Secont bad Magnet

[Illini Trekker]

The 5er is 4 months old and just changed out the second magnet. This may help some of the Monte owners with Dexter axles; the magnet wires are rubbing what Dexter calls the actuating lever until the wires short out. The Prodigy will show OP, or SH errors. Called Dexter to inform them of the problem and ask for there fix. After some discussion, we both came up with wrap the wire with some of that slinky like stuff, and try to get some clearance for the wire. Hope this may help some of you to save us time and money with dealer’s costly repairs.

[Charlie]

Thanks for the warning, have had one to fail already, hope more failures are not hiding down the road somewhere.

[jackw87]

I have had iit happen twice now but this time i did notice that the wheel thait has happened on the clips that hold the wire to the control arm has the wire on the out side of the arm and the other three wheels the clips hold the wire behind the control arm if this helps

[mazeeff]

How hard is it to pull the wheel hub to inspect the magnets?

[drhowell]

It isn't hard but it does require removing the hub and bearings. Just keep them clean and find someone that knows how to set the bearing preload when it goes back together.

If you go to the Dexter web page they have a manual that gives step by step instructions and maintenance tips. You can download it.

[Montana_2785]

quote:Originally posted by drhowell

It isn't hard but it does require removing the hub and bearings. Just keep them clean and find someone that knows how to set the bearing preload when it goes back together.

If you go to the Dexter web page they have a manual that gives step by step instructions and maintenance tips. You can download it.

Agreed that it is easy, but messy. The bearing preload is also really easy. The Dexter manual spells it out in good detail. The hardest thing I've found on these easy lube axles is that the cotter pin that keeps the castle nut from spinning off has to be put into a pin hole that is off center on the spindle. You have to bend the cotter pin as you remove and re-insert. That makes it harder to deal with. Make sure you have new cotter pins for re-assembly...

If I EVER have the choice of regular hubs or easylube hubs, I'll go with the regular hubs every time. The "easylube" hubs are a pain in the elsewhere

Eric

[Illini Trekker]

Jackw87 my bad magnets were both wore through showing copper between the first clip and the magnet. But both were wrapped over the arm and then clipped to the back side of the arm. Using the wire cover, I hope to stop the wear. If someone does find wear to the wire, you could use some of that shrink-wrap to coat the bare spot.

I removed all the hubs that took about an hour each to wire brush, clean the spindle, cover the wire, and repack the bearings. I need to read Dexter’s steps but I have always counted the thread past the nut on the spindle and replaced the nut to that thread count. Dexter did not use a cotter key on my spindle they use what I would call a crown that fits over the nut to hold it in place, I might prefer the pin type keeper?

[mazeeff]

quote:Originally posted by labarnas

Jackw87 my bad magnets were both wore through showing copper between the first clip and the magnet. But both were wrapped over the arm and then clipped to the back side of the arm. Using the wire cover, I hope to stop the wear. If someone does find wear to the wire, you could use some of that shrink-wrap to coat the bare spot.

I removed all the hubs that took about an hour each to wire brush, clean the spindle, cover the wire, and repack the bearings. I need to read Dexter’s steps but I have always counted the thread past the nut on the spindle and replaced the nut to that thread count. Dexter did not use a cotter key on my spindle they use what I would call a crown that fits over the nut to hold it in place, I might prefer the pin type keeper?

What would cause the magnets to wear down. I would have thought that a shorted wire would have caused the magnets to not energize!

[Illini Trekker]

Mike when I say wore I was meaning wore through the two wires coming from the magnets. The wire broke over the actuating lever and simply wore through the coating on the wires causing the short.

[mazeeff]

quote:Originally posted by labarnas

Mike when I say wore I was meaning wore through the two wires coming from the magnets. The wire broke over the actuating lever and simply wore through the coating on the wires causing the short.

OK. I understand now. What is interesting is that the magnets also have copper wound cores inside them, and if they wear down, it exposes the wire core, and it can short out as well.