Landmark 365 Dexter EZ-Flex Suspension

oldelmer1 · Mar 24, 2017

On my 2016 Landmark Orlando, I have the Dexter EZ-Flex Suspension. I've noticed that if I use the Level Up to lift the tires off the ground, sometimes the springs and shackles at the EZ-Flex flip down. When I lower the tires back down, the springs and shackles are still down instead of the spring being in the up position.

I always fight to get them back.

Do I have to make them go back to spring up, or will they do it automatically as I go down the road?

Thanks,
Tom

Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn · Mar 24, 2017

They won't go back up automatically.
That's odd that that's happening. I lift mine all the time and it doesn't happen to mine.

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danemayer · Mar 24, 2017

As you lift the wheels off the ground, there's enough axle movement that the shackles can move to a horizontal position. At that point they can be flipped most easily. When you lift the rig, you need to keep an eye on the shackles and not go any further than necessary.

And I agree with Jerrod. They won't flip back while going down the road. But you might cause abnormal tire wear if you don't flip them back.

dlw930 · Mar 24, 2017

I've lifted my wheels off the ground using Level Up numerous times for maintenance, new tires, etc. and have never had a shackle flip. If the spring end does flip down, you might be able to flip it up by putting a jack under the axle as close to the axle end as possible and slowly raise the axle until the shackle flips up. I would only do this with the tires and wheels removed to avoid damaging the axle. I use jacks to raise the axle and take load off the shackles for removal or maintenance.

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SLO · Mar 25, 2017

Just happen to me this last weekend, while installing my disc brakes. Raised the tires off the ground with level up jacks, then put a blocks under the tires for the axle that had not flipped down. Lowered jacks and all was back in order. Worked for me.

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WillyBill · Mar 29, 2017

IMHO...Odds are something is worn. Either spring eye bushings, shackles, eye bolts, equalizers, or even a weak spring pack. I strongly suggest a thorough inspection with maybe some disassembly of the one(s) that are flipping. My bet is spring eye bushings or the rubbers or bushings on the Easy-Flex equalizers. Generally the "flipping" is an early indicator of something not quite right.

Good Luck,
WB

oldelmer1 · Mar 29, 2017

WillyBill said:
IMHO...Odds are something is worn. Either spring eye bushings, shackles, eye bolts, equalizers, or even a weak spring pack. I strongly suggest a thorough inspection with maybe some disassembly of the one(s) that are flipping. My bet is spring eye bushings or the rubbers or bushings on the Easy-Flex equalizers. Generally the "flipping" is an early indicator of something not quite right.

Good Luck,
WB

The unit is only a year old, I would hope nothing is worn out,but I guess you never know.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Ldo · Mar 29, 2017

I'm not sure lifting your wheels off the ground with the level up system is a good idea. Don't think they were intended for that function. Ldo

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danemayer · Mar 29, 2017

I think it was at the 2013 Goshen Rally that the Lippert engineer was asked about how to jack the trailer up to change a tire. After he said to always lift by the frame, he made a point of saying that those of us with the levelup system didn't have to worry about that because we could raise the tires off the ground with the levelup. But I don't think he got corporate approval to say that.

Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn · Mar 29, 2017

Lifting the RV with 6 hydraulic rams is by far a better and safer way, then using a bottle jack. And better on the frame.
Hands down !!!!

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dlw930 · Mar 29, 2017

I agree with Jerrod. Lifting from 3 points per side of your the frame using the level up jacks is much easier and safer than lifting from a single point on the frame using a bottle jack. The point load on the frame I beam will be roughly 1/3 the load using a bottle jack.

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kdubinwa · Mar 30, 2017

SLO said:
Just happen to me this last weekend, while installing my disc brakes. Raised the tires off the ground with level up jacks, then put a blocks under the tires for the axle that had not flipped down. Lowered jacks and all was back in order. Worked for me.

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Same here. When swapping in disc brakes a couple months back on my 2016 3160E and I noticed that my front axle was rotated slightly so both calipers on one side were not lined up at 3 o'clock Looked up and saw the shackles were aligned differently on the two spring hangers and that was preventing the front axle from dropping all the way down and rotating into position.

