Lifting a Trailer 2-1/2" to 3" Without Replacing the Dexter Torflex Axle
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- Опубліковано 13 чер 2021
- In this video, we lift a 2015 Lance 1575 that has a Dexter Torflex Axle and Norco mounting plates. Total lift is approximately 2-1/2 to 3 inches. The Torflex axle is not like the standard axle supported by leaf springs, and this makes it impossible to lift by the same methods used on those other axles.
This Torflex axle has plates welded to it that bolt to the side of the trailer's frame. To achieve lift, a modified plate is manufactured that allows the original axle to be dropped and then its plates are bolted to the new plates, which are bolted to the trailer's frame.
To my knowledge, these modified plates are not available commercially. However, we were able to download the DXF computer file that is used to manufacture them on a computerized metal cutting machine and had a local machine shop produce them for us.
This method of lifting the trailer is not supported by any organization such as Lance, Dexter, etc. As far as I know, some random person out there figured out this design and produced the DXF file with a Computer-Aided Design program. But I have no idea who that person is or what their qualifications are.
If you decide to do this yourself, you do so ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. I have no idea if these are adequate to support the weight of a trailer. However, they are about twice the thickness of the original plates (approximately 3/8" vs. 3/16"). Use your own judgment. I am not responsible, nor am I liable, for any mishaps that occur because of anyone's use of this method to raise their trailer or any other purpose. I did not design, nor do I manufacture these plates.
See this Jayco forum thread for more information on how these plates were developed: www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f3...
To get these plates made, download the DXF file below and take it to a machine shop that has the computerized equipment to use this file. The PDF file shows the dimensions of the plates.
DXF file: www.dropbox.com/s/7ba0wlf0a9c...
PDF file: www.dropbox.com/s/qkx6w71xdoa... - Навчання та стиль
UPDATE - 10/22/2021 - The trailer has about 350 miles on it since it was lifted and it's working great. No towing-related issues at all, and it hasn't dragged on anything since doing this.
Something I forgot to do and will correct - add one 3/16-inch thick washer between the new plate and frame on each of the top bolts. There will be a gap there if you don't do that, and without those washers there, tightening those top bolts could stress the new plate and slightly bend it. I'm not sure if that would be an issue over time or not, but the safest thing to do is add those washers. Also - sorry for the light issues. My phone apparently has an aperture problem and my usual camera's memory card failed.
What size hardware did you use?
@@kevinrobinson-hard16 Grade 8 bolts, 1/2" by 1-1/2", fine thread (20 threads per inch). You might even want to go 1-3/4" for extra length when going through both plates.
Ahhhh that makes sense now , I was trying to figure out how the extra thickness of the plate would work but that slot makes sense, thank you so much !!
Thanks so much for sharing this info and the files/links. We have a 2016 1685 - two axels - looks like this will work for us as well.
Very good intuitive explanation😀
Thank you very much Maynard. I had the plates done with the specifications here close to Montreal and a good hitch shop installed them. I lift my trailer for at least 2 ½ ". Easier to pull on the road and safer for the tanks in the bumps. Great improvement.
@6chno3ndp. Hi. Can you share the name of the shop that did it for you? and the one that did cut the plates? I am in montreal and would like to do the same. Thanks.
Great video detail. Thanks!
Nice work.
That was great and very in depth tutorial. I would’ve measured (wheel hun clearance) the holes and drilled for the backside
I’ve lifted every camper I’ve owned, so at least a dozen now, my current is a Lance as well, I cnc cut my own plates and went a full 6”. Every lift I’ve ever put on has been fine, never once had any issues
Do you have the spec fir the plates,I would really like yo lift my 2017 1995 lance
Update: ran the trailer all summer long, paved & gravel roads. Upworth of 4000km. No problem whatsoever. Nice upgrade and easy to do once you have the brackets. I did not add the extra piece between the bottom tabs...
Maynard, Great video, very informative. I'm curious about the 'middle' bracket holes, do they align with the existing lower axle frame holes? So, the drilling of the additional holes is only through the axle mounting frame plate? Then the middle bolts would pass through the new bracket, the axle mounting frame plate, and then the trailer frame? Based on the PDF specs it looks like the 'middle' bracket holes would line up to the existing lower axle frame holes. Any chance you could post a few photos from the back side showing the bolt and hole locations? Thanks!
Hi Darwin - Sorry, I don't have any pics from the back side and the trailer is 350 miles away in a storage unit. But no, the middle bracket holes do not line up with the existing lower axle frame holes. The way it works is the top holes of the new plate line up with the same frame holes that the old plate used for its top bolts. The lowest holes on the new plate line up with the lowest holes on the original plate, so no drilling needed there either (the lowest bolts just hold the old and new plates together. They do not go through the frame).
But the middle holes for the new plate do not line up with the lower holes in the frame or the upper holes on the original plate. So it's necessary to drill holes (in line with the middle holes on the new plate) through the original plate and the frame so that can all be bolted together. The only reason that they don't line up is that the upper holes in the original plate are closer together than the frame holes are, since those frame holes originally lined up with the lower holes in the original plate, which are wider apart. It's kind of confusing when you put it in print but I hope that makes sense.
@@MTMiser Thanks for your quick response. A couple of follow-up questions: 1. How much distance is there from the edge of axle mounting frame plate to the newly drilled holes? Similarly, how far are the newly drilled frame holes from the original frame holes?
As an alternative, if the new mounting plate didn't have it's middle holes could you drill from the rear through the existing lower frame holes into the axle mounting frame plate and then into the new bracket to bolt onto the frame?
