26BH Wet Bolt Upgrade

[Siamese]

I'm going to upgrade the suspension on my 2107, 26BH with a wet bolt kit from Mor Ryde.

My trailer isn't handy right now for me to measure the existing shackles so I can get the kit ordered. I suspect it has 2-1/4" shackles, but thought maybe somebody has done their's recently and can tell me for sure.

[nddan21]

Just measured them on our 2018 26 bh. 2-1/4”.

[Neo1130]

Just curious, what is a wet bolt kit? Sounds like a lube-able fitting of some kind?

[Lake Huron]

Yeah, close enough. They are greasable bolts that hold your suspension springs to the trailer. In the holes of the springs there are cheap, junk plastic "bushings". The wet bolt kits have nice thick brass bushings that replace the plastic ones. The bolts have grease fittings on the ends and an exit hole in the side. This way you can grease the bushings and make things last a LOT longer. The shackles that come with the kit are WAY thicker than the stock ones also. Moryde makes a really nice wetbolt kit and jayco is finally starting to put them on travel trailers and 5th wheels.

[Siamese]

Originally Posted by nddan21

Just measured them on our 2018 26 bh. 2-1/4”.

Thanks for the help!

[Neo1130]

Originally Posted by Lake Huron

Yeah, close enough. They are greasable bolts that hold your suspension springs to the trailer. In the holes of the springs there are cheap, junk plastic "bushings". The wet bolt kits have nice thick brass bushings that replace the plastic ones. The bolts have grease fittings on the ends and an exit hole in the side. This way you can grease the bushings and make things last a LOT longer. The shackles that come with the kit are WAY thicker than the stock ones also. Moryde makes a really nice wetbolt kit and jayco is finally starting to put them on travel trailers and 5th wheels.

I think I'll upgrade then when I do my spring over swap. Thanks for the info.

[Neo1130]

Have you found a way to jack up the trailer though to remove the bolts? I've tried to install my lift kit and it felt way too unstable even with jackstands under it for me to comfortably work underneath.



I think I am going to use this method in the link but would need quite a bit of wood...


How To Flip Axles On A Trailer For Better Boondocking.

[Siamese]

Originally Posted by Neo1130

Have you found a way to jack up the trailer though to remove the bolts? I've tried to install my lift kit and it felt way too unstable even with jackstands under it for me to comfortably work underneath.



I think I am going to use this method in the link but would need quite a bit of wood...


How To Flip Axles On A Trailer For Better Boondocking.

Yes. We always travel with enough stuff to be able to change a tire beside the road. We have a little 16 ton bottle jack that we place on a few squares of wood under a good spot on the frame. That'll get it high enough to put the tires about 3/4" off the ground. Then I slip another 6000 lb. jack stand under the frame right next to the bottle jack. Never trust hydraulics, right? I just do one side at a time, although it would be simple enough to do both sides if desired. Of course, we double up on the wheel chocks on the side that's on the ground.

To keep the suspension from totally falling down as we work on it, I have a couple more small jack stands that I placed under the axles to stabilize them.

You never know when a bottle jack will come in handy. On our last trip, for a month, my wife's bunk began to hammock pretty badly, and we were able to shore up the bunk hydraulically with the 16 ton jack. I'm not saying my wife is fat, but when she sits around the trailer, she sits aroooouuuuund the trailer. Just kidding. Really.

[RedHorse1]

When I did mine I bought 2x4’s and cut them into 18” pieces. Those I used to make towers behind the rear axle. One on each side for a jack stand and a third that I moved side to side and used my 20T bottle jack on top to lift. The landing gear (5th wheel) held the front end. Once I had the 5th supported (note, the tires were still on the ground but the suspension was mostly unloaded) I jacked an axle enough to raise the tire clear and removed it. With both tires removed the axle could then hang free and I could start working on it. I did one axle at a time over a 2 day period and I left the 5th on its perch the whole time.
Look in the “mods” threads for BigJohn’s lengthy post, he had an excellent description of how-to plus some good pictures

[Neo1130]

Originally Posted by Siamese

Yes. We always travel with enough stuff to be able to change a tire beside the road. We have a little 16 ton bottle jack that we place on a few squares of wood under a good spot on the frame. That'll get it high enough to put the tires about 3/4" off the ground. Then I slip another 6000 lb. jack stand under the frame right next to the bottle jack. Never trust hydraulics, right? I just do one side at a time, although it would be simple enough to do both sides if desired. Of course, we double up on the wheel chocks on the side that's on the ground.

To keep the suspension from totally falling down as we work on it, I have a couple more small jack stands that I placed under the axles to stabilize them.

You never know when a bottle jack will come in handy. On our last trip, for a month, my wife's bunk began to hammock pretty badly, and we were able to shore up the bunk hydraulically with the 16 ton jack. I'm not saying my wife is fat, but when she sits around the trailer, she sits aroooouuuuund the trailer. Just kidding. Really.

HAHAHAH!

I guess I can't get away with that method because I have to do an entire axle at one time... I'll figure something out or pay $800 to have it done...