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Old 04-05-2011, 05:11 PM   #1
dieselguy
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Add another X to the XFactors

Drawing ambition from Ozz, photos from Bingo and Oldelmer1, and not believing the price vendors wanted for a 63" piece of steel with two plates welded to it, I installed this tonight.

For those of you with the means and already have the MOR/ryde LRE suspension system, instead of paying $140 +++ bucks for each support, try the following. Go to your local iron yard and get two 3/16" or 1/4" steel plates sheared or cut to 8" by 4.5". Get another couple of 3" triangular gussets sheared or cut. Transfer the holes from your equalizer box and drill 4 holes in each plate. Measure the distance between your equalizer boxes and subtract the thickness times 2 of your plates. Get a piece of 2.5" square tube with say 3/16' wall cut to that measurement. Mine was 62.75". Weld one end solid 1" above the bottom edge of your plate and just tack the other in case you need to adjust it. Jack your camper up and take the 8 inner bolts out of the equalizer box ... slide your XFactor in and loosely install all bolts. If all bolts go in ... take it out and finish welding it up ... if not all bolts go in, break one of the tacks and adjust it till all bolts fit, then weld her up. Add a couple of 3" gussets on top and slap some paint on it. Install the Xfactor for good torquing the bolts to 40 ftlbs. At my local metal yard, the plate and square tube cost about $26, 1.25" bolts and lock nuts were about $4, I gave my neighbor a 6 pack to borrow his welder, and lastly a can of semiflat paint was $3.68. For around $40 you can weld one together and have the $100 to spend elsewhere. If you go for the other two crosmembers, you'll just have to study some XFactor photos online and make the end plates slightly different.
Or .......... maybe if you wait, the manufacturer will give them out for free with all the issues popping up on the MOC.
 
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Old 04-05-2011, 06:35 PM   #2
stiles watson
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Good work! I am going to the metal works in the next couple of days to do the same. I had priced the materials at around than $50. Sometimes all you need is a picture. I only plan to do the one. Has anyone added all three?
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Old 04-05-2011, 08:09 PM   #3
jjackflash
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Stiles,I'm at the Spring Rally in Jackson,Ca.
The Mor/ryde rep. was here and I ordered the X Factor kit with all 3 Cross members for 144.00 plus shipping.
Jack
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Old 04-05-2011, 08:19 PM   #4
Art-n-Marge
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jjackflash - if all three crossmembers cost $144, isn't that close to the price dieselguy would have paid for three of his $40 to $50 crossmembers. If so, that's the price to seek. I do believe the morryde versions consist of three crossmembers. Then there's labor.

Since I have no talent for dieselguy's kind of fabricating, which looks absolutely fabulous by the way, jjackflash's price is what I would seek. I thought when I last looked at this morryde system the price was a lot higher, which makes dieselguy's informational post something for me to envy. I would hope I have at least some capability to install these myself and save money on labor (I work very cheap) since I would have to go with the parts from Morryde.
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Old 04-06-2011, 01:10 AM   #5
Ozz
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Beautiful job! You do great work my friend.
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Old 04-06-2011, 01:15 AM   #6
NCFischers
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You guys are starting to tick me off. Now I've got to get on Mor/ryde's website and order a set. Will this never end?????
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Old 04-06-2011, 02:36 AM   #7
Johnnyg
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Dieselguy - Nice work!
I couldn't find a price on the Mor/Ryde site. The link below is PPL. The kit is 150+ PER crossmember which includes 2 wet bolts.
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/r...rossmember.htm
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Old 04-06-2011, 02:46 AM   #8
bncinwv
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I am still flabbergasted that this has to be purchased!!!! There are two versions, the single X-factor on the center spring support or the supports on all three spring hangers. If this is deemed a structural defect, Keystone, Mor-Ryde or Lippert ought to be stepping up to the plate (no pun intended) here! Just my two cents worth. Has anybody tried to contact any of the above to see what their response is??
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Old 04-06-2011, 02:59 AM   #9
pineranch
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I am considering this mod to the spring hangers instead of the crossmember at that location. Not my photos but one of the really smart members.
Bought and installed the center x-factor. Need a structures guy or gal to chime in on installing one piece stock instead of 2 piece bolted in the middle. BAR SAG over time?????

