Unbelievable...I just lost a wet bolt.

[Mark N.]

5,000 miles on the trailer, and I lost a wet bolt! I'm VERY lucky I realized it before by next trip. I saw it lying in the street just beyond where I park it. I wonder how difficult it will be to get things aligned and get a new one reinserted? It was badly worn, so the nut obviously fell off some time ago, and it's been wiggling around loose for some time to wear down like that.
Seriously? 5,000 miles of driving and the suspension is falling apart? It OBVIOUSLY wasn't torqued to specs.
This Keystone workmanship crap is starting to wear on me....

[1retired06]

Wow, not good.

[Dam Worker]

Probably the stringent quality control that I saw in their Video prevented it from falling out before your PDI. Actually that sucks and should not be happening. I guess that is one more thing I need to check out.

Tom Marty

[Recumbent]

If you have Level-Up and a come-a-along it should be easy to align the holes and install a new bolt. I have installed 3 new wet bolts on our current Monty at the same right-rear spring hanger location. The forth time that spring hanger broke off of the frame, and I found it dangling while at a rest stop 45 miles from the nearest shop near Dease Lake, Canada in the middle of No-Where. This time it was a grinding and welding job done on site by a professional to install a new spring hanger (he said he keeps spring hangers in stock as that is a typical break down). He used a crowbar to pry the center shackle to align the holes. We are getting MorRyde IS and Disc Brakes installed tomorrow. The problem as you have noted is the wallowing of the hole. I believe the hammering by the spring action causes the hole to grow. If you could replace spring hanger it might save you on additional repair bills as it will not get better.

[Trailer Trash 2]

My sister had wet bolts installed on her Keystone and the were wore out in 2,5 years. the manufacture told to bad its out of warrantee. mine on the other hand are still good. knock on wood.

[jcurtis934]

When I had a shear spring fail, I replaced it myself which amounted to taking stuff apart. I also checked every wet bolt on the trailer with the torque wrench...none off in torque...and lubed them all. Okay I had to put zerks in about 50% of the wet bolts because they weren't there and what was there wasn't but hand tight or should I say finger tight. And about same time that I checked all the ubolts to find them woofully NOT torqued. So check check check is the theme of the day. John

[Mark N.]

quote:Originally posted by jcurtis934

When I had a shear spring fail, I replaced it myself which amounted to taking stuff apart. I also checked every wet bolt on the trailer with the torque wrench...none off in torque...and lubed them all. Okay I had to put zerks in about 50% of the wet bolts because they weren't there and what was there wasn't but hand tight or should I say finger tight. And about same time that I checked all the ubolts to find them woofully NOT torqued. So check check check is the theme of the day. John

Do you happen to remember the torque setting?

[rohrmann]

According to the Dexter installation instructions for the wet bolts, the torque is 30 to 50 ft lbs on the wet bolt nuts, and this is the nut seated against the shoulder of the wet bolt. Dexter also specs the wet bolts to be greased every 3,000 miles and everything on the suspension should be inspected every 6,000 miles.

Also, according to the Dexter axle manual, and I think this applies to the axle assemblies on most of our Montana's, the u-bolt nut torque is 45 to 70 ft lbs, and I think I recall discussion that the torque should be checked and torqued with the trailer down and the axles and springs loaded normally, so the spring curve is flattened out, not with the wheels off the ground. The thinking on the u-bolt nuts not being torqued properly from the factory is the axle/spring assemblies are delivered to Keystone and were torqued with the springs unloaded at the Dexter plant, and when the trailer is built and sitting on the ground with the springs loaded and flattened out, the nuts are then loose already. Seems, Keystone/Montana did not re-torque the u-bolt nuts prior to delivery. Don't know if this has changed.

[Mark N.]

So I went to my dealership today and spoke with my service tech. (Sad that we know each other by first name over a trailer that only has 5,000 miles on it.)I show him the bolt that fell out. It's mangled up on the threads, so I needed a new one. He reaches into his drawer and pulls out a new one! HUH? I told him "I don't even want to know why you happen to have that in your office desk drawer." Go figure...
5,000 miles is so new for suspension parts to be dropping off. Really sad...

[Mark N.]

I just called Keystone and sent them pics. The trailer is out of warranty, but this was clearly someone at Keystone's failure to properly torque a nut. We'll see...

[rohrmann]

I feel your pain, but unfortunately, even with only 5000 miles on your rig, you may only get a sorry, we can't help you. I found out early on, that going over these rigs with a magnifier is a requirement any more. I have tightened, re-tightened, and Lock-tited, everything on our rig more often than I can remember, and it will never end, mostly due to the complexity of these rigs and the stresses they are subject to when rolling down the road. Even then, things will fail. I just completed a replacement of the brakes, (they were due, not totally worn out, but wouldn't make it another year), and because we had a Chinese wheel bearing fail early this year, I replaced all the bearings and races with USA made Timken bearings. The best way to maintain these rigs is to out-think the failures before they happen, even if that means going way beyond what you would normally do for maintenance, even if the initial cost seems a bit too much. The time and money spent doing this will pay off in the long run with few if any failures when you should be enjoying your outings. Good luck with Keystone.

[jcurtis934]

Yep, bob has the numbers correct. Situation on ubolts also correct. On our axles under the spring assy, once unit is built the ubolts have to be torqued to spec. Sure didn't happen on my trailer. On axles above the spring assy, torque is done with weight off the assy. John

[DonandBonnie]

When we got our Big Sky only one of the eight U-bolt nuts was properly torqued.

[Mark N.]

A well known trailer building company near me said that a quick and easy (and cheap) fix for the wallowed out hanger and bushing hole (explained in my OP) is to simply replace the spring bushing that is wallowed out, insert a new wet bolt, set the proper torque (he says you need to be able to slip a piece of paper between the hanger and the bushing. Can't be so tight there is no clearance.) then tack weld the new nut and bolt in place so there is no chance of movement. It remains greasable, but unmovable.
He says that works well until you need to replace components again, at which time obviously the hanger will have to be cut off the frame.

[richfaa]

The axle assembly comes completely assembled from Dexter and installed on the line by workers. I doubt if they check the torque.Sounds like dexter needs to know about this and as I recall this issue has been reported for years..

[Trailer Trash 2]

Just take the trailer over to a good RV shop or Camping World and let them tighten the bolts or crawl under the RV and do them yourself.

[Mark N.]

quote:Originally posted by Trailer Trash 2

Just take the trailer over to a good RV shop or Camping World and let them tighten the bolts or crawl under the RV and do them yourself.

They are all properly tightened, but obviously the one that dropped out had never been torqued during the assembly process.
My mechanic feels the nut was probably never put on at all. It's a self locking nut and he believes it was probably never installed at all. Then it took 5,000 miles for the bolt to finally work itself loose and then only during a jack turn while backing into my driveway.