JPL Posted April 12, 2017 Report Share Posted April 12, 2017 I am in the process of ordering material to do a upgrade to my 7000 lb Lippert axles and suspension. I will be coping RandA's install of shocks. I will weld 2 pcs of angle across the frame to mount the shocks and fab axle brackets for the shocks and brackets for the shocks that get welded to the angle. The shocks will be Monroe 555004 Gas Magnum shocks.My question now is: is it worth the additional $'s to get the MOR/ryde 4000 or should I just keep the Equal Flex that is on the 5er now. They appear to be very similar in looks but knowing Lippert will they hold up? Anybody heard good or bad? I am going to fab and install stabilizers from spring perch to spring perch. MOR/ryde has a kit but I can make them from sq tubing and get the same result. I will be ordering the wet kit form MOR/ryde for the greased spring shackle pins and bushings.Even though our 5er is a 2017 I think that will be a good investment. The last U/G will be ordering 17 1/2" wheels from Trailer Tire And Wheel. They have a nice looking Alum wheel for $190 ea including lug nuts and center cover Plus FREE shipping. These wheels will fit my 1/2" studs. I already have the tires. We will be at the ECR but my completion date for this will be late Aug or early Sept.I hope to get some instruction at the ECR (i need it) IRT posting pictures so that I can show some progress! We will be going out to New Mexico for the Balloon Fest in Oct so need to have everything done by then. Any comments/suggestions will be appreciated. One week undeway for ECR! Be safe and hope to see you there!! Pat The old Sailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sclord2002 Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 Pat, I would think that 8k axles would be a nice thing to have under your rig. My 2006 Keystone Cambridge weighs 19,000 lbs and will be getting an upgrade from hybrid axles with 7k tubes and 8k hubs to pure 8k axles and springs soon. What does your 5er weigh as you are traveling down the road ? Looking forward to seeing you at the ECR. Charlie Don't ever tell a soldier that he doesn't understand the cost of war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Rod Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 Be careful with those 1/2" studs. A, I did a 17.5 conversion on a race trailer with 7k axles with 1/2" studs, and the stud length was awfully short considering the extra thickness of the Alcoa 17.5 wheels and I did not have enough threads on the lugs. Be real sure you have enough threads on the lug nuts or they can strip right off while driving. I had to use an ET lug to get enough threads, but that is really a band aid for a short stud and not a good solution. B, you would normally see either 9/16" studs (lug piloted) or 5/8" studs (hub piloted) on axles running a 17.5 wheel so the 1/2" studs I would think would be the weak point in your system anyway. If you find the your existing studs are too short, upgrade to 9/16" at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyA Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 Pat, are you sure you have 1/2" studs? Lippert does not traditionally use 1/2" on 7K axles with eight studs - they use 9/16 studs. They do use 1/2" on the 6 stud 6K axles. If you are going to disc brakes your 7K axles should be fine. To me the Main benefit of an 8K axle upgrade for our weight class of trailer is a wider brake shoe & drum. You can put 8K springs on 7K axles. You can't expect to get a higher GVWR by changing axles. Your frame is the limiting part. Going over causes sag and cracking - I've seen that happen on Lippert frames. To me the 17.5 tires are about the extra margin or safety on the road against failure as are higher quality center points - and of course the disc brakes. IMHO Lippert SRS centerpoints are cheap. Compare the thickness and speed of wear in the shackles and it is quickly evident. My Dexter center points have shackles that are more than twice as thick. When I did the disc brake upgrade I was shocked at how much the Lippert units had worn around the bolt serrations in only two years. There may be some photos on here - anyway, I can show you at the ECR. Can't tell you much about the Mor/Ryde as I have only seen them on new trailers. Randy, Nancy and Oscar "The Great White" - 2004 Volvo VNL670, D12, 10-speed, converted to single axle pulling a Keystone Cambridge 5th wheel, 40', 4 slides and about 19,000# with empty tanks. ARS - WB4BZX, Electrical Engineer, Master Electrician, D.Ed., Professor Emeritus - Happily Retired! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Heiser Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 When I upgraded to 17.5 wheels on my Montana, it had 7k axles with 1/2" studs just like Pat describes. I really wanted to also upgrade to MorRyde IS and go to 9/16 studs all at the same time, but the cost was just too much for a trailer I knew I wasn't going to keep long term. I settled for the piece of mind of 17.5 wheels and tires alone. I never worried about running my tires at capacity like I did with the 16 inch wheels that came on the trailer. 2000 Kenworth T2000 w/ Cummins N14 and autoshift 2017 DRV Mobile Suite 40KSSB4 with factory mods, dealer mods and personal mods - now in the RV graveyard 2022 DRV Full House MX450 with customized floor plan 2018 Polaris RZR Turbo S (fits in the garage) 2016 Smart Car (fits in the garage or gets flat towed behind the DRV when the RZR is in the garage)My First Solar Install ThreadMy Second Solar Install Thread & Photos and Documents Related to the buildMy MX450's solar, battery and inverter system - my biggest system yet! chadheiser.com West Coast HDT Rally Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPL Posted April 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 WOW! thanks for all of this great info! sclord2002 The 5er weights in at 16000 from last year at the Rally. I would love to have the 8k axles byt now that I'm retired that big of a investment probably won't happen. HotRod I've got alum wheels now so I hope that the new wheels wil fit w/o any problems. Randy Great hearing from you. Are you going to be at the ECR? How are you doing with your wrist? After reading your post I ran out to the 5er and pulled a lug nut off. It was a 1/2in. I had called Lippert and they do sell a 9/16 hub for $120. That is why I'm going to keep what I've got. When you did the shocks as I understand you took the angle and turned it up so the two legs were welded to the frame and the 2 ears were welded to the flat. Did you have a pattern for the axle bracket and shock mounts or were you able to buy them commercially or did you just draw something that looked good and had them made? I am with doubt IRT what I do about the equalizer but right now I think I'll keep the Equal Flex for the time being. I am going to install the wet kit from MORryde.$180 well spent. I hope you can make the rally 'cause I want to crawl under your 5er! And the next time you are down this away you need to stop by and check out the new addition to the shop. I cut a 8x8 opening in the wall and added a 14x22 to the side of the shop and that is now the machine shop. If it's got anything to do with machine work it's in there. No CNC stuff but Bridgeport and Rockwell. Take care Randy and will see you soon. Chad That is the reason I'm adding the 17.5's Peace Of Mind(what little I have) Money always seems to get in the way of having fun! Pat The Old Sailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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