MORryde LRE Suspension

[PSFORD99]

I am in the process of replacing the shear springs on my 2008 3400RL MORryde LRE suspension, they are pretty well shot, have large splits on both sides of the rubber. Way overdue.

Anyone that has replaced these rubber shear springs, was there a noticeable difference in the ride of the fifth wheel. Mine sure seems to bounce a lot more then it used too . Hopefully replacing these rubber shear springs will improve the ride. My leaf springs seem to be in good shape, and still have what seems the same arch they have always had.

[LDMoore06]

I only replaced one side after the first year. Had a blow out with the famous Marathon tires. The repair company jacked my unit by the suspension spring area. Huh. I didn’t notice until during a short trip, I saw a rub. Replaced that spring and of course ride was better. Best I remember it was easy to change with very good instructions.

[PSFORD99]

Originally Posted by LDMoore06

I only replaced one side after the first year. Had a blow out with the famous Marathon tires. The repair company jacked my unit by the suspension spring area. Huh. I didn’t notice until during a short trip, I saw a rub. Replaced that spring and of course ride was better. Best I remember it was easy to change with very good instructions.

Thanks, I have had them pretty much undone when I installed the wet bolt kit, it appears its just a matter of removing the four bolts from each side. I know I have seen instructions for removing them, but I have yet to find it.

Right now that fifth wheel does not ride well, but those shear springs are shot.

[kingdaddy]

I'm thinking mine may be about ready to replace, but haven't really taken a good look to see if there are any splits etc.

Mine is a 2011 so the rubber isn't as old as yours, but environmental conditions and usage play a big part in their longevity too.

I'm planning on adding a shock absorber setup (not sure which one yet) to see if that helps the ride... probably at the same time I swap over to disc brakes.

Nice to hear that the shear spring rubber is not too hard to change out...

I've wondered if something like a Sulastic shackle would help our 5ers ride better...?

[PSFORD99]

Originally Posted by kingdaddy

I'm thinking mine may be about ready to replace, but haven't really taken a good look to see if there are any splits etc.

Mine is a 2011 so the rubber isn't as old as yours, but environmental conditions and usage play a big part in their longevity too.

I'm planning on adding a shock absorber setup (not sure which one yet) to see if that helps the ride... probably at the same time I swap over to disc brakes.

Nice to hear that the shear spring rubber is not too hard to change out...

I've wondered if something like a Sulastic shackle would help our 5ers ride better...?

I have considered shocks also, only issue is I will have to weld some upper brackets for them. Will see how the new shear springs will do, I'm thinking they are most of my issue.

[RayT]

Originally Posted by LDMoore06

I only replaced one side after the first year. Had a blow out with the famous Marathon tires. The repair company jacked my unit by the suspension spring area. Huh. I didn’t notice until during a short trip, I saw a rub. Replaced that spring and of course ride was better. Best I remember it was easy to change with very good instructions.

Larry,

Could you please post a copy of the instructions? I'd like to see what's involved to determine if I want to do this job myself but can't find the instructions online.

TIA

[PSFORD99]

Originally Posted by RayT

Larry,

Could you please post a copy of the instructions? I'd like to see what's involved to determine if I want to do this job myself but can't find the instructions online.

TIA

Same here, I could not find anything other then a parts breakdown of the LRE Suspension. I too was looking for some instructions . It was a little easier then I thought. The top bolts on the shear springs are a little tough to get to. They are a bolt, and nut, so they have to be held to keep from turning to get the nut off. I used a socket with a knuckle on it to get in there to hold the bolt.

The setup ,getting the trailer blocked up safely, getting the tires off etc etc is the most time consuming. I blocked up the trailer with jack stands, then jacked up the axles on the U-bolt, removed the tires ,left the bottle jacks under each axle. Then its just a matter of disconnecting the leaf springs from the shear springs, and removing the four bolts each side of the shear springs, and sliding it out of there.

[Lenny K]

[QUOTE=PSFORD99;1138740]I am in the process of replacing the shear springs on my 2008 3400RL MORryde LRE suspension, they are pretty well shot, have large splits on both sides of the rubber. Way overdue.

How deep were your splits on your rubber? Mine are about 1/2 in which I don't think is serious as they haven't changed in the last few years.

[PSFORD99]

[QUOTE=Lenny K;1138995]

Originally Posted by PSFORD99

I am in the process of replacing the shear springs on my 2008 3400RL MORryde LRE suspension, they are pretty well shot, have large splits on both sides of the rubber. Way overdue.

How deep were your splits on your rubber? Mine are about 1/2 in which I don't think is serious as they haven't changed in the last few years.

According to MORryde , 3/4" deep ,and 3" long. Mine are split the entire width of the rubber both sides of the shear spring, hard to tell how deep, they say use a putty knife, but mine the splits are so wide its kind of hard to tell how deep . Its not a matter of pushing into the split. I would have to put a straight edge across the rubber ,and measure. They are pretty bad.

[twindman]

What exactly are 'shear springs'? Is it the thing that the springs attach to in the middle of the tires?

