Installing the Mor/Ryde wet bolt kit

[WaltBennett]

Couldn't figure out how many miles were on our old/new Monty, so I thought this would be a good thing to put on (after we'd put about 4k on it). Picked up the kit online at a bit of a discount. One of the brackets that attach to the rubber block was welded off center, but customer service at Mor/Ryde sent me two new ones (only needed one!) right away. Got to say they're right up there with Lippert in my book.

Finally started installing the kit. Everything's going well so far (Monty's jacked up, one side's wheels & shackles off and Mor/Ryde rubber block removed). The two plastic bushings I've removed didn't look all that bad, but I'm still happy they're gone.

The instructions are a little hard to follow, but I'm getting through them. Basically they tell you to take apart the center shackles and attaching brackets, remove the rubber block, and then assemble the new ones to the rubber block before putting it back into the frame bracket.

This wasn't as difficult as giving a Fiero an oil change, but getting the block's top fixing bolts out on the inside wasn't all that easy. Has anyone installed this kit and followed their instructions completely? Just asking . .

[triumphess]

I will be watching this thread with interest - we just purchased a wet bolt kit here at the rally, and Randy will be installing at some point after we get home. :-)

[WaltBennett]

Beginning to think maybe changing the oil in a Fiero is easier after all! Went with following the instructions for the first (door) side and finished the equalizer (center) part today. Removing the shackles, mounts & rubber block equalizer wasn't terribly difficult, but the top two block fixing bolts on the inside are hard to get to. Assembly of the new mounts to the block was easy. Putting the block back into it's mount had the same problem with those two top inside bolts. Directions say to use a socket, but I can't figure out who sells one that'd fit in there. What helped was that once the nut & bolt was snug, you can torque the nut without having to hold the bolt. What got to be really fun was getting the shackles w/wetbolts into the bushings and snugged up. The directions just say to raise and lower the axle - they say nothing about how you've also got to move things around by playing with one axle to align the other. Finally got that part done and started to swap out the front (as per instructions) bushing & bolt. This is where it gets really interesting. Once again, the instructions just say to lower & raise the axle. Once lowered to punch out the old plastic & press in the new bushing, when I raised the axle, the shackle changed it's orientation so the other spring end no longer lined up. If I lower it all the way, the shackle straightens up, but raising it has it rotating and pulling the other end away from the bracket. This is not something that I can pry to where it's supposed to be either. Giving up for tonight - tomorrow I might try a come along hooked to something solid.

[Overlord]

If I remember right, I used a come-along to control the distance between the axles and a jack under each axle to adjust the height to get the bolt holes to line up.

[WaltBennett]

Success on one side!!!! The come-along did the trick, just like Overlord said. Didn't need a lot of tension, but my 69 1/2 year old body couldn't provide enough by itself.

For triumphess; what I've seen as minimum needed so far (curb side only) has been the following: 4 ea. 3 ton tall jack stands w/some cribbing 4"x4", two jacks (or one with another jack stand or two for the axles), open end and box end wrenches, sockets, torque wrench, pry bar, 8" bearing/wheel puller, grease gun and the magic Harbor Freight come-along. I also took two of the old bolts and ground off the gnarly part. One I also ground off the threaded part to make a guide pin, the other I used to set the new bushings while pushing out the old plastic. Tomorrow I'll start working on the street side, but since there's no step box there and I'm past the learning curve, this should go easier.

[WaltBennett]

Finally had time to finish the last bolt and get the Monty off the jack stands. The whole job is more than one day, but probably could be done in two except I had too many other things to take care of. Triumphess - be sure to push the end bolts out with a bearing/wheel puller so the new ones will have metal to grip with their splines & not spin. It doesn't matter with the old shackle bolts as you'll be replacing the shackle links. I also pressed the new ones in with the puller & a socket over the zerk. I had very little alignment difficulty with the last eye bolt, probably because everything else was installed and the axles were mostly where they were supposed to be. One thing I was uncomfortable with was the instruction photo showing a floor jack lifting an axle from the middle. I lifted one side at a time on the U bolt, not the axle tube. That could have been why I had the alignment issues, but I think that's a whole lot better than a bent axle and the come-along took care of that just fine.

[Overlord]

Also of note:

Sometimes when pressing the bronze bushings into the leaf spring eye holes, it will compress or deform the bushing's inner diameter so that the shoulder bolt will not slip in the bushing easily. It is a good idea to have a .500" or .501" dia., 6-flute reamer on hand to re-size the bushing I.D. so the shoulder bolt is a slip fit, it makes installing the bolts in the spring eye bushings a whole lot easier.

Other than the "not so rare" shoulder bolts that are not drilled all of the way through, I believe that a lot of the shoulder bolt zerks that won't take grease, or are hard to grease are caused by the fact that the bushings are not a slip fit to the bolts because of this deformation of the bronze bushing.

[WaltBennett]

Never had that issue. They slipped in very nicely once I got everything aligned. I agree with your second point though, and I checked them by pumping a partial stroke before putting them in. I've had new equipment in the past that would have a defective zerk or two on occasion.

[Papafish]

Hi all. Are these wet bolt kits your talking about the same ones found on amazon for $134.66 MOR/ryde LRE tandem? Very interesting discussion, keep feeding us newbees this great info. Steve

[WaltBennett]

That's where I bought mine. Make certain you order the correct kit for what you've got. Ours was the LRE suspension.

[Papafish]

Thanks, I'm sure that's what I have on our 2010 3400. Thanks again for the help, always looking for new stuff to do. Steve

[Exnavydiver]

I have done 3 sets of wet bolt conversions and never had to remove the rubber spring. In each case we just removed the shackles from the rubber spring and added the new Z-bracket and continued with the job. n our first try we took 3 hrs on the first side and about an hour and a half on the second side. After that it was usually between an hour and a half per side. I can't believe they wrote instructions to pull the rubber springs out.

[WaltBennett]

The factory instructions have you remove it, assemble the new brackets to it and then put it back with new bolts. It goes together easily enough and you get a chance to take a good look for any of those nasty cracks.

[Exnavydiver]

Mine had a bunch of nasty cracks and they were deep, that is why I got new ones at the rally and I had them installed at D&T.

[WaltBennett]

The curb side of ours was almost like new, but there were some small (~1/16") on the street side. Now that I know where they are, I'll be able to check on them every now and again.

[Exnavydiver]

Mine were full width and an inch deep, Gary from Morryde came over and looked at them and said" yup they are done" but they did give me the replacements at cost.

[triumphess]

Walt -- Thanks for being so detailed with your info! I've printed out the whole thread for Randy to use as a reference when he starts our install!

[WaltBennett]

You are welcome!

[barryn]

Wet Bolt upgrade kit for 2015 Montana 3720 LRE 4100 Correct Track Suspension MORryde. This has the longer bolt for the correct track plate. LRE 12-016 Wet Bolt Upgrade Kit Tandem. Average $189.00 Just remember be safe installing these. Hook your truck up to the 5th wheel.