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11-16-2016, 06:40 PM #1
Reflection Travel Trailer Suspension Upgrade with Photos.
I received the parts today to upgrade my suspension. I'll get to that in a minute. But first, here are some photos of the stock suspension components. Please note that this trailer has less than 2,000 miles on it.
First is the equalizer. Instead of the Equa-Flex equalizer that most fifth wheels are equipped with, the stock Lippert equalizer is a solid cast piece. You can see from the photo below there is already significant rust and spalling starting. I'm surprised how much rust I'm seeing with this unit only being one month old, and not driven on any salty roads. The amount of spalling was also surprising. I'd be leery to see what it would look like at 20,000+ miles like we had on our 2014 model.
As stated in another post, the Nylon bushings were already worn through, so I won't repeat those photos here. But the photo below shows where the Nylon bushings were located and it also shows that there were no wet bolts installed, even when there were bronze bushings in the spring eyes.
I've always been leery of the thin shackle material that Lippert uses in their suspension. There is a ridiculous amount of play in the Lippert suspension which allows for premature wear. I purchased the MORryde shackle and wet bolt kit from Amazon for $85.44. This kit is used to replace stock 2.25" shackles. There are other sizes available, so if you decide to do this project, make sure you measure first. You can see in the photo below how much beefier the MORryde shackles are. You can also see that it comes with the appropriate wet bolts. Since the bronze bushings in the springs were still in good shape, I did not replace them. The nuts that are provided are one time use torque retaining. However, I don't trust them very much, so I also liberally applied red Loctite to assure that things don't back off going down the highway. I torqued the nuts to 45 ft-lb.
Finally, I replaced the equalizer with a MORryde CRE3000. I first attempted to replace the equalizer with an Equa-Flex that was supplied by Grand Design, but it didn't fit. There are two sizes of the MORryde CRE3000. One is for axle to axle spacing of 33", and the other is for axle to axle spacing of 35". My 2017 297RSTS has the 35" spacing. The price for a two pack of these equalizers was $167.46 on Amazon. An initial inspection of the CRE3000 shows it is well built. It has bronze bushings already installed, so I didn't need to use the ones out of the kit. Now I have a handful of spare bronze bushings if I should ever need them. Here's a pic of the installed equalizer.
Since my pneumatic grease gun decided to die tonight, I'll have to get a new gun tomorrow and grease the wet bolts before I proceed to replacing the brakes and finally installing the metal valve stems in the tires so I can use the new TPMS.
I know it's a lot of work, but by the time I'm done, I'll feel confident when I'm on the highway.
Jim
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11-16-2016, 07:13 PM #2
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Contact Emily Stahley at Lippert, see if she will help you on costs
2018 Freedom Elite 24FE, 2 Yorkies, and my wife MARILYN, HAM call K0LCB. Traveling around this great country, making friends and seeing lot of beautiful and interesting places
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11-16-2016, 07:17 PM #3
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Sweet job Jim.
Mike & Pat Clawson
Marty & Bucky (Welsh Corgis)
2015 Grand Design Reflection 337 RLS #2813
Titan Disc Brakes, Liberty Rider Suspension
2005 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Duramax/Allison
Comfort Ride Hitch, 52 Gallon Titan XXL Fuel Tank, Banks Speed Brake, Firestone Air Lift Bags
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11-16-2016, 07:22 PM #4
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11-17-2016, 03:18 AM #5
Looks good Jim. I don't understand why all RV manufacturers don't use these components or at least something similar. Would an extra $200.00 really negatively effect sales? Personally I would be happy to pay extra for a trailer with bronze bushings, heavier shackles and wet bolts.
Bob2023 Reflection 150 Series 260RD
2022 Ford F350 SRW CC 4X4 Lariat 6.7 camper package, B&W Companion RVK3300
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10-12-2017, 12:58 PM #6
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Hi Guys! New to the Forum and Reflection. Just ordered my new 315 RLTS last Tuesday. I've been reading this thread with a great deal of interest since I'm paying to have the MorRyde heavy duty shackles with wet bolts installed by the dealer before I accept delivery. I had them installed on my previous TT and they held up great so I figured rather than wait until the plastic wears out I would have them done from the get-go. From what everyone is saying it sounds like I made the right decision. I'm hoping that with the bronze bushings in place the equalizers should last quite a while. Thanks for all the great input. I can tell already this will be a great place to get the best advice.
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10-12-2017, 01:05 PM #7
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10-13-2017, 04:51 AM #8
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Hi Jim. Thanks!
Hey this is interesting. Do you know if they also have the wet bolts? Maybe I can stop them before they do the install and save a few bucks.
Ron
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10-13-2017, 09:09 AM #9
Ron - When I looked at new units at the Elkhart rally, I saw the axles, equalizers and shackles. I didn't crawl under and look at the bolts, but now I wish I had. In the past, GDRV has installed wet bolts, but only in five of the seven bolt positions (on each side). I believe the reason was because they would have had to purchase different sized bolts because they used to have the Correct Track system. Another consideration is the bushings. On my 2017, it had bronze bushings on the spring eyes, but cheap plastic bushings on the equalizer. Maybe there is a new owner who's checked out the suspension and can give you the details of how they're built. Another option is for you to contact Bill Martin (Marketing Director) and see if he can give you the details. You can reach Bill at [email protected]
Jim
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10-13-2017, 11:15 AM #10
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Thanks Jim. I contacted my salesman and told him what I found out here and he put a call into the GD Rep. If I find anything out I'll be posting it.
Thanks,
Ron
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