My Never Fail Bushings - Failed.

[brianharrison]

As you know I upgraded my suspension last year (July) and installed the Never Fall bushings. Link to thread here.

I took it back this year for a tune up and inspection of the never fail bushings. Unfortunately, the Never Fail bushings have failed. The bushing has deformed in the spring eye holes, creating excess movement in the knurled bolts, failing the knurles, allowing the bolt to turn and elongate the shackle holes. Pretty well all Never Fail bushings showed deformation and wear, creating large clearances.

Some of the particulars on my installation.

• Landmark Grand Canyon, 14,500 loaded, 3,000 pin, 11,500 on axles. 7000#axles,
• Approximately 6,000 miles since installation,
• New hardware last year, knurled hardware, shackles, springs, never fail bushings,

I have switched to a heavy duty wet bolt shackle kit (Dexter). My thoughts are the brass bushings will be stronger and not deform in the spring eyes - albeit I will have to go back to greasing every year.

Here are some pics. If anyone has any questions, I will try to answer over the next week or so - I am travelling out of country for a while and will be back online after the long weekend.

Front ODS spring fixed end.

Front DS shackle end

DS shackles – note the spring eye ends bushings are failed. The EX-Flex bushings are OK. Note the failed knurled bolt was turning in shackle (no knurls left and had elongated the shackle hole).


Close up of DS front shackle – failed neverfail in spring eye. Notice failed knurled harware has turned in shackle elongating the shackle hole.

Close up pick of knurled hardware failed.

ODS shackles – failed in same spring eye locations.

ODS front shackle close up.

Replacement heavy duty wet bolt shackle kit with brass bushings.

 

[danemayer]

Ouch!

 

[jimtoo]

That is not something I wanted to see Brian. I was thinking about installing them on my unit.
Thanks for the pictures.

Jim M

 

[Vtxkid]

Wow, I know they sold a lot of those Never fail kits at the national rally last June including myself. Personally , I haven't installed them yet but now I'm wondering if anybody else is having this issue.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC

 

[Birchwood]

I douse my springs and shackles with so much Fluid Film I dare them to wear.

 

[mobilcastle]

I just put them in-I hope that doesn't happen. I installed brass bushings with wet bolts on my last 5ver SOB and they would not take grease after several months. I had to loosen them to get grease in-what a PIA-I thought these were the answer!

 

[mobilcastle]

Maybe it is time to look at Mor/Ryde IS and dump the springs, shackles and all. Anyone know the cost of that conversion?

 

[JohnDar]

I bought a set last year but haven't gotten around to installing them. Maybe I won't bother.

 

[danemayer]

Brian,

Have you contacted Mobile Outfitters/Lippert about the failure? I'll bet they'd like to do failure analysis on them - maybe they'd even reimburse you for the purchase cost of the neverfails as well as cost of changing over to the Dexter parts in return for getting them back.

 

[mrcomer]

I would be very interested in hearing what Mobile Outfitters has to say as I had some installed in June also. Not what I wanted to hear. Hope that this is an isolated incident but I suspect not.

mark

 

[jbeletti]

I would be very interested in hearing what Mobile Outfitters has to say as I had some installed in June also. Not what I wanted to hear. Hope that this is an isolated incident but I suspect not.

mark

I just passed this thread to Sonny at Mobile Outfitters.

 

[Garypowell]

Mine are showing up Tuesday and I will probably still install them but might watch them closer.

Brian. Have you thought this through now that the shock is over.....or less. Are there any extenuating circumstances?

frankly I am not sure how long these bushings have been on the market? If they have been on the market for 5 years and this is the first reported failure then that is a whole different story....

But sorry that this has happened to you!

 

[brianharrison]

Thanks Jim, for the contact at Mobile Outfitters - I planned on searching out a contact today. I have the bushings and hardware - marked and ordered as to where they were installed.

Gary - I am not aware of any extenuating circumstances.

Brian

 

[TravelTiger]

Brian, so sorry this happened!

