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  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Handydc View Post
    Steven, How did you obtain that axle information and bearing/seal #'s. I'm picking up my Reflection 320mks next week and this will definitely be on my pm list.
    @Handydc, the best way is the tags (labels) on the axles. Here are pictures of the axle tags on my Solitude. The serial number is also etched into the axle tube. A google search for the Dexter service manual or a call to Dexter will given you the Dexter part numbers.

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    Hope this helps

    Chris

    PS If you use the "reply with quote" button, it will notify the person you are quoting and also gives other the specific text you are referencing.
    Chris & Karen
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    2017 F-350 SRW 6.7 Lariat Value CC LB 4x4
    2018 Solitude 310GK - Sold 7/2023

  2. #12
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    That got me to thinking, they used wet bolts everywhere else accept the spring end on the frame hangers.
    I don't think my Momentum is like that, IIRC, there are wet bolts at each spring end (I know there is at the rear, that's the one that wouldn't take grease) and then 3 or 4 at the equalizer. Might just be different, but I was pretty shocked when I crawled under and saw all those zerks! Looks like my backhoe, basically a porcupine of zerks! Which, incidentally, is what pushed me to buy a Dewalt 20V grease gun. I took one look at that thing, which, with the tractor, must have 30-40 zerks combined on it and said "OK, now I understand why battery/air grease guns exist, and it's not just because people are lazy". Got a Dewalt gun and Lock and Lube couplers, made the job MUCH easier, I highly recommend both.

  3. #13
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CoChris View Post
    On our 2018 (2/2018 Build) Solitude 310GK, the factory spring eye bushings where just pressed in oilite bronze bushings. No wet bolts.

    Chris
    oilite? Thats a word I haven't heard before.The name gives one the impression that these bushings are lubed somehow or are of a neverlube variety.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
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  4. #14
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Handydc View Post
    Steven, How did you obtain that axle information and bearing/seal #'s. I'm picking up my Reflection 320mks next week and this will definitely be on my pm list.
    Yes look at your axle tubes and take a picture of the tags and keep for reference. This can help you identify the brake parts needed as well. Here are my tags, then look up the bearings used for that weight axle through Dexter or LCI which ever axles you have. All the newer GDRV's are coming with Dexter axles I believe. GD does not have bearing part numbers on their parts web site. I would also verify the part numbers you get from Dexter or LCI with the actual numbers off your bearings when you take them out of the hubs.

    I just did a simple google search for Dexter 7000# axle bearings and it came up with all kinds of sources. I bought a spare set of bearings and 4 seals after verifying the part numbers through amazon.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_1927.jpg   IMG_1926.jpg  
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven@147 View Post
    oilite? Thats a word I haven't heard before.The name gives one the impression that these bushings are lubed somehow or are of a neverlube variety.

    My age (and background) is showing. This is very "old school". Oilite is actually a brand name. Most bronze bushings (including the dexter ones I took out and the MorRyde I put in) are made of a sintered metal (compressed powdered metal) process leaving a porous metal that can hold oil. In the old days, we used to heat lube oil and drop the busing into it to let the oil soak into the pores. In use the oil would be slowly released to lube the bushing. I think the oil part of the process is long gone. These bushings are NOT oil soaked and need to be greased.

    Chris
    Chris & Karen
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    2017 F-350 SRW 6.7 Lariat Value CC LB 4x4
    2018 Solitude 310GK - Sold 7/2023

  6. #16
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Overtaxed View Post
    I don't think my Momentum is like that, IIRC, there are wet bolts at each spring end (I know there is at the rear, that's the one that wouldn't take grease) and then 3 or 4 at the equalizer. Might just be different, but I was pretty shocked when I crawled under and saw all those zerks! Looks like my backhoe, basically a porcupine of zerks! Which, incidentally, is what pushed me to buy a Dewalt 20V grease gun. I took one look at that thing, which, with the tractor, must have 30-40 zerks combined on it and said "OK, now I understand why battery/air grease guns exist, and it's not just because people are lazy". Got a Dewalt gun and Lock and Lube couplers, made the job MUCH easier, I highly recommend both.
    I don't know why they do the things they do, makes no sense sometimes. Before we bought our 2019 Solitude I felt the back side of the suspension bolts at the equalizer to see if they were wet bolts, if not I was going to insist they be changed to wet bolts before we purchased. I didn't check the spring ends at the hangers and was later disappointed when I greased the suspension that the spring ends were not wet bolts.
    I went through our Imagine 2950RL and changed them all to wet bolts, I didn't want to have to do that with our Solitude. I saw a post by someone that I think had a 2017 and had a spring shackle plate break out. I want to eventually upgrade our Solitude to HD spring shackles and can install the spring end wet bolts at the frame hangers at the same time.

