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Old 07-28-2019, 04:08 AM   #21
SkiSmuggs
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Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
Eric,

That shouldn't have happened, especially without your knowledge. But, the only difference (as I've been told by several axle parts stores and shops) is the hub. The axle tube and the spindles on the 3500 and the 4400 are exactly the same. The hub and the brake assembly are the difference. So, whomever installed your 3500 pound axle "should have" replaced the hub with a larger race/bearing and 12x2 brakes. That would have made the "3500 pound axle a 4400 pound axle" and kept you at the same ratings and payload.

It may not be "Dexter's fault". At two of the axle parts stores here, they stock the 3500 pound 96" axle with 10" brakes. If someone wants a 4400 axle, they pull the hubs and brakes, replace them with the appropriate parts and "out the door it goes"... So, in your case, maybe (or maybe not) Dexter shipped the installer the parts and for some reason, the installer didn't upgrade the hub/bearings ????? Stranger things have happened.

What gets me is that I can't order an axle for my trailer... ALL of them are now stocked (at least in these parts) with a generic 3500 pound, 96" tube and the axle has to be "sized and welded to specifications" before installation. So, I can't buy a replacement, they have to "make me a replacement" by cutting/welding/replacing hubs and brakes.... Not a happy way to do a roadside repair, that's for sure !!!!!
The shop pulled the complete axle and shipped it to Dexter in SLC. They had received an incorrect axle in the past so they wanted to be sure Dexter got it right. Mine, like yours, is a custom axle so Dexter had to build and ship a complete assembly, so I blame Dexter.
I do believe both the 4400 and 3500 have 10" brakes and it is the 5200 lb that has 12" brakes. The spindles determine which hub/bearings to use, so the shop could not have changed that.
From what you said, I may have the trailer shop that identified the axle parts as 3500 do the upgrade if they can. They seem to know their stuff but I haven't seen their facility to know if the can handle an RV. The 5200 lb axles will have to be custom built. Too bad Keystone didn't use off the shelf parts. I have the standard 85" length but 68.5" spring centers instead of the standard 70".
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Old 07-28-2019, 06:46 AM   #22
JRTJH
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Originally Posted by SkiSmuggs View Post
The shop pulled the complete axle and shipped it to Dexter in SLC. They had received an incorrect axle in the past so they wanted to be sure Dexter got it right. Mine, like yours, is a custom axle so Dexter had to build and ship a complete assembly, so I blame Dexter.
I do believe both the 4400 and 3500 have 10" brakes and it is the 5200 lb that has 12" brakes. The spindles determine which hub/bearings to use, so the shop could not have changed that.
From what you said, I may have the trailer shop that identified the axle parts as 3500 do the upgrade if they can. They seem to know their stuff but I haven't seen their facility to know if the can handle an RV. The 5200 lb axles will have to be custom built. Too bad Keystone didn't use off the shelf parts. I have the standard 85" length but 68.5" spring centers instead of the standard 70".
Yeah, it sounds like Dexter is to blame in the mixup for your axle. It would be hard for the factory to build and ship the wrong item.

My LIPPERT 4400 pound axle has 12x2 brakes (not 10" brakes) and the large outer bearing. From all I have been told, the spindles are EXACTLY the same on the 3500, 4400, 5200 and 6000 pound axle tube/spindle assembly. To use the small bearing, they insert a "bigger race" in the hub, to use the larger bearing, they remove that race and install a smaller race (so the space is larger to accommodate the larger bearing between the race and the spindle. At any rate, the spindle is not changed between any of the four axle ratings, it's the bearings, races, brakes and spring packages that make the change.

I did learn that the Lippert axle tube walls are .19" thick (I would guess Chinese steel) while the Dexter axle tube walls are .245" thick (unknown steel origin), so the Dexter axle tubes are thicker steel.

I lost a hub/wheel (fortunately at the campground entrance, so no damage) last Thursday. I spent all day Friday and Saturday "learning about axles and selections" at various axle parts stores. We're replacing both axles under our trailer Monday. I believe that with all the rough roads on our recent trip through the mountains, that with one bad hub/spindle, it's pretty much guaranteed that if the bad roads caused one axle issue, the other axle was within a couple feet, exposed to the same "issues".... So, two new axles and we're starting with a "clean slate".....

ADDED: I forgot to mention the hub. On the 3500 rating, the hub can be either a 5 or 6 lug version. If it's the 5 lug, it will have 10" brakes, if it's the 6 lug, it will have 12" brakes. So, I suppose there's even more "optional build packages" than just the bearing/race/spring pack to choose from. At any rate, from what I can understand about the Lippert axle selections (what I now have) and the Dexter selections (what I'm getting) my 4400 pound axle rating will have 6 lug hubs, 12" brakes, large outer bearing, standard inner bearing (same on all axle ratings) and the 4 leaf spring pack.

From what I can figure, Lippert used their 5200 pound tube, smaller brakes and bearings for the 3500 rating, changed to 12" brakes and 6 lug hubs for the 4400 and used the same small outer bearing. That, I think, is the weak link that caused my failure (the outer bearing). Essentially, what I'll have tomorrow, is 6000 pound axles with 6 (not 8) lug hubs and 4 (not 6) leaf spring packs.
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Old 07-28-2019, 07:46 AM   #23
SkiSmuggs
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Weird stuff. We knew something was wrong when the new 4400 lb hub wouldn't fit so my shop took the old parts to the trailer shop an hour away to get his opinion. That place identified the old parts as 3500 and ordered the correct parts for my shop which is actually an auto shop. The original axles had factory stickers that identified them as 4400 lbs with length and spring center measurements. The replacement axle had crayon markings with only the measurements and no paint so it is rusted while the OEM looks almost new after 7 years.
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