Bent axle

[WESHPHIL]

We discovered a worn tire on the rear axle, curbside = only the outside was worn. It has been diagnosed as a slightly bent axle by our Airstream dealer’s service. We have Easycare insurance, but unfortunately they have denied the claim since service can find no cause ie hitting a curb or pothole, based upon no other damage. Next step is they are contacting Dexter.

Has anyone had any experience like this? If so what was the fix and related cost?

[BigAl]

It can be corrected in all likelihood. The alignment is achieved by bending the axles in the first place. You need a shop that knows how to do it. It is normal for the axle to be bent up in the center.
Al

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by WESHPHIL

We discovered a worn tire on the rear axle, curbside = only the outside was worn. It has been diagnosed as a slightly bent axle by our Airstream dealer’s service. We have Easycare insurance, but unfortunately they have denied the claim since service can find no cause ie hitting a curb or pothole, based upon no other damage. Next step is they are contacting Dexter.

Has anyone had any experience like this? If so what was the fix and related cost?

Any truck alignment shop can align it....

[gary1burke]

We have the exact same problem now, with our 2016 27' International FB. No sign of any damage except the bent axle and the worn tire and EasyCare denied the claim. Sounds like a factory defect to me. Did you get yours aligned somewhere as suggested above?

[Lumatic]

Could also be a bent spindle

[azflycaster]

I put a major bend in my front axle on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I elected to have the factory replace both my axles (17 years old) for $1700 each.

[Action]

Originally Posted by gary1burke

We have the exact same problem now, with our 2016 27' International FB. No sign of any damage except the bent axle and the worn tire and EasyCare denied the claim. Sounds like a factory defect to me. Did you get yours aligned somewhere as suggested above?

There is a designed bend at the center of the axle tube.


Where is your axle bent?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

[gary1burke]

Originally Posted by Action

There is a designed bend at the center of the axle tube.


Where is your axle bent?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

I can’t see any bend other than the one that’s supposed to be there in the middle. The wear to the tire took probably 15000 miles to get to where I thought of checking it out so it’s probably not a dramatic bend/bow. Since Weshphil had the same exact issue, I’m wondering if there was a defect. By the way, I checked with a truck alignment shop and they said fixing is not recommended. I think it requires applying heat to the axle which weakens the metal.

[Bill M.]

Could also just be a bad tire. I would feed it another tire and be real sure what the problem is before I tried to get it fixed.

[Castaway]

Our 25 FC is at the factory now getting both axles replaced, the service guys said to many potholes and curbs.I expect the bill to be around $3200

[Action]

Originally Posted by Bill M.

Could also just be a bad tire. I would feed it another tire and be real sure what the problem is before I tried to get it fixed.

Regular tire rotation can extend the tire life as well.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

[badkat]

We called Jackson Center about having a bent axle and they sent us to a place in Carrollton Texas. They bent it back!

[r carl]

Originally Posted by Castaway

Our 25 FC is at the factory now getting both axles replaced, the service guys said to many potholes and curbs.I expect the bill to be around $3200

Your TV went through the same potholes and it doesn't have a bent axle does it? A tire should get injured before an axle.

[gary1burke]

Originally Posted by badkat

We called Jackson Center about having a bent axle and they sent us to a place in Carrollton Texas. They bent it back!

What was the cost for that? Did they say it would not weaken the axle? What kind of place was it in Carrollton?

[Action]

Originally Posted by r carl

Your TV went through the same potholes and it doesn't have a bent axle does it? A tire should get injured before an axle.

Most TV (Truck) suspension systems are far more durable and more complex to handle road irregularities than a torsion axle can withstand.

A torsion axle only has a few inches of travel. Many TVs will have 2 to 4 times that amount of travel in the stock suspension.

To compare a torsion axle suspension to a TV suspension is very far from having any connection to the actual over the road experience.

>>>>>>>>>>Action

[CBWELL]

The comment about bending a tow vehicle axle is not even applicable in this situation!! Almost all front axles are non existant as most vehicles use independant front suspension, and only a few very heavy duty 4X4 trucks have a solid front axle. Most SUV's and some pickups also have independent rear axles. Heavier trucks have an axle that has a lot more travel than a torsion axle, as well being sprung differently. I have broken an axle on an Airstream, but never on a motorized vehicle!!

[azflycaster]

If your tire does this 1500 miles after hitting a pothole so big it set off the collision sensor on the dash cam, you have a bent axle.

[badkat]

It cost us about $400 to have it bent back. It was right off I35 North Dallas RV. It had a lot of old Airstreams. They have a machine that had 20,000 lbs of pressure. They measure the curvature of the axle. It worked..they said they have only had one they could not bend back. We suspect ours got bend by being jacked on the wrong points maybe when having the bearings greased. The tires were worn on the outside edge and were not very old.

[gary1burke]

Thanks for this info. We’ll be in Elephant Butte NM for April - May, so we’d be within a couple days drive of there. Worth it if it saves almost $2000!

[gary1burke]

Final post here (maybe��)... my brother-in-law questioned why I didn’t ask my insurance carrier to pay for it. Said he’d had his pay for several issues on his sob. Has anyone had any experience with this?