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Post by Chuck on Sept 23, 2018 10:49:27 GMT -5
I would wish that Kz would put on the MorRyde SRE 4000 suspensions an wet bolt kit on the Golds an Venom
toy haulers or the SRE 3000 suspension on the 2500 series an wet bolt kit either as a standard, or offer it as an option at the sale of the trailers ...
If offered to us when buying our G384RLT I would have jumped at the chance an not thought twice about
the MorRyde SRE 4000 suspension wet bolt kit ...
Or if the buyer really wants to step up then offer the MorRyde Independent suspension (IS) as an option but
not as a standard as they have been offering the full body for some of the Durango Golds ...
I know it's a little more money for the MorRyde SRE 4000 or 3000 suspension wet bolt kit depending on the series of 5th wheel you have ... We all know that Kz is trying to stay in the mid range 5th wheel market, but when you
are spending forty, fifty or sixty thousand for a 5th wheel adding another $1200 or even $1500 for a SRE 4000
an 3000 suspension wet bolt kit I believe is not a deal beaker if explained properly while selling such ...
It also sets Kz apart from the rest of the market with a even higher standard trailer Safe Travels Chuck
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Post by Edd505 on Sept 24, 2018 18:37:50 GMT -5
I would second this one, likely my next upgrade.
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Post by Chuck on Sept 25, 2018 12:37:13 GMT -5
Believe me Edd well worth every penny I spend on the SRE 4000 suspension wet bolt kit, I'm as happy as a clam at high tide I would however recommend that you have the MorRyde factory do the installation, I waited an it cost me some somewhat extra bucks for having it done here in in Washington State, I saved on tax buy buying in Indiana but labor killed me in Washington Ugh were I would have been better off in Indiana !!! Safe travels Chuck
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Post by Edd505 on Sept 25, 2018 18:37:47 GMT -5
Rally next year? Have to look at the install direction, might be a DIY when I get home.
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Post by nvguy on Sept 25, 2018 21:58:45 GMT -5
I wouldn't wait to long, as I found my stock Equa flex equalizers badly worn at 8,600 miles, mostly all the nylon spring bushings were worn out as well. CRE3000 & wet bolt kit solved all those problems.
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Post by Edd505 on Sept 26, 2018 19:59:27 GMT -5
I wouldn't wait to long, as I found my stock Equa flex equalizers badly worn at 8,600 miles, mostly all the nylon spring bushings were worn out as well. CRE3000 & wet bolt kit solved all those problems. Not good I have more miles than that, I'll have to crawl under when I get home. Has anyone else done the upgrade? Doable home project?
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Post by ronc on Sept 26, 2018 21:01:17 GMT -5
I have not done it ... I’m The IS guy😏. But I have seen all the parts and it looks very doable to me. Everything is designed to be “bolt on” so other than a torque wrench, no special tools needed. It is heavy work, so a friend (and a jack and jack stands) would be very helpful😜.
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Post by nvguy on Sept 26, 2018 21:05:37 GMT -5
Yes, doable assuming you have sufficient jack stands (height and weight capacity) as you have to completely unload the suspension. A floor jack makes things easier as well, as you have to get to the ends of all the springs to install the bushings.
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Post by Chuck on Sept 27, 2018 11:14:32 GMT -5
Edd With our trailer having one trip coming from the factory to are dealer, two round trips to Ohio with side trips in each an
back along with the number of camping trips to an from Oregon an within Washington when they changing out the bushing
to replace them the old ones were worn badly to the point I was glad I have changed them out... I was really shocked to see
how badly they were worn to the point I was told I was riding on borrowed time ...
If I had know this while we were back in Indiana I would have insisted that we have stayed an had MorRyde do the work right then an there instead of traveling back home Ugh !!!
Who would have known that a trailer that is less than two years old an a well over 9k would have had this problem ...
I have read that LCI also has a wet bolt kit with different bushings maybe Kz should look into such if they do not want to change to a MorRyde suspension ... I hate to say it but maybe they should follow in the foot steps of Montana where Montana's still have LCI frames but MorRyde suspensions... I believe that the Durango Golds an 2500 series trailers have a far better build quality an layout that the other brand... We just need to convince Kz to add the better suspensions for
those of us who put on thousands of miles a year or even those weekend warriors Or as I have stated make it an option to buyers when ordering a new 5th wheel for either the LCI wet bolt kits or the MorRyde suspensions an explain the difference of each ...
