Rats, broken shock mount

[dbj216]

I WAS replacing the shocks on our 86 Limited 34. All six of them! All 12 rusted shock mounting bolts. I soaked them good for several days with the best penetrate I could find. Even so, one of the axle shock mounts fractured while untorquing the nut. 23 years of rust!

So now what? The shock mount is welded in the axle bracket. Looks like I need a torch to cut out the old one, and then a machine shop to make a new one, and then a welder to weld in the new one while keeping it all strong and square.

Is there an easier way? Anyone ever had this kind of touble?

Thanks,

David

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by dbj216

I WAS replacing the shocks on our 86 Limited 34. All six of them! All 12 rusted shock mounting bolts. I soaked them good for several days with the best penetrate I could find. Even so, one of the axle shock mounts fractured while untorquing the nut. 23 years of rust!

So now what? The shock mount is welded in the axle bracket. Looks like I need a torch to cut out the old one, and then a machine shop to make a new one, and then a welder to weld in the new one while keeping it all strong and square.

Is there an easier way? Anyone ever had this kind of touble?

Thanks,

David

Sock studs and shock brackets are both available.

Andy

[blickcd]

Yeah, that happened to 3 out of 4 of mine. What I did was cut off the remnants of the stud, then drill a 3/8" hole thru the frame where the stud was. Of course you start with a small drill bit and work up to a 3/8". For bolting on the shock I used a heavy grade 3/8" bolt and washers, and put a spacer sleave over the bolt, which gave it an outside diameter that snuggly fit the rubber shock bushing. As I recall I had to cut the sleave to length so it was no more longer than the shock bushing is wide.

Christopher

[richinny]

automotive stores sell replacement shock studs. you might try looking there.

[dbj216]

Thanks for sharing your experience with this problem. My shock mount stud is about 1" diameter at the end welded into the axle bracket. It appears to be the same size stud welded into the frame on small end of the shock. I've tried grinding the weld off, but the weld penetration is good from the factory, as expected. It would take a lot of drilling to remove that much metal to get the stud free of the bracket.

Maybe I can find the correct shock mount stud, and then find a good welding shop. That would save machining a new one.

I hope Airstream is using all plated fasteners now. I think this minor maintenance job (replacing shocks) would have been problem free with good plated hardware that doesn't rust.

David

[Kevin245]

Originally Posted by dbj216

Thanks for sharing your experience with this problem. My shock mount stud is about 1" diameter at the end welded into the axle bracket. It appears to be the same size stud welded into the frame on small end of the shock. I've tried grinding the weld off, but the weld penetration is good from the factory, as expected. It would take a lot of drilling to remove that much metal to get the stud free of the bracket.

Maybe I can find the correct shock mount stud, and then find a good welding shop. That would save machining a new one.

I hope Airstream is using all plated fasteners now. I think this minor maintenance job (replacing shocks) would have been problem free with good plated hardware that doesn't rust.


David

I would place a call to Inland before putting a whole lot of effort in to machining and such. You might be able to take of this without quite as much effort as described.


And you're correct. It seems like nothing is ever as easy as should be when working on these things.


Regards,

Kevin

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by dbj216

Thanks for sharing your experience with this problem. My shock mount stud is about 1" diameter at the end welded into the axle bracket. It appears to be the same size stud welded into the frame on small end of the shock. I've tried grinding the weld off, but the weld penetration is good from the factory, as expected. It would take a lot of drilling to remove that much metal to get the stud free of the bracket.

Maybe I can find the correct shock mount stud, and then find a good welding shop. That would save machining a new one.

I hope Airstream is using all plated fasteners now. I think this minor maintenance job (replacing shocks) would have been problem free with good plated hardware that doesn't rust.

David

The correct original shock studs with the mounts for your axle, is available.

They are available in left and right hand mountings.

Plating them would serve no benefit, since they are welded to a cast torsion arm.

Andy

[dbj216]

I called Inland RV and Greg knew exactly what I was talking about. (Unusual because most people don't!) Inland RV sent one out and it was exactly what I needed.

I have ground off the weld, and drilled out the broken shock mounting stud from the bracket. Now I will take the Airstream to a good weld shop and in five minutes I should have the new shock mount welded in place.