    Now I have to fool around and jack up the frame, drop the RV axles just enough with a floor jack to get the spring eye clear of the frame hanger and install wet bolts at the hangers. Its just something I didn't want to have to do.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven@147 View Post
    I don't know why they do the things they do, makes no sense sometimes. Before we bought our 2019 Solitude I felt the back side of the suspension bolts at the equalizer to see if they were wet bolts, if not I was going to insist they be changed to wet bolts before we purchased. I didn't check the spring ends at the hangers and was later disappointed when I greased the suspension that the spring ends were not wet bolts.
    I went through our Imagine 2950RL and changed them all to wet bolts, I didn't want to have to do that with our Solitude. I saw a post by someone that I think had a 2017 and had a spring shackle plate break out. I want to eventually upgrade our Solitude to HD spring shackles and can install the spring end wet bolts at the frame hangers at the same time.

    Now I have to fool around and jack up the frame, drop the RV axles just enough with a floor jack to get the spring eye clear of the frame hanger and install wet bolts at the hangers. Its just something I didn't want to have to do.
    A lot of customers must not care, that's the only explanation that I can give. How much more does a wet bolt cost than a standard one? $1? 5? I don't actually know, but I'd bet on a 50-100K purchase, it works out to FAR less than .5% of the purchase price, probably more like .01%.

    In the tractor/heavy equipment market, people care a lot. I've bought and NOT bought things because of grease points because, no grease means things WILL wear out faster. Yes, there are bushings that last a long time without grease, but.. Nothing lasts like a greased point, which is why, as you move higher and higher up the chain, more and more zerks appear. Look a high end commercial lawn mower (like a Ferris) vs a "big box" low end mower. You'll find dozens of grease points on the commercial mower and maybe 2-3 on the residential one. It's all about durability and longevity, something I care about a lot on my machines and yes, a lot about on my RV. So, bring on the zerks, it's cheap/easy insurance, things move better/easier on grease than on bushings and, of course, things last longer when they are "wet".

    Honestly, in the RV market, a lot of it might be that many owners don't do any maintenance at all. So, put in a nylon bushing that'll last 10K miles rather than a metal on metal greased fitting that will last 100K miles IF GREASED or 2K miles if left dry. If most owners aren't gonna grease them, well, even though it lasts a lot less time than a maintained wet fitting, it equally lasts a LOT longer than a "dry wet" fitting (no grease). I happen to own and work on tractors regularly, so I'm used to greasing and have all the right tools to make it easy to do. I suspect a lot of RV owners have never held a grease gun, let along have 45 degree double articulating offset fittings (which, I didn't have either until the 351M came along!) and racks filled with grease tubes. I actually have 5 grease guns at home, battery, air, manual, different greases, every one of them with lock and lube fittings on them to make it real easy to use.. Again, something I have a feeling is completely out of the norm for an RV owner. I go through 20-30 tubes of grease a year, just to give some idea, and I'm not even "that much". I've got friends with farms who buy grease in 55 gallon drums!