Safe Travels my friend Chuck
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Post by Edd505 on Sept 27, 2018 17:42:24 GMT -5
If those busing are worn out, that should be covered by warranty.
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Post by Chuck on Sept 28, 2018 12:40:17 GMT -5
I agree Edd, but I choose to go another route like nvguy an ronc, but as well if I knew such while back at the factory I would have ask for them to be replace then an there even thought I had already bought the MorRyde stuff an it was in my storage compartment I mean the LCI folks were right there an after they looked at the front of the trailer they could have done the other... But as stated I was unaware of how badly they were worn, would have expected them to last far longer than they had since the trailer was only 2 years old an I say over 9k miles but thinking about it well over the 11k miles now I will say in LCI's defense it could have been a bad run on bushings an yours may be just fine an LCI had know knowledge of such an if changed out back there they possibly been alerted to a problem with such ... Safe Travels my friend Chuck
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Post by nvguy on Sept 28, 2018 21:24:51 GMT -5
I sent an E mail to LCI regarding the worn items in my suspension. Here is their reply:
Thank you for sending this in. Are you still under warranty? LCI does not choose or install the hardware that was installed on your trailer, K-Z would have made the choice as to what bolts, and bushings were used, with which ever equalizer they called for. We dont really have a spec for how long the bushings will last as every rig is weighted and used differently. These bushings are considered wear items, and need to be periodically inspected and replaced. If you replace them with a better bushing, you will be able to better gauge how long they last for your trailer.
In essence, LCI doesn't require or recommend an OEM (in this case KZ) install wet bolts, so if the bushings wear out-tough, the OEM did it, and bushings are wear items. The OEM isn't a chassis manufacturer, they didn't engineer the parts, so how can LCI blame KZ? Yeah, maybe KZ didn't ask for wet bolts, but as the manufacturer of the equalizers LCI should require the installation of wet bolts in equalizers with brass bushings. I did ask for LCI to send me some replacement bushings for my worn Equa-Flex equalizers (I will used them on my car hauler), they said nope, talk to KZ...To say i am disappointed with LCI is an understatement, but their ability to pass the blame is pretty good. If only their bushing were that "slick"....
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Post by ronc on Sept 28, 2018 23:22:10 GMT -5
If those busing are worn out, that should be covered by warranty. Edd ... after 23 years with Caterpillar, “wear” is specifically not covered by warranty. That is but one of the many ways that warranty is “limited”. Customers view warranty as protection, manufacturers view it as deniability. Manufacturers have something called “goodwill” that allows them to make humane and sensible decisions, and may allow them to cover worn out bushings, but wear is never warranty.
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Post by Edd505 on Sept 30, 2018 9:18:10 GMT -5
Edd ... after 23 years with Caterpillar, “wear” is specifically not covered by warranty. That is but one of the many ways that warranty is “limited”. Customers view warranty as protection, manufacturers view it as deniability. Manufacturers have something called “goodwill” that allows them to make humane and sensible decisions, and may allow them to cover worn out bushings, but wear is never warranty. I understand but is seems "worn out" with in that short of a period is a manufacturing defect. I expect a vehicle suspension to last over two years, especially RV's, most get very few miles use in a year. How many miles a year full time? 10-12K?
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Post by Chuck on Sept 30, 2018 13:28:53 GMT -5
I am well aware of ware an "worn out" items on cars, trucks an trailers but you would have never guessed that with over 11k or 12k miles that the bushings would have been worn as badly as they were Ugh !!! My flat bed 20ft 10k trailer is over 17 years old with over I'll say 15 to 16k miles on it an when my son replace the bushings last year they looked worn but still usable an not worn out, he replaced them with wet bolts but not the upgraded suspension, I don't remember what brand of wet bolts, will ask ... So have have to ask myself with a trailer hauling heavy equipment that is over 17 years old have better bushings in it than a trailer 2 years old... I know the 5th wheel weights more but come on folks, two years an the bushings are warn out ... If this is the case how many trailers are running down the road right now that are a few years old with worn out bushings unknown to owners Ugh !!! Better yet how many people have even thought about checking their bushings in the their suspensions to see if they are bad... I didn't do it because of how new the trailer was even thought I do check the springs
to make sure they are not broken or cracked...