@@darwinpruisner7126 I don't have any answers for you. I just don't have the trailer here to look at. But I know someone who commented here said they drilled those middle holes from the back side, although I don't believe they changed the location. I believe the edge of the original frame plate (after lowering) is very close to the lower holes in the frame, which is probably why the location was changed for the middle holes on the new plate. But that's just a guess, based on how it looks in the video.
Thanks for this great video. I want to add this lift to my 1575 but am having trouble finding someone in my area with the equipment to cut the steel. Would you share who made yours, I am thinking they can ship them to me.
@Timothy Ady - Sorry for the late reply. My sister had them made and I had a little trouble connecting with her. She got them made at Kimzey Welding Works in Woodland, California. 530-662-9331. These things are pretty heavy so might cost a little to ship to you. If you want to try to find a shop nearer to where you live, just call around and ask if they have a CNC machine (Computerized Numerical Control) that accepts DXF files. Best of luck!
Great video. I plan on doing this mod on Saturday and had a couple of questions for you. What length bolts did you buy and what did you torque them at?
Thanks David. The bolts are 1/2-inch diameter, 20 threads per inch and 1-1/2 inch in length, but that was barely long enough. If you get 1-3/4" length it would probably work out better. Good luck, and remember to jack it up securely, use jack stands and never fully remove the bolts from the plates on both sides at the same time so the axle doesn't come crashing down. I torqued the bolts to 85 ft. lbs., but I don't remember where I got that number now. I torqued the backing plate nuts to 40 ft. lbs.
@@MTMiser Thank you sir!
@@DJF38 Forgot to mention, the bolts I used are grade 8.
Hi, that's a great video thank you. Just about to get the brackets made up to install on my trailer which has Dexter axles. I was wondering: any idea about what the purpose is for the tab at the bottom of the bracket? There a 1/2 hole in it as well, but It isn't used... Does it play some kind of structural role or maybe used for another kind of axle? I tough maybe to get the brackets machined without them, as it might shave a bit of $$$ from the total. Cheers
Hi Eric - These were designed by someone who was going to put them on a Jayco trailer and if I remember correctly that tab was there to attach a stabilizing bar, if desired. The other end of the bar would attach to the same tab on the opposite side. Not sure why it would be needed.
@@MTMiser Hmm interesting. I will leave them on regardless. Installing on a Jayco as well, but there is no stabilizing bar of any sort that I can see.... Anyway thanks again! Cheers
@@yukonerci See the following link for a discussion about these plates by the guy who designed them, including why he added the tabs. Best of luck on your project. www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f30/axle-lift-for-x19h-49307.html
Hmmm same question that makes sense though.
i want to buy this lift kit but i cannot find it any where ,, where can i get the kit ??????????????????
I've seen this "kit " on etrailer for the torsion axle. It says for "side mount" mine mounts on top . Can't seem to find anything on that
Do you have a link to that? I looked on etrailer and can't find it. I do see some side mount brackets for mounting the Dexter Torflex axles, but they don't provide any lift. All the lift kits I saw for Dexter axles were the channel iron type that aren't for those with Norco side mount plates. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place.
@@MTMiser I looked at my trailer. The bolts holding the axle to the frame are straight down from the top. Without taking the flooring off there doesn't seem to be a way to get them out.
@@ctclimberguy34 Wow, that's crazy. You really have to wonder sometimes how they come up with stuff like that. What kind of a trailer is it?
@@MTMiser Ezhauler.
Can you direct me where to purchase the Norco mounting plates? TY ~ Bryan
All the info you need is in the video description. Just find a machine shop in your area that has equipment that will read a .DXF file. See video description for a link where you can download the file.
Its July 2022. Any updates on performance? I have a 2018 (made in 2017) Lance 1575 like the one in the video. I have the same brackets for my axle, and am considering this option.
No issues at all. It was on a 300-mile trip last month and my sister has it on another camping trip now - about a 250-miler. It pulls great - no sway or any other issues at all. Very solid.
@@MTMiser thank you. Im going to start trying to identify a CNC machine shop and see if I can make this work.
Just an update: I ordered the plates (September 2022) from the same place as your sister, Kinney Metal Fab I think its called. Current price was about $170.00. Shipping to AZ was around $25.00. This did NOT include powder coating, as they said they had no powder coating capabilities. I requested they eliminate the extra little tab at the bottom, as I have a single axle.
@@tfoz2235 Thanks for the update. Yes, my sister had to have the powder coating done somewhere else. Looks like their prices have gone up, like everything else. I hope it works out to your satisfaction. I think you'll be happy with it.
I just ordered mine from the same place. I have a 2017 1575. How did your install go, and how’s the ride?
where do i buys the lift kits ?? .. i am in kelowna bc canada
Hi Ernie - to my knowledge there is no such thing as a kit like this that is commercially available. So what you need to do is download a .DXF file that tells a metal cutting machine how to cut these plates. There is a link in the description of this video to that file, as well as another file that shows the dimensions. Once you have the .DXF file you need to find a machine shop in your area that has a computer-aided metal cutting machine that uses this type of file to make the plates. Call around to machine shops in your area to see if they have such a machine. If they do, they can make the plates for you by feeding this file into the machine. Best of luck.
@@MTMiser thanks for the info ,,but that does not make them certified for insurance purposes..
@@MTMiser i can not find where you have the measurement for the plates
@@ernietauber5950 That's an entirely different question. You asked where you could buy them, and I gave you an answer for that. Does installing these, or reversing shackles