[PSFORD99]

Originally Posted by twindman

What exactly are 'shear springs'? Is it the thing that the springs attach to in the middle of the tires?

Yes, they are a MORryde product, its the middle attachment between the springs, its a metal bracket with rubber shear springs in them , that the end of the springs attach too.

[rohrmann]

Originally Posted by twindman

What exactly are 'shear springs'? Is it the thing that the springs attach to in the middle of the tires?

These are shear springs used in the MorRyde LRE suspension, new and old. The LRE suspension is really an equalizer between the front and rear leaf springs but it also adds more movement up and down to absorb road imperfections.

[dpam]

I had to have the rubber blocks replaced last year. Actually I had MorRyde send me a free set, because the previous set were toast in 2 years. The shop that replaced the rubber blocks also told me the suspension was worn out, so I had a new suspension put in.

[DanandBrenda]

I had to replace one shear spring on mine last year it tore off of the metal backing. MoRyde sent me a new one overnight. Was going to replace it at the next campground. But on the way shear spring caused the axle to move out of alignment. We had a blow out due to excessive tire wear. Changed the tire on the shoulder of the road and had shear spring replaced at truck repair place in Kingman AZ. bought two new tires in the morning and continued on our way home.

[kingdaddy]

I'm thinking that since mine are at least 8 years old, I'm gonna go ahead and replace them whether they are badly split or not. With the "beating" they take on rough roads, they are probably due to be replaced any way just due to time....

[PSFORD99]

Originally Posted by kingdaddy

I'm thinking that since mine are at least 8 years old, I'm gonna go ahead and replace them whether they are badly split or not. With the "beating" they take on rough roads, they are probably due to be replaced any way just due to time....

Mine will be 12 years old this fall, there is a criteria to check them, they show signs of surface cracks pretty early in their age, but thats okay.

I also found a website with decent prices on them. I found prices anywhere from where I bought them for 77.22 ea to $161 ea. MORryde being middle of the road , can't remember exactly , but like $130 ea. Part # for the 7K axles are 108-020.
I bought from rvautoparts.com.

[kingdaddy]

Originally Posted by PSFORD99

Mine will be 12 years old this fall, there is a criteria to check them, they show signs of surface cracks pretty early in their age, but thats okay.

I also found a website with decent prices on them. I found prices anywhere from where I bought them for 77.22 ea to $161 ea. MORryde being middle of the road , can't remember exactly , but like $130 ea. Part # for the 7K axles are 108-020.
I bought from rvautoparts.com.

Wow...quite a price spread. So our Montana axles are 7k? Or is it model specific...can't remember what mine are.

I have used that website with good results before!

Thanks for the info!

[PSFORD99]

Originally Posted by kingdaddy

Wow...quite a price spread. So our Montana axles are 7k? Or is it model specific...can't remember what mine are.

I have used that website with good results before!

Thanks for the info!

Ya, I don't get that price spread at all. Customer service was great ,I talked to them before ordering, to get reassured of what I was getting. I have them now, and they are what I ordered .

As far as I know most of the Montana's are 7K , older ones were 6K, but I don't believe any are 6K anymore. Even mine being a 2008 is 7K. The shear springs are axle specific . All I have seen is three different numbers for the LRE suspension shear springs. I am assuming for 6,7,8K axles, the middle number 108-020 is for the 7K.

[PSFORD99]

Originally Posted by DanandBrenda

I had to replace one shear spring on mine last year it tore off of the metal backing. MoRyde sent me a new one overnight. Was going to replace it at the next campground. But on the way shear spring caused the axle to move out of alignment. We had a blow out due to excessive tire wear. Changed the tire on the shoulder of the road and had shear spring replaced at truck repair place in Kingman AZ. bought two new tires in the morning and continued on our way home.

Its a wonder anything survives on highway 93, Thats where I had a Sailun tire failure . Its a wonder my shear springs survived , and didn't split entirely in half, although they are split pretty deep both sides of the rubber .

[PSFORD99]

Shear springs are supposed to be axle specific. I am afraid Montana Keystone did not get the memo when they built mine. I have 7K axles, 15500 GVWR, at least thats whats on the sticker on the left front of it.

In the process of replacing the shear springs, called MORryde to get the part # before ordering, gave the info and was told 7K axles take the PT108-020. Well got the left side off this afternoon, and I have shear spring for a 6K axle PT108-016. The # 16 molded into the rubber, curious now what the other side is 16 or 20.

Will give MORryde a call in the morning, but I know what they will tell me, I got the right part for a 7K axle. So Montana messed up somewhere, I know hard to believes isn't it . Either they flat put on the wrong axles 6K, with the right shear springs, or the correct 7K axles with the wrong shear springs. Either way it was built wrong.

I don't know how to tell a 6K axle from a 7k, but I will find out . I will also talk to Montana about ,of course nothing will become of it . On edit ,6K are 6 lug as far as I can tell. I have 8 lug, so it appears Montana had a bunch of 6K shear springs laying around to use up .