It makes me wonder about parts surrounding the bushings....

Can you tell us what brand of springs and equalizers you are using? Do these parts, which are attached to the failed shackles, play a part in this, I'm wondering?

What is your spring hanger spacing?




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[nscaler2]

Maybe it is time to look at Mor/Ryde IS and dump the springs, shackles and all. Anyone know the cost of that conversion?

Steve,
You bet. Had Mor/Ryde IS installed 5 years ago along with the hydraulic disc brakes. Well worth it. At that time the package was around $5000. I know it is a lot but the peace of mind is worth it. They ride and tow much better. I don't know what it would cost for just the suspension mod without the brakes. All I can say is look at the size of the springs that they put under these 5th wheels and compare them to the size of the springs in the back of your truck. By comparison the trailer springs look spindly and weak and they have to handle more weight than the truck. I know trailer manufacturers have been doing it like this for years, but that doesn't make it right. Haven't had any problems with the Mor/Ryde suspension. Best thing I ever did for our 5th wheel.

 

[cookie]

I hate to hear that the Never Fail bushings failed. I have a set that I planned to install next week.
I changed my springs last fall and my bronze bushings were all cracked. I guess there is no perfect bushing.
As to the knurling on the wet bolts, it has been my observation that when the shackle bolts are installed, it is done incorrectly. The installer will use an impact wrench on the nuts hoping that it will pull the knurled bolt into position. It works about half the time and that is wrong. What it tends to do is spin the bolt into place destroying the knurling and enlarging the hole in the shackle. I have seen it many times.
A wrench on both the bolt and nut is the correct way to install.

Peace
Dave

 

[brianharrison]

Dave I agree with your insight on proper installation of the knurled hardware. In that regard, the installation last year was performed by a 20 year trailer/suspension tech at a very reputable shop (http://www.standens.comStandens here in Calgary). I worked along side the tech and made sure the installation was done with best practices. I can personally guarantee the knurled bolts were sucked up with a box end on the bolt head and a proper tightening of the bolt, to just land the bolt head against the hanger.

Brian

 

[GOTTOYS]

Dave I agree with your insight on proper installation of the knurled hardware. In that regard, the installation last year was performed by a 20 year trailer/suspension tech at a very reputable shop (http://www.standens.comStandens here in Calgary). I worked along side the tech and made sure the installation was done with best practices. I can personally guarantee the knurled bolts were sucked up with a box end on the bolt head and a proper tightening of the bolt, to just land the bolt head against the hanger.

Brian

It's my understanding that a ball joint press which is nothing more than a heavy duty c-clamp should be used to press the knurled part of the bolt into place before the nut goes on. I bought such a tool and just gave it to my Son-In-Law as I ended paying someone to install mine. No idea how they seated the bolts...Don

 

[wdk450]

Steve,
You bet. Had Mor/Ryde IS installed 5 years ago along with the hydraulic disc brakes. Well worth it. At that time the package was around $5000. I know it is a lot but the peace of mind is worth it. They ride and tow much better. I don't know what it would cost for just the suspension mod without the brakes. All I can say is look at the size of the springs that they put under these 5th wheels and compare them to the size of the springs in the back of your truck. By comparison the trailer springs look spindly and weak and they have to handle more weight than the truck. I know trailer manufacturers have been doing it like this for years, but that doesn't make it right. Haven't had any problems with the Mor/Ryde suspension. Best thing I ever did for our 5th wheel.

Tom:
It's good to have a 5 year report on the MorRyde IS. I think my biggest mistake in my ownership of the Bighorn was not taking advantage of the IS rally special this June when I was in Elkhart/Goshen. I DID get the disk brakes installed there.
I have heard that after about 4-5 years the IS systems need new rubber flex "springs" installed. Is that true?

 

[jnbhobe]

Maybe it is time to look at Mor/Ryde IS and dump the springs, shackles and all. Anyone know the cost of that conversion?

I put on IS before Goshen the cost was around $2500. I did my own disc brakes, I think they are about $2500 also.