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Old 06-22-2013, 08:01 AM   #1
Pokernose
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Axles

The second winter we had our RV we travelled to Yuma, Arizona. Once back home in the spring we noted one tire was wearing. The winter of 2012/13 we left Canada and got as far as Texas when my husband said we now had three worn tires (Marabombs. We replaced all four and continued on our way. We came home this spring to find some wear again. We had checked our weight...not overloaded. Tire pressures were always checked and correct. When travelling no faster than 60 mph and hit no pot holes. We took our RV to a local dealer and once they looked at our tires we were told it was the axles. Now we are in the process of having them replaced.

Any ideas folks. Have any of you had this problem and what was done for you?
 
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Old 06-22-2013, 08:14 AM   #2
bw2
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I have had one tire with wear. Took it to an axle shop and they corrected atow in issue for that wheel. They checked the others and the alignment was ok as was the camber.
Good luck
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Old 06-22-2013, 08:57 AM   #3
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A number of folks have had axle problems. Some have replaced their 6,000# axles with 7,000# ones.
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Old 06-22-2013, 10:49 AM   #4
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Arthur-- It could very well be that your axles are out of camber and the wheels are out of alignment also. I had an axle go bad this year on our 2004 Monte and it was while we were down in Texas. The axle company told me it had rusted in half. Anyway, we replaced it with a Dexter 7000# axle. I called Dexter to make sure running a 7000# and a 5200# axle and they said no problem as long as I run the unit level on towing. So we went on about the trip and when we got home I noticed the front axle has wear on both the tires on the inside. Took it to a local axle shop and they told me the unit was out of alignment and the front axle was out of camber. The rebent the axle to what it should have been and everything has been fine since. I asked why it went out of camber and they said it could have been from putting that extra weight on the front axle when the back axle went bad and also from the unit being overloaded. Can't help the first explanation but lightened the load in the unit on our last trip and have shown no wear on our trip to Illinois & Indiana and back to Omaha so I guess we are set again for smooth sailing.

Update approx. 2 hours later than original post: My axle company here in Omaha said it was the hardest axle that they had seen. It took a bit of extra pressure to put the camber back in that axle. It is not a Dexter axle but the brand slips from my memory at the present. It was the company Keystone used before going to the Dexter axles about a year or two after ours was built! He said it should never come back out of camber unless I really overload it or drop in a really big hole!
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Old 06-22-2013, 11:20 AM   #5
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I had 2 brand new axles on my 2011 that came from the factory with negative camber instead of positive camber and the rear axle was toed out instead of in. A local axle and alignment shop bent them back into specs and I've not had issue for better than 2 years now. Keystone paid for the repair with no hassle. Having alignment readings, photos, and certified weight of my fiver sped up the response. Some on the MOC have insisted upon new axles ... to each his own resolve. In today's world of semi-skilled labor, you may get something brand new that is worse than what you have to start with.
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Old 06-23-2013, 09:34 AM   #6
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We had our axles aligned at Camping World in El Paso and they said they were spot on. Tire pressures were checked each morning before we left a campsite and were right on. We have no one anywhere close who works with axles so we opt for new ones. We just pray it works as it is getting costly. Thank you to all those of you who have taken the time to reply it really helps reading your comments and gives me some ammunition to take along to the dealers!
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Old 06-23-2013, 12:06 PM   #7
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Pokernose: I had one tire wear down to the wire braid on the tread on a trip to Yuma from home a few years ago. Every tire shop I took the tire to said it was alignment. The factory sent me down not one but two new tires and made arrangements to have the alignment dealt with in Vegas.
We did some traveling around in Arizona and I kept a real close eye on all the tires, there was no more sign of wear on any of them, when we approached Vegas I decided to forgo the side trip to the axle place and carried on home. There was never another problem with the the tire on the axle where it had previously worn out, or any of the other tires.

My guess is that it was perhaps damaged in some way in a panic type stop, was under inflated.... who knows but many miles later they were still all fine.

I am replacing both axles on my 2012 Montana because of issues with the spindles, when I checked the brand new ones sitting on the shipping crate, one had similar marks on it as had the originals. I have documented this with pictures and hope it will not be a problem. I also hope the alignment is OK on these ones since my originals seemed good.

I don't know if Dexter make their own spindles, in particular the Easy Lube, but if they do then there can be no pride with "Made in America" because they all have shown that either poor materials were used or they were poorly machined. On one of the brand new ones you can feel the blemish with your fingernail.

I give Dexter a big thumbs up for their service, they did not hassle me at all, from my pictures alone, the two new axles were shipped to me and they are paying for installation. I just hope these are better than the originals.

If camping world has the know how to determine if your axles were indeed spot on, then there has to be some other reason for the problems with the tires. JMHO
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Old 06-23-2013, 12:43 PM   #8
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[quote]Originally posted by Rondo

Arthur-- It could very well be that your axles are out of camber and the wheels are out of alignment also. I had an axle go bad this year on our 2004 Monte and it was while we were down in Texas. The axle company told me it had rusted in half. Anyway, we replaced it with a Dexter 7000# axle. I called Dexter to make sure running a 7000# and a 5200# axle and they said no problem as long as I run the unit level on towing. So we went on about the trip and when we got home I noticed the front axle has wear on both the tires on the inside. Took it to a local axle shop and they told me the unit was out of alignment and the front axle was out of camber. The rebent the axle to what it should have been and everything has been fine since. I asked why it went out of camber and they said it could have been from putting that extra weight on the front axle when the back axle went bad and also from the unit being overloaded. Can't help the first explanation but lightened the load in the unit on our last trip and have shown no wear on our trip to Illinois & Indiana and back to Omaha so I guess we are set again for smooth sailing.

Update approx. 2 hours later than original post: My axle company here in Omaha said it was the hardest axle that they had seen. It took a bit of extra pressure to put the camber back in that axle. It is not a Dexter axle but the brand slips from my memory at the present. It was the company Keystone used before going to the Dexter axles about a year or two after ours was built! He said it should never come back out of camber unless I really overload it or drop in a really big hole!

Alko!
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Old 06-23-2013, 01:44 PM   #9
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You got it Ken! The front axle is a 5200# Alko axle!
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Old 06-23-2013, 01:56 PM   #10
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I had 5200 # axles and bent one when I hit a large crack in pavement. Replace both with 7000# axles. Not worth re bending, will re-bend easier the next time
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Old 06-23-2013, 02:49 PM   #11
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OK I give up, how to tell what capacity axels are. I've crawled under and read the tag in the center of axel and it says nothing about capacity.
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Old 06-23-2013, 05:58 PM   #12
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Paul ... on the tag or stamped on the axle tube there should be some numbers inclusive of ... D52 / D60 / D70 which stand for 5200# / 6000# / and 7000# respectively assuming you have Dexter axles.
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Old 06-23-2013, 06:09 PM   #13
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The Dexter 7000# axle has D70 stamped in the center of the axle shaft, there is also a serial number stamped into every one of their axles as well. Same location.

A 6000# might be a D60 if it follows how the 7000# is designated.

Look for the stamping on the axle.

Just noticed the previous post, it should be obvious now...

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Old 06-25-2013, 09:27 AM   #14
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by dieselguy

Paul ... on the tag or stamped on the axle tube there should be some numbers inclusive of ... D52 / D60 / D70 which stand for 5200# / 6000# / and 7000# respectively assuming you have Dexter axles.
Thanks also to Iripguy. On tag it has D60 so looks like axels are 6000#. Also a number I guess is serial # stamped into axel tube. If D60 is stamped I couldn't find it. Might be under tag with other information on it.
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