Trac Bar System

[nprario]

Looks like I am on the hook for a rear axle after talking to both Grand Design and Dexter. 7000 miles and I need two rear tires as inside of them are at wear bars. I know roads are bad and all but this seems pretty crazy to me on a fairly new unit. So, anyway I found this setup by a shop in San Diego and it really looks promising to me so interested in what some of the forum experts think.

https://www.facebook.com/trailertrutrac

[Country Campers]

Do you have any other link to the product? Not all here are on facebook.

Brian

[nprario]

Do you have any other link to the product? Not all here are on facebook.

Brian

Unfortunately I don't. That's the only info I could find is on facebook.

[nprario]

Attempting to post pictures that are not upside down 🤔

[Country Campers]

That looks very similar to what a member had been designing a few years ago. Cate&Rob Do you remember who this member was? Do you remember this concept? Or is my mind not thinking correctly?

Brian

[TucsonJim]

I remember that too Brian. But I'm not so sure how this will help with tire wear. That is usually caused by a spindle bend. The track bars are well inside of the spindle.

Jim

[Cate&Rob]

Country CampersTucsonJim

You are likely remembering a project that Pat Wardell Gyrogearloose and I were working on several years ago. This grew out of the work that we did together to select stronger springs for the heavier side of our 303s. We were working on a panhard rod design to maintain the axle location during side loads. (Not uncommon on solid rear axle vehicles).

Unfortunately, Pat encountered some significant health issues and has not been on the forum since August 2021. I have lost contact with him since about then. I do know that he sold his Reflection at about that time.

Attached is a picture of what we were working on . . . although a prototype was never built. It is similar to the topic of this thread.

I agree with Jim that a system such as this will not remedy uneven tire wear . . . that is almost always a bent axle or a bent spindle.

Rob

[nprario]

I remember that too Brian. But I'm not so sure how this will help with tire wear. That is usually caused by a spindle bend. The track bars are well inside of the spindle.

Jim

I know the axle will need to be replaced and the trac bars will really not help tire wear. Looking at this to strengthen frame and spring hangers. They build the axles at their shop and will do thick wall tubing to help reduce potential bending issues in the future. I also think that eliminating or mostly eliminating the lateral loads on the spring and equalizer assembly's should help them operate more efficiently.

[TucsonJim]

I know the axle will need to be replaced and the trac bars will really not help tire wear. Looking at this to strengthen frame and spring hangers. They build the axles at their shop and will do thick wall tubing to help reduce potential bending issues in the future. I also think that eliminating or mostly eliminating the lateral loads on the spring and equalizer assembly's should help them operate more efficiently.

Another option is MorRyde X-factor braces. They aren't a perfect solution as Rob will likely expand on. But I installed three of them on my unit and just put 6000 miles on this summer. Some of those miles were on some really rugged back country dirt roads. I had no suspension mishaps along the way.

[Cate&Rob]

The MORRyde braces reinforce one hanger to the other. The pictures posted here (BTW the linked FB page seems to be restricted/blocked) appear to be a panhard rod design whereby the axle is braced crosswise to prevent side-to-side movement. This would be a good idea and is what Pat & I were working on, several years ago.

Rob

[Yoda]

Looks like I am on the hook for a rear axle after talking to both Grand Design and Dexter. 7000 miles and I need two rear tires as inside of them are at wear bars. I know roads are bad and all but this seems pretty crazy to me on a fairly new unit. So, anyway I found this setup by a shop in San Diego and it really looks promising to me so interested in what some of the forum experts think.

https://www.facebook.com/trailertrutrac

I believe the x-Factors will do the same thing. I no longer see any axle side movement in parking lot turns as I used to without the x-Factor. However that assembly clamps to the axle tube and will probably bent it in use. Your tire wear sounds like mine before I replaced my axles (full thread here ) and I will bet your axle tube is thin wall. To know take a picture of the axle tags and send to Dexter and get the build sheet - also post here. If you replace you axle get the heavy wall tube - much stronger.. As new as your trailer is I am surprised that GD and Dexter are not helping. Also check for frame cracks above the suspension points.
Keith