Recently Replaced Axles on '89 Squarestream.

[Mainstream]

Just wanted to say that I dove in alll the way and purchased everything Andy suggested, Complete axles , shocks and balancers. Glad I did. Got them installed on my Squarestream and took her for a ride today. Everything went well and I am very pleased with Andys help and the purchase, except for the crazy way FedEx handeled the delevery to my home (which I paid them extera for). They called me when they were well on there way saying they were delivering within a half Hr. Good thing I was home. When I asked how they expected to unload two 230 lb. axles onto the ground from a tractor trailer without damanging them they had no idea. Good thing I was able to get a hold of two younger , stronger men to help. They just happened to be home in the middle of a work week and manhandeled them to the ground for me. SOOOO a word to the wise for anyone who has them delevered to their home. Better be ready without much prior warning to handle that kind of weight or the driver will just drop them about four feet from the trailer to the ground. They do not send left gate trucks out on delivery unless you pay an extera $200. bucks over and above the home delivery extra charge. I have no idea what they would have done if I was not home when they delivered them. Thanks Andy for your excellent help.

[Archersfin]

I too had a bad experience with FedEx delivering 3 axles for my Excella.
Had to man handle them off the truck to the ground with the help of the driver. I don't know how they managed to damage 3 caps with one missing completly when the axle's were strapped to a pallet. One of the shock mounts was bent but I could fix that. Called Andy at Inland and he is supposed to send me the new Grease Caps.
Lucky I had a couple of furniture dolly's to move them from the street to the garage. How would they have done it if I was not able to handle my end of the axle? ie. bad back. I guess just drop them on the street and let you file a claim for the damage. I shouldn't have had to unload them, I paid extra to have them delivered to me.

[NevadaGeo]

Seems like I had a similar experience when my axles showed up, at least one damaged cap. Best have a furniture dolly handy at least if you order axles. Cardboard or some type of sheet of plastic helps to move them on the ground. A floor jack is really handy when you're under and raising the other side and caaaaannn't get that last 1/4 inch to line up that bolt.

[barts]

I changed the axles on our Tradewind by myself w/ a floor jack and a couple of jackstands... the trick is to raise the axles balanced on the floor jack, and rotate the axle into the horizontal positions w/ a pry bar in the mounting bracket.

I found that one side generally goes in first; I'd slide a bolt home into both holes, and then get a jackstand on the other end. That would let me lower the floor jack and reposition it to better bring the other end home.

To bleed the brakes, I used a small pushbutton on a long wire to engage the break-away circuit on the disc brake actuator; this let me "pump the pedal" while under the trailer controlling the bleed screw. The only awkward part was clambering out between wheels to refill the actuator w/ brake fluid...

- Bart

[NevadaGeo]

Ok Bart, you beat me on the switch on that one! I crawl out and pull the breakaway and crawl under and open and close the screw and crawl out and shut the breakaway and. Always best to have two quart bottles of Dot3.

[Wabbiteer]

The only way I could find to unload my axles solo was back my pickup truck up to the semi-rig and walk/slide them into the bed of the truck - and they had damaged three of four of the bearing caps and bent a mount bracket too. My guess is a midnight shift forklift operator was too overconfident in his abilities...