Time for annual maintenance

[Phil P]

Hello

It has cooled off so I have started the annual maintenance. On the list is:

Adjust breaks, remove wet bolts for inspection and replace straight grease fittings with angle fittings, repair belly covering where it has come loose in several places and repair broken frame at right front corner in front of generator compartment normal location for frame flex. This will be the third frame repair but the first in this location.

First order of the day with weight on the wheels get pictures of the MORryde rubber blocks that are located between the wheels.



They look good on both sides. So next is to jack the trailer up and put it on jack stands so there is not any weight on the wheels.
This is done with the front of the trailer hooked to the TV and the front legs fully retracted. I jacked one side at a time this allows the hitch in the TV to swivel so the frame is not subject ot any twisting.

Driverside


Passenger side


If you all are interested in my progress I will add to this post as I go along.

Phil P

[Ozz]

Nice, you do good work my friend

[Phil P]

Thanks

[DarMar]

Certainly helps to give things a good going over at least once a year. Installing angled grease fittings is something I should get around to as well.

[jcurtis934]

Sounds like you are doing the frame welding yourself...even if not the case, it would be great to see a picture of that area out of curiousity. I think I can understand what it takes to uncover the area, but I could also be very wrong. Good luck. John

[Phil P]

Hi

Because it has been 20 years since I have been certified with an electric welder I use one of the pipe line certified welders that seem to be plentiful around here.

The last time I posted pictures of the welding in the spring hanger area I got some negative remarks about the welding from people that didn’t know the difference between a vertical weld using an AC machine compared to a vertical weld using DC reverse polarity. The welder that did the welding used my AC only machine because his DC machine was in the repair shop.

Here are some pictures of the frame repair at the rear spring hanger. The MORryd X bracing had been installed long before the failure. If it weren’t for the MORryd X bracing it would have resulted in a real problem on the road.





Phil P

[jcurtis934]

Yeah, visually I love looking at tig welds done by a certified aircraft welder for their pure beauty, but you can't always get nice looking when the job is done to a completed rig on the road and safety dictates something done immediately. So your newest frame issue sounds like it will near the landing gear. Might as well put a couple of bigfoot units on to ease your life... john

[Phil P]

Hi

This is where the flex became apparent when weight is put on the TV the trim moves about ¼ inch the other side doesn’t change at all.

This picture is without weight on the TV.


About a year ago when the landing gear failed for the 4th time I installed new legs and a second motor on the passenger side. To my amassment I found that the Venture motor and transmission ran at about 1/2 the speed of the motor transmission from Keystone. I found out that Keystone doesn’t purchase the motor from Venture. I replaced the Keystone motor and transmission with a Venture motor and transmission and now it takes longer to lower and raise the trailer but the sound is much different and much smoother.

I am convinced that most of the front leg problems everyone is having is because of the higher speed all of the gearing is running at causing friction heat. I had cut one of my failed legs open and found the long screw inside the leg where you can’t lubricate it was galled in the treads of the nut. With the new system I don’t hear any of the noise that I heard with the Keystone motor and gear box.

By the end of this winter season I will know because in order to unload my wife’s play toy I have to raise the basement floor up level with the TV bed every time we stop for the next 3 months.

Phil P

[Phil P]

quote:Originally posted by jcurtis934

Yeah, visually I love looking at tig welds done by a certified aircraft welder for their pure beauty, but you can't always get nice looking when the job is done to a completed rig on the road and safety dictates something done immediately. So your newest frame issue sounds like it will near the landing gear. Might as well put a couple of bigfoot units on to ease your life... john

Hi

For 6 years I was DOM for a company that operated 40 steel tubing fuselage aircraft that operated 7 days a week during the tourist seasons in Florida and NJ / NY. We had a welder that used an acetylene torch that made welds every bit a pretty as a tig weld. The tig was not suitable for welding in some of the tubing clusters.