Again I am not saying that every trailer has a problem with bushings but thinking about it I have read on other RV forms of some problems with such, but I was always of the mind it was a problem with older
trailers ... Safe Travels Chuck
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Post by ronc on Sept 30, 2018 13:55:05 GMT -5
Chuck ... were your flat bed’s bushings made out of plastic (or nylon ... or whatever they are made of)? I suspect they were brass or bronze ... nylon is a very light duty bushing. If I had them, I would expect to replace them every two years or 10,000 miles ... but I am very conservative in my approach to maintaining my rig.
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Post by Edd505 on Sept 30, 2018 18:59:17 GMT -5
Chuck ... were your flat bed’s bushings made out of plastic (or nylon ... or whatever they are made of)? I suspect they were brass or bronze ... nylon is a very light duty bushing. If I had them, I would expect to replace them every two years or 10,000 miles ... but I am very conservative in my approach to maintaining my rig. And there in lies the problem, use something will last at least till the warranty is up.
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Post by Chuck on Oct 1, 2018 9:43:02 GMT -5
Chuck ... were your flat bed’s bushings made out of plastic (or nylon ... or whatever they are made of)? I suspect they were brass or bronze ... nylon is a very light duty bushing. If I had them, I would expect to replace them every two years or 10,000 miles ... but I am very conservative in my approach to maintaining my rig. Ron
Since I was not present when my son replaced such I will have to ask him if he remembers, all I know was he stated they needed replaced an he would pay for the parts an replace such on his dime ... I wasn't going turn down replacing
them for free LOL so I told him to have at it
Since he has the trailer more than I do in the last few years ugh! I can not look an even see what the wet bolt kit
looks like... I know he order the kit from a parts dealer in Tacoma an had to wait a week or more for such an he did state they had brass bushings so I would almost bet they are MorRyde but I have been wrong at least once this week maybe more LOL ...
Chuck
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Post by nvguy on Oct 1, 2018 22:47:28 GMT -5
The use of cheap nylon bushings in RVs has been around since I started in the biz, back in '96 (1996 wise guy). Probably 95% of the bearing pack jobs resulted in a wet bolt install, so this is nothing new. What I got from my exchange with Lippert, is they have zero interest in promoting or requiring the use of wet bolts (at the minimum) in brass bushing locations, apparently they feel bushing replacement after 8600 miles is OK, as bushings are a wear item. Makes me very glad Lippert doesn't make tires. Maybe if KZ hears from enough customers, they might understand the sales value of upgraded suspension components.
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Post by Chuck on Oct 2, 2018 11:32:04 GMT -5
The use of cheap nylon bushings in RVs has been around since I started in the biz, back in '96 (1996 wise guy). Probably 95% of the bearing pack jobs resulted in a wet bolt install, so this is nothing new. What I got from my exchange with Lippert, is they have zero interest in promoting or requiring the use of wet bolts (at the minimum) in brass bushing locations, apparently they feel bushing replacement after 8600 miles is OK, as bushings are a wear item. Makes me very glad Lippert doesn't make tires. Maybe if KZ hears from enough customers, they might understand the sales value of upgraded suspension components. I agree with you nvguy, as I have stated I still would have bought are 5th wheel if it had cost $1200 or even $1600 more if it was explained to me that the bushing an suspension was upgraded with better spring bushings an wet bolts so the system could be greased, I like grease LOL ...
I have been look around about the MorRyde systems on a few forms before an now after I have everything on, seems they were having some problems with the rubber blocks in the I.S, system an the rubber in SRE4000 system up till around 2013 where they must have changed venders of such... I could not find bad comments about such seems like after 2013 on three
forms except owners were happy about what they had after 2013 ... I do recall Gary at MorRyde saying something about this when we were at the factory an that they fixed what they thought had been a problem with such in late 2913....
Safe Travels
Chuck
Added Note: Maybe this is a subject to be bought up at the rally next year, I do know that KZ Admin follows the board, possibly
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