Shackles are too Shook up...

SmokeyBare

Well-known member
Have you looked at your Shackles lately?

Might be a good time to consider taking a look...

You'll haul with a little more peace of mind knowing !


 

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jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Mor-ryde IS system does not use springs and shackles. No more shackle problems cause we are "shackless"LOL
 

Tom of Ypsi

Well-known member
Marv,

Thanks for the info and glad to see you found out before major problems happened. I do check mine periodically since I had problems with mine way back in 06 right after my warranty was up. Heartland made good but the dealer was another story. Good time to check out everything is when you check air pressure or washing the tires and wheels.
 

leftyf

SSG Stumpy-VA Terrorist
Have you looked at your Shackles lately?

Might be a good time to consider taking a look...

You'll haul with a little more peace of mind knowing !

D*mn dood...I'm going to check mine out...and the wheels haven't been on the road yet.
 

SmokeyBare

Well-known member
Lefty,

Maybe its a good time to look at a "Wet Kit"

They have Thicker/stronger Shackles... Bronze Bushings.... and Bolts with Zerk fittings...
 

leftyf

SSG Stumpy-VA Terrorist
Lefty,

Maybe its a good time to look at a "Wet Kit"

They have Thicker/stronger Shackles... Bronze Bushings.... and Bolts with Zerk fittings...

The next stop for this thing is a MOr-Ryde upgrade, and hydraulic jacks. But, after seeing some of the undercarriage photos here...I'd be looking into an upgrade too.

Bubba, unless you been going cross-country, that rigging should not be broken.
 

nscaler2

Well-known member
us too

Mor-ryde IS system does not use springs and shackles. No more shackle problems cause we are "shackless"LOL
Jim we did the same thing to our 3055RL. Saw too many pictures and reports of Chinese springs and shackles doing just what happened to the OP in the post above. They cost big money especially along with the disk brakes but the peace of mind and improved ride and performance are well worth it.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Lefty,

Maybe its a good time to look at a "Wet Kit"

They have Thicker/stronger Shackles... Bronze Bushings.... and Bolts with Zerk fittings...
Marv, Is there a "kit" available? I haven't taken the time to look for a supplier but maybe you or someone has a link? I've been thinking about it for a while and I check my springs and shackles before every trip but a wet kit may make life easier. I've heard though that they may/could attract road grit and cause problems that way too??? It would have to be better than dried out rusted worn shackles though.
 

SmokeyBare

Well-known member
Ray,

What I know is... (Ain't Much) The wet kit included the stronger shackles... and Bronze Bushings that the bolt moves with and lastly a bolt that has a grease fitting to lubricate the moving parts...

The kit I've ordered through Mor-Ryde... is not here yet... so when it shows up I will update this info.

Link: http://www.morryde.com/

Mor-Ryde Phone Number: Phone: 574-293-1581

Mor-Ryde address: MOR/ryde® International
1966 Moyer Avenue P.O. Box 579
Elkhart, Indiana 46515-0579

I've had one installed on our old Fifth Wheel... In my view they don't cause more problems they cause less... the bronze bushing is stronger and takes far more punishment than the plastic sleeve does... the thicker shackles take more abuse as well... and should last far longer... the grease-able bolt puts the lubrication to the moving parts... just as a King Pin on some truck suspension systems need grease... I feel the moving bolt on the spring ends do as well. It's the bolt against the bronze bushing that takes the grease...

I'll post photos when they come in...

Marv

PS: the reason for this post was to give a heads up on the need to check the shackles from time to time....
 

Fordsd250

Well-known member
As I recall, it was Thanksgiving Day 2007 and we were on our way home from Gatlinburg, Tn. We stoped at the Flying J at Fairview, TN for fuel and lunch. I fueled up, pulled over to the RV parking and began my visual check while the DW made lunch. Thats when I noticed the tires on the door side were really close to each other. I looked under the 5er and spotted the samething the pictures above shows.:eek: The shackels had ripped out and allowed the end of the spring to rest on the frame. Well its a major holiday and nothing in this area is opened, so what to do:confused: but try to limp home the remainding 250 miles.
Well we made it, and the next Monday I went to a Dexter dealer and got the heavy duty wet kit to get this thing ready for our December trip. After the first of the year I ordered the E-Z Flex system from Dexter and now have a much smother ride and no worries with the shakles. I always check them when we stop and keep them lubed.
 

sharmulst

member
Roger
We too had to replace the shackles on our BH3500 2006. This was done in November of '08. Had to have it done at an RV park in Lytle Creek, CA. They were broken on the drivers side and the holes elongated on the door side. Feel very fortunate that we did no damage to the coach.
My question is how often do you lube them. They are checked before each move and we now have about 3000 miles on the 5 er since they were changed.
Steve and Sharon
 

SmokeyBare

Well-known member
Ole' Smokey Mumbles to Lefty...

" ponderin why all these LandMark folks are checkin out us BigHorn folks down
here???... Do ya think there lonely ? Maybe they ain't got any problems and
come down here to feel the Pain of us the common folks?? Hard to figure..... "

:rolleyes:
 

kakampers

Past Heartland Ambassador
Tell me that isn't the Trail-Air Equal-Flex system I'm looking at. :eek:

Doesn't look anything like my Trail-Air Equa-flex...it's on an 07', I'd say it's got to be the Mor-ryde RE system that they used to use...am I right guys??:confused:
 

SmokeyBare

Well-known member
Ken,

I have a Mor-Ryde Rubber Equalizer System on our BigHorn.

Link:
http://www.morryde.com/php/products/suspensions/towables/RE.php

The Shackles are replaced... not a Wet Kit I was hoping for... but it'll do till I get those parts and get them installed on the RV.

I have Dexter Axles on our RV as well... they sell a Wet Kit upgrade for their product.

Link to Dexter's Wet Kit:
http://dexteraxle.com/inc/searchresults?s=K71-358-00&ss=K71-358-00&n=243858

On my Mor-Ryde RE System... there is also brackets that attach to the Rubber Equalizer to the Shackles on the Springs... those parts can wear as well...

If anyone is considering doing this Repair... be sure to inspect all those parts before tearing things apart. I'm not sure if those brackets I mentioned that attach the shackles and the Rubber Equalizer together... are ONLY Mor-Ryde parts... or if they can be bought other places.

Marv
 

Pulltab

Well-known member
I just glanced at mine and will be pulling one off, it does look suspicious as if the holes are drilled closer to the end of the shackle on one end!
 
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