http://s1190.photobucket.com/albums/z447/pineranch/
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Old 04-06-2011, 03:58 AM   #10
dieselguy
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Thanks for admiring my work The $144 deal at the rally would be a great price for all 3 supports ... unfortunately some of us aren't at a point in life to make the rallys. Still punching the time clock here. If you really look at MOR/ryde's cross members for the outboard spring hangars, The end plates are pretty thick requiring a longer spring eye bolt. This bolt may be hard to come by, I haven't checked. Pineranch ... I'd think any additional support at the spring hangars wouldn't hurt, but tieing the two together with the crossmember still doubles the stiffness. With all the gussets on the spring eye mount ... it's still welded to a small area of the I beam. I'm not sure which application you're referring to "bar sag" ... if a 2.5" 3/16" wall square tube 63" long wants to sag ... it's welcome to!
I just find it of question why there is so much issue with the frames recently ... I've owned 3 other TT's and fivers since the 90's with zero frame issues. I could be it's the added "arm" that the MOR/ryde equalizer box places on the whole assembly. Perhaps there will be a widespread recall for all floor plans.
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Old 04-06-2011, 04:51 AM   #11
pbahlin
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I think the added 'arm' from the equalizer box is part of the problem. Also, the equalizer is taking the lateral force from two wheels, while the outboard hangers only take it from one.

So you have double the torque being applied over maybe 4 times the moment arm. The box is getting 8 times the twisting force of the outboard hangers
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Old 04-06-2011, 04:55 AM   #12
pbahlin
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Here's another thought/question....,

Has anyone ever seen this happen on a rig without the Moryde. I know a few people with the old standard equalizer and they seem fine. The rocker is much closer to the I-beam on these rigs.
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Old 04-06-2011, 05:30 AM   #13
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JJackflash,
You may want to make sure the price was for all three. I received this from Mor/ryde this morning.

The X-factor cost $167.99 each. If we are installing on all three spring hanger locations the cost in parts would be $503.97($167.99 x 3).



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Old 04-06-2011, 05:31 AM   #14
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pbahlin: My thoughts as well. My old 2000 2850RK didn't have a real forged I beam, but one welded from 3 separate pieces of steel and it was 8". It also had the old style middle hanger. In 5 years, I never had an issue with the frame. It did have a recall that welded 6 small pieces of flat plate angled from the vertical beam to the bottom horizontal beam above the hangers though.
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Old 04-06-2011, 08:17 AM   #15
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Dang Dieselguy, if you lived closer to Oregon I'd pony up the $$ for the material, pay for your lodging at the local RV park and have you fab one up for me. You did a nice job fabricating it up.

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Old 04-06-2011, 03:11 PM   #16
scductman
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That is a very good job! I have been watching the thread and wondering about mine it is the old setup with the short bracket I did install the wet bolts. I am gonna look at mine but I don't think there is anything wrong and I also don't know if there is enough room to install it. the old brackets are short! but I think dieselguys and Ozzs system would be simple to do and rite now I have a place to do it. has anybody seen one on the old system without mor-ride?
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Old 04-06-2011, 04:36 PM   #17
dieselguy
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Bobby, I "borrowed" this photo from oldelmer1

This photo is one of the end hangers, but if you look at the Xfactor installation file page 2 (Google XFactor)... it shows the same thing on the center bracket for standard suspensions. They're using U channel instead of square tube. The end plate is thick with two eyes for a stap that bolts around the spring shackle bracket. It also requires removal of the shackle bolt and replaces it with a longer one to acommodate the thick plate.
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Old 04-07-2011, 12:39 AM   #18
ragdoll
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I have been reading about the x-factor I think it is for supporting the suspension am I right and or hangers? Are you doing this because of the hangers weld breaking? Is there anyother reason to beef up or support the suspension, I know someone will explain the reasons and I thank you. Jack (Everything under my rig looks good after 4 years.)
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Old 04-07-2011, 02:28 AM   #19
bncinwv
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There have been reported problems with the hangers flexing and bending. The various fixes all provide stability to the hangers by added additional supports in one fashion or another.
Bingo
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Old 04-07-2011, 04:39 AM   #20
Fire5er
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Tweety's has the X-Factor for $139. http://tweetys.com/morryde-xfactor.aspx
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