  8. #18
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Txfivver View Post
    Great job Steve, man I wish I had the time for these projects but still working full time makes it tough, I enjoy getting my hands greasy I'm getting my Solitude's bearings repacked and wet bolts greased in two weeks at a local RV repair facility that has great reviews online. I'll try to get pics of their condition and post.
    Glad you found an RV repair facility you trust, that is really important. I would pay to have my mine done if reasonable enough and if I trusted them to do the job right, I don't like the thought of paying for something I can do myself but I'm getting to the point I just cant do it anymore. The last time I had the dealership repack the bearings on the Imagine they screwed it up and I had no brakes after leaving the facility. The idiots backed off the adjusters to get the drums off easily but did not readjust the brakes after they were done. Was going 65 mph down a short exit ramp toward a red stop light when I noticed I had no brakes on the trailer. I did manage to get the rig stopped just short of the intersection standing on the truck brakes., Then at home diagnosing the problem all I had to do was tighten up the adjusters and I had brakes again. Boy the service manager at the dealership got an ear full!

    This time I did the Solitude myself. Took me a couple days to repack the bearings on what should have been a couple hours job when I was younger and more physically fit, but like I said I'm getting to the point I just cant do it anymore. Bad knees, bad back, crawling around in a gravel driveway.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

  9. #19
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    Glad you found an RV repair facility you trust, that is really important. I would pay to have my mine done if reasonable enough and if I trusted them to do the job right
    It really is sad isn't it. And it's a direct byproduct of the "everyone has to go to college" mantra. If it doesn't require college, it's not a "good job" anymore and people take little/no pride in their work. I find this again and again in the "trades", and it's a crying shame, it really is. I know some old plumbers/electricians/carpenters where if you look close at their work, you'll realize "wow, this person has skills far beyond what I have, and that's what I'm paying for". But go to any subdivision going up in any corner of America right now, even with a modicum of knowledge in the field, you'll see 100 things that make you think "why the h*ll did they do this this way". The answer, of course, is because they do not care, it's all about speed you complete the job, not getting the job done well/right. And sadly, that applies all over the place, cars, trucks, tractors and, I'm sure, RV's. It's really sad because the ultra-skilled guy who takes a day to frame up a room because he's making sure everything is "right" will lose the job to the guy who puts the studs in with the X4 side facing the room, but does it in 1/2 the time.

    I do almost all my own work on everything today, I have the time and I have (some of) the skills/tools. But I know the day is coming where I just can't wrestle the parts anymore and I'll have to start farming the work out, and, honestly, the thought terrifies me. Not because of the price, I honestly don't mind the costs IF the job is done well. I'm terrified because I take pride in my work, and I will take the time, when I'm changing the oil, to see "why is that thing over there wet" or "huh, is that rubber hose getting worn" or a million other things that I just don't think a "new" mechanic is going to do. If you saw the guys who do work on my house, you'd think I'm shopping for tradesmen in the nursing home. No, they aren't fast. But my goodness, do they do good work. And they are booked out 12+ months before they can take on more work because, even though you pay more for it, everyone know's "If he does it, then it'll be done right". It just feels like that whole mentality is dying or dead.

  10. #20
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=Overtaxed;273473]A lot of customers must not care, that's the only explanation that I can give. How much more does a wet bolt cost than a standard one? $1? 5? I don't actually know, but I'd bet on a 50-100K purchase, it works out to FAR less than .5% of the purchase price, probably more like .01%.
    snip

    Lets face it, we are a few of the masses. I think the majority of customers don't really know any different. Mostly they probably think an rv is just like their new car or truck, mostly low maintenance, like 10 -15,000 miles between oil changes now days. On percentage fewer people don't do their own maintenance anymore. About once a year trip to the dealer or quick change oil place and they are good to go! Cheaper and less hassle for the fast paced society we have today. On our new 2018 Ram there are few grease fittings and one on the front driveshaft joint and requires a grease needle to service, everything else is permanently lubed, as they say. Then one day an owner gets that bad news, its not just an oil change anymore, the whole suspension is wore out. Time to trade it in for a new one!

    As for the manufacturers, well a penny saved here and there adds up over the 1000s of units they build so its justified in their minds for higher profit. They build for the mass market., They don't counts us informed older and wiser people that know the difference, we are fewer of the masses. We take what they give the masses and make it better.

    I told my wife the other day, you notice how many television commercials are NOT targeted at us anymore? But our ears perk up when we hear words like medicare, health insurance, funeral expenses, silver sneakers.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

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