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  1. #11
    Site Sponsor Richter's Avatar
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    Mar 2018
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    I’m just starting to look into this. Our trailer is 18 months old and we’ve put about 8,000 miles on it. We had a couple of wet bolts that would not take grease, and I called the Grand Design service center. They sent me new heavy-duty shackles and enough wet bolts and nuts to replace all, as well a few extras.

    I’m thinking of tackling the project of changing out the shackles myself, but have a couple of questions.

    1. Where do you find the bushings, in case I need to replace them? I have Dexter axles.

    2. Anything that I need to be aware of, other than don’t jack the trailer directly by the axle?

    It this looks like something beyond my capabilities, I may hire it out, but I’m not sure where to go for the work. My dealer is 2 hours away, and way expensive (as well as a long waiting list) so I probably won’t go there.

    Thanks, in advance,
    Tom and Janice (known as Tom in PGH on the “other” forum)

    First came the 18' Comfort bumper-pull, was great for 20 years.
    Now a 2019 Reflection 303RLS, second air, double glass, table and chairs
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  2. #12
    Rolling Along
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
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    Worland, Wyoming
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    The bushing are a standard item, you can get them on E trailer.com or ebay or amazon. Your wet bolts will probably be fine, use some locktite on the nuts because they have dimples to self lock and after being used they don't have the self locking ability. I used the hydraulic jacks to get my wheels off the ground, I do two at a time. Use a jack stand under the frame for safety or some wood blocking. Jack up one axle at a time and remove wet bolts and shackles and u bolts, with a jack under the axle so you can lower it and then raise it back up. Remove the leaf spring, find a socket slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the bushing, probably around 5/8 inch and drive out the old bushing. Carefully drive in new bushing, a 9/16 bolt would work well to keep from collapsing the new bushing, I cheated and machined a mandrel on a metal lathe that makes changing the bushings a 5 minute job. Squirt some grease through your wet bolts before reassembling to make sure they will take grease. Put springs back in and loosely place wet bolts and get nuts started. Install u bolts and torque the nuts to 100 ft lbs or close. Piece of cake.
    2023 GMC 3500HD CCLB DRW Duramax L5P, Banks Derringer/Idash/CAI 60 gallon fuel transfer tank
    2018 Solitude 310GK with Kodiak disc brakes 4000 lb Dexter springs, frame stiffeners
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  3. #13
    Seasoned Camper
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
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    Just curious to know if anyone on this or other suspension threads have used the Never Fail spring eye bushings. I used a set on my 2006 Alpenlite 34RL and never had a problem after. Original plastic bushings were shot by 5K.
    2020 Solitude 372WB
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  4. #14
    Long Hauler huntindog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zinman View Post
    Just curious to know if anyone on this or other suspension threads have used the Never Fail spring eye bushings. I used a set on my 2006 Alpenlite 34RL and never had a problem after. Original plastic bushings were shot by 5K.
    I put them on my 2010Sabre. They never gave me any issues. I have had a few sets of the bronze bushings previously. I prefer the Neverfails, and will use them again when the Bronze ones fail.
    2021 398M Full Body Paint 8k axles. LRH tires. Disc brakes.
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  5. #15
    Rolling Along
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    I might try the never fail bushings the next time also. I just got done towing the 310gk 800 miles and when I got home I greased all of the bushings and they all took grease without issue. I pick most of the weight off of the tires with the hydraulic jacks before greasing and it makes the job easier.
    2023 GMC 3500HD CCLB DRW Duramax L5P, Banks Derringer/Idash/CAI 60 gallon fuel transfer tank
    2018 Solitude 310GK with Kodiak disc brakes 4000 lb Dexter springs, frame stiffeners
    RETIRED Maint Supervisor, Certified Welder, ASE Master Tech, Owner tire shop

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