Phil P

[Art-n-Marge]

I can't tell from the picture but do you only have frame jacks behind the rear wheels and using only the landing gear to support the front> I use jacks behind and in front of the wheels. I thought I read somewhere that the front landing gear could support ONLY about 25% of the gross trailer weight, otherwise with how you've possibly got the jacks only in the rear, this means the front landing gear is supporting about 50% (too much) of the Gross trailer weight.

Maintenance is necessary and I do something once a year, and if you do it yourself, it not only saves bucks, but it helps identify potential problems. It's a good feeling about your rig when it's done. Stay safe.

[Phil P]

quote:Originally posted by Art-n-Marge

I can't tell from the picture but do you only have frame jacks behind the rear wheels and using only the landing gear to support the front> I use jacks behind and in front of the wheels. I thought I read somewhere that the front landing gear could support ONLY about 25% of the gross trailer weight, otherwise with how you've possibly got the jacks only in the rear, this means the front landing gear is supporting about 50% (too much) of the Gross trailer weight.

Maintenance is necessary and I do something once a year, and if you do it yourself, it not only saves bucks, but it helps identify potential problems. It's a good feeling about your rig when it's done. Stay safe.

Hi

With duel power components supplied by Venture Manufacturing the weight capacity is 8,000 lbs. Our trailer loaded the way it is now weighs 15,200 lbs. I would have to calculate the weight presently on the front landing gear but I am sure the capacity of the landing gear has not been exceeded.

Here is the spec sheet http://www.venturemfgco.com/uploadfi...e/LG-Specs.pdf

Phil P

[Phil P]

Hi

I haven’t forgotten you all but!!!!

After getting the trailer ready for maintenance it started raining. Now that I have had a couple of good days to work on it I have a sore throat and fever.

Will post pictures as I progress.

Phil P

[Phil P]

I finally got a day when the weather was good and I felt good as well.

I removed all the wet bolts and inspected the bolts and brass bushings for wear. The wear in the bushing is near what I consider maximum but I am sure we are good for an additional 10,000 miles.

This job requires some tooling, floor jack on wheels, brass drift about ¾ or 1 inch in diameter 6 to 12 inches long, a hammer 2 or 3 lbs in weight, 13/16 socket 11/16 socked and a ½ drive pull handle at least 12 inches long or longer, “C” clamp, creeper is handy but not required. The rest are standard hand tools.

For whatever reason the company that I had install the MorRyde “X” bracing and the wet bolts installed the center bolts with the grease fitting facing in so you had to go under the trailer to grease the wet bolts. One of the reasons I am doing this is to turn these bolts around. One way to do this it to remove both nuts and slide bolts out with the swing link still attached to the bolts and install them with the grease fittings out. This is not easy and you will need some help to line the bolt holes up. If you have no need to do this then you can drive the bolts out one at a time and look at the brass bushings and re install them making sure you get the serrated bolt shaft lined up with the serration in the swing link.

You will need a “C” clamp to clamp the inner and outer spring hangers to gather to drive the bolt out the Lippert spring hangers are not strong enough to take driving on the bolts out without stabilizing them against the spring.

You will need the floor jack under the axel holding the weight of the axel when you remove the bolt.



Before



After



Bolt removed



Wear on bolt this is very minimal wear the major wear is in the bushing



This is a new bolt the hole in the center is where the grease comes out when you grease them.

If anyone has questions just PM me.

I had to replace only one bolt because I striped the threads using an air wrench.

I keep one complete shackle kit with the trailer at all times.

Phil P

[Phil P]

The next project is to repair the under belly where it has torn loose from the fasteners.

This trailer has rite at 80,000 miles on it and the under belly covering has stretched and begun to “flap” in the breeze.




Looking aft




Looking forward



rear X brace

Phil P

[Phil P]

Hi

This is a picture of putting the trailer back on its wheels after working on the under belly and schackles.

I will have some more pictures after we get back from our New Years Eve event.




Phil P

[RichR]

Has not been above freezing for over two weeks- not going to happen.