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Old 06-15-2016, 04:43 PM   #21
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1978 25' Tradewind
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacob D View Post
<snip> The axles came fully assembled with self adjusting brakes.
...then you did good. Many time axles are sold bare, with Chinese brake parts in a box.
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Old 06-15-2016, 05:22 PM   #22
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1967 17' Caravel
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I got my axle from Colin as well for a 67 Caravel.
Everything went well.
That is until it came to mounting the street side shock to the axle.
Instead of welding on a lefthand and a right hand shock mount on the axle they welded 2 curbside (RH) shock mounts at the factory .
To accommodate for this oops I had to cut the shock bolt really short to be able to get it through the shock and mount.
I used the Monroe shocks Colin recommended. They went in really easy all the holes were the correct size.
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Old 06-15-2016, 06:49 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by drboyd View Post
I've got the Monroe shocks ready to go on. There's all kinds of opinions on the forums, and all kinds of different motivation$ for those opinions.
Drboyd,
If you call Monroe and ask them about this shock being used in a horizontal position you might understand why I chose to weld shock studs to the brackets and use Airstream shocks....... They will not endorse this application of the shock. The only motivation I have is to use the proper part in the right place.
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Old 06-15-2016, 07:22 PM   #24
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Drboyd,
If you call Monroe and ask them about this shock being used in a horizontal position you might understand why I chose to weld shock studs to the brackets and use Airstream shocks....... They will not endorse this application of the shock. The only motivation I have is to use the proper part in the right place.
I wonder why Colin recommends the Monroe shocks?
It seems if there were failures or potential problems he would know about it.
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Old 06-15-2016, 07:42 PM   #25
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Colin told me on the phone that he has opened both the Official Airstream an d the Monroe shock, and he found only minor differences. I imagine that Monroe would not "endorse" that application of the shock without rigorous testing, which might not be worth doing for a market of a few dozen units per year.
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Old 06-15-2016, 07:46 PM   #26
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When I removed my OEM axles there were four nuts holding each axle up, I can see the holes in your posted picture. I am of the opinion if AS put it together that way the replacement should be installed that way too.

My parts arrived in boxes so the axle ends hung out over the end of the pallet. When they arrived the plastic wrap was torn and wood chips were in my axle threaded ends. I see your shipment the axles hang out too but the you have the brake drum and bearing cover on for protection.
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Old 06-15-2016, 09:58 PM   #27
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A shock built for vertical operation doesn't work in a horizontal postion. The valving internal to a verticle shock is in the wrong place when the shock is mounted horizontally. The fluid that does the dampening is no longer being influenced by gravity.

Brand means nothing if the designed application isn't followed.

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Old 06-15-2016, 11:02 PM   #28
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I did some looking at shock absorber cutaways...

...and the ones I saw showed that the internal fluid completely fills the tube at all times. There's no opportunity for bubbles that would be influenced by horizontal or vertical position.



That said, I am certainly open to new facts.
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Old 06-16-2016, 06:44 AM   #29
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Hello Cliff
I got the shocks with the axle (single axle in my case, a typo on my part with "axles"). The key is the travel --- 4 inches in my case. They are Gabriel shocks. As I further recollect, when I selected the frame termination location, I made sure the shock was at its minimum extension. You can pretty closely estimate the travel by the radius arm on the axle (radius to the shock mount stud) and angle of rotation (about 45 degrees on my axle; the axle data will say the angle of travel).
All the best in Airstreaming,
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Old 06-16-2016, 10:07 AM   #30
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It is your trailer, your money and your thread. (however we have a whole forum for shocks only) Do what you think is best for your situation.

However you might want to ask yourself who sells an Airstream shock (for model years after 1966) by application. And ask someone who knows shock absorbers by design if mounting a shock absorber designed for verticle placement in a horizontal manner if it will compromise the function.

BTW there is air in a shock. If you don't want air one can get a gas filled* shock in the market place. If there are gas filled shocks, how does gravity impact the gas and oil in those shocks?

*Installing a gas filled shock is a great way to bend or break off a shock mounting bracket on an Airstream.

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Old 07-12-2016, 06:49 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drboyd View Post
...a change from lug bolts to lug nuts.



Just thought I'd post this in case anyone else is changing axles.



Finally! New axles!

Drboyd-
Are your axles 22 or 32 degrees?
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Old 07-12-2016, 09:38 AM   #32
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Drboyd-
Are your axles 22 or 32 degrees?
I got the 32 degree down angle. I did have to raise my hitch head a couple bolts, and now we use the second step as well as the first.

We're on a trip right now, and I haven't noticed any adverse towing efffects. The coach handles so much better with the functioning suspension that it's hard to tell if the additional inch or so makes any difference.
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Old 07-17-2016, 06:23 AM   #33
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Drboyd - did you happen to measure at the wheel wells the height on gained with your 32 degree axles?
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Old 07-17-2016, 10:51 AM   #34
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I didn't measure it, but I'd call it 2-1/2 to 3 inches. Keep in mind that the old axles were flat dead, so part of that is due to new axles and part is due to the 32 degree lift.
I'm on the road right now, and we have noticed that things inside the coach don't bounce around nearly as much now.
I posted before and after pix on the Airstream addicts Facebook group.
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Old 07-17-2016, 12:55 PM   #35
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That's about the same as mine. I got about 2.5" inches with my 32 degree axles.
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