Can you tell me more about how you "persuaded" the unflipped-shackle axle to flip? Other than placing boards under the tires and lowering did you have to do anything else? I must have raised and lowered my tires 10 times working it out last time and not really sure what combination set things straight.

Kurt

Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn · Mar 30, 2017

Kurt
Hopefully you have Level-up. Raise the entire RV up off the ground and then use a floor jack to jack up the 1 axle that needs to flip back up .

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oldelmer1 · Mar 30, 2017

I didn't have a floor jack as I am at a campground, so the only thing i had handy was an old army shovel(one that folds up). So I raised the camper up, put the shovel handle under the EZ FLEX on the opposite axle and had DW tap the down button and it flipped the spring back into position.

I guess you could use a board under the EX Flex too, as long as its the right length.

SLO · Mar 30, 2017

kdubinwa said:
Same here. When swapping in disc brakes a couple months back on my 2016 3160E and I noticed that my front axle was rotated slightly so both calipers on one side were not lined up at 3 o'clock Looked up and saw the shackles were aligned differently on the two spring hangers and that was preventing the front axle from dropping all the way down and rotating into position.

Can you tell me more about how you "persuaded" the unflipped-shackle axle to flip? Other than placing boards under the tires and lowering did you have to do anything else? I must have raised and lowered my tires 10 times working it out last time and not really sure what combination set things straight.

Kurt

In my case the front axle shackles were in the correct position and the rear axle shackle had flipped. So with the wheels on the ground the the equalizer was tilted down towards the front of the trailer. My reasoning was I needed to get the equalizer more level or in a tilted up position (in relation to the front of the trailer) so the rear shackle had room to rotate into the correct position. By putting blocks under the front tires on both sides (in my case one 2 x 8 each side worked) the front axle tires contacted the ground first. This caused the equalizer to tilt up before the rear tires contacted the ground, giving room for the shackles to flip back into the correct position. If the front axles was the one that had flipped into the wrong position the the process would be reversed. Thicker blocks way me needed as well. I tried several times to flip the shackles back into the correct position by raising and lowering the tires off the ground, which didn't work. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This was all done using level-up.

kdubinwa · Mar 30, 2017

jesstalkn said:
Kurt
Hopefully you have Level-up. Raise the entire RV up off the ground and then use a floor jack to jack up the 1 axle that needs to flip back up .

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I did use the Level-up to get things aligned, but the trick using blocking would have saved me some time and hair on my head.

TravelTiger · Mar 31, 2017

We had a shackle flip on a trip. I think I did it when I was manually leveling the coach without unhooking from the truck and accidentally raised the trailer too high. I know it took us about an hour to get it figured out and flipped back, I think we used some blocking under the tires and a bottle jack under the spring eye, along with the level up, to coax it back.

I remember "googling" how to fix a flipped shackle, which helped also.

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oldelmer1 · Mar 31, 2017

Hmm, seems that I see a pattern of just rear axles flipping.

The rear is the one that flipped on me too.

Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn · Mar 31, 2017

I was just greasing my suspension and had the right rear bolt not taking grease. So I powered on the Level-up and raised the entire RV off the ground. Of course after doing that the bolt took the grease no problem.
But I was looking at my equalizer and shackles, and they aren't even close to being able to flip.
That's odd that so many people have had them flip. I guess if you were on unlevel ground and 1 axle was higher than the other when you lifted it I could see it happening.
Just odd 🤔

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jgbagwell · Mar 31, 2017

When I've parked the trailer for storage, I first use the auto level. After that, I lift front, then lift the rear. Alternating every 1 degree of deviation.
I have had instances when I lifted the trailer high enough for the tires not to touch the ground. There have been times when lowering the trailer so the tires contact the ground, the shackles violently flip back with a loud bang. Other times no noise and the shackles are up.
My trailer has less than 3,000 miles in 4 months; and I purchased it 5 months ago.
Nothing is worn and the tru-tracks are lubed. Just the nature of the beast for me.

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