to say it, just proud to be a hard-working American, the country that had allowed us to prosper and travel this great country in our little fiberglass traveling homes. 😂

[Tom and Doreen]

@MAX BurnerGreat write-up / procedure, very informative; thanks! 

[2008RN]

@MAX Burner Fantastic documentation. I know I will be using it in the future. Thanks for all of the hard work.

[2008RN]

21 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

Step 16:  "We oriented them so th grease ole on the wet-bolt faced "UP".  In the forum "Remove Wet Bolt", GAP replied " After talking to Dexter, my conclusion is that the nut had been installed incorrectly.  The little hole that the grease comes out is supposed to be at 3:00 or 9:00 and, turned facing say 6:00 or 12:00, will not dispense grease. 

Ya that makes sense, greaseing the wet bolts has been a little bit of a pain on my Oli. I can get most to the wet bolts greased while it is setting on the ground, but a couple of them I had to jack up the trailer to remove pressure in order to get them greased.

[Geronimo John]

From past experience, I suspect that OTT will be updating us on this spring issue.  My recommendation is that if you must replace your springs now, do so.  But if you have the luxury of time, I suggest awaiting what OTT's investigation reveals.  But DO take some time to inspect your springs.  

I have taken the liberty of plagiarizing all I could find info about our spring replacements.  Additionally with the assistance of MaxBurner (Art) we have incorporated his replacement procedure into the attached DIY MS Word document.  .

For the attachment, If you find any info that we collectively have missed, please PM Art and I and we'll make it better.

If of wider concern, post it here in the forum

DYI - OE2 Replacement Springs Replacement with Art's Install Procedure (1 APR 2024).docx

Good luck,

GJ and MaxBurner.  

 

Edited April 2 by Geronimo John

[mossemi]

@MAX Burner and @Geronimo John

Thank you for putting in the time and effort needed in order to create this suspension spring pack replacement MOP.  

👏👏👏

Mossey

[MAX Burner]

Here's an attempt to post a smug mug link to some random pix and the GoPro vid from last Wednesday...

 

 

The GoPro vid is 11 min - don't know if it will load... we'll see.  I've reviewed both he pre- and post- installation vids.  There is definitely more axle travel with the lighter spring packs - no surprise there.  Subjectively, the "feel" under tow seems more solid.

FYI:  The above pic shows a couple of the original 4-packs made by "AXLE TEK"...It's interesting that these are not labeled as "DEXTER" springs packs.  AXLE TEK also makes axles much like DEXTER.  Somehow, we got a mixed bag - however, the 4 brake drum assemblies and spindles are DEXTER...

Loading up now for the 1st leg to Dallas, enroute to the total eclipse in Purmela, TX.  More later, stay safe, ALL!

 

Edited April 3 by MAX Burner
fixed a couple typos...

[Patriot]

Having had our entire suspension upgraded to new 5200# axles and all new running gear last Oct by Oliver, I have opted to purchase and just carry a spare leaf pack and new Ubolt. We have a local Dexter shop and they had plenty of 4 leaf spring packs in stock. So for $61.76 I purchased a spare leaf pack. 
I provided the tech with the SN’s of both my axles and requested a spec print or what I call a birth certificate my axles. This info goes into our travel binder. I would highly recommend getting this info from Dexter as it could come in handy while on the road.
Hopefully I will never need to replace a broken spring. But it’s not the end of the world if I do.
Only having 500 miles on my completely brand new 5200# suspension, and the low number of reported 4 leaf pack failures, and not wanting to ditch my 5 yr Dexter warranty by installing SOB, I opted to roll with this path forward. After my 5 yr Dexter warranty runs out I may opt to do something different. Maybe just add the Dexter 5 leaf pack for $279.80 plus tax and 4 new Ubolts. As far as I know there have not been any reported failures of the 5 leaf pack.
I  do think the Alcan spring is likely a fine product and only time will tell with owner feedback.

It’s just not how I am choosing to move forward at this time.

Cheers! And Go Camping! 😊
Patriot

This will pack up easily in my truck bed.

 

 

Torque specs provided by Dexter.
 

Edited April 3 by Patriot

[mountainoliver]

Patriot, I’ve done the same thing except I have two springs and enough U bolts/nuts for a complete axle. Springs are wrapped up and pack well. 

[mountainoliver]

Patriot, I’m curious? Your axle came with 1/2 inch U bolts? My 2017 came with 9/16 U bolts.

[Patriot]

1 hour ago, mountainoliver said:

Patriot, I’m curious? Your axle came with 1/2 inch U bolts? My 2017 came with 9/16 U bolts.

Does your trailer have 5200# axles? This Ubolt is what Dexter recommends for the larger 5200# axle. 

Edited April 2 by Patriot

[mountainoliver]

We have the 3500 pound standard issue axles, four bolt brake backing plate and, 1750 pound springs. Dexter may recommend the 1/2 bolts but is that what Oliver actually spec’d out and used? Apparently Oliver spec’d out an oddball variety of axle components from time to time. For example a standard Dexter 3500 pound axle assembly would have a 5 bolt wheel hub but Oliver spec’d a 6 bolt version that would have been used for a 5200 pound axle but with the smaller bearings used on a 3500 pound axle. At least that’s what a Dexter representative once told me. The mix and match situation is not an issue for Dexter, they just need to know what we actually have. 

Edited April 2 by mountainoliver
Clarification wrong spring rating quoted

[Patriot]

2 hours ago, mountainoliver said:

We have the 3000 pound standard issue axles, four bolt brake backing plate and, 2500 pound springs. 

Ok, so as far as I know, you would keep your same size Ubolts unless you upgrade to the 5200# axles. The 5200# axles are larger in diameter. 

Edited April 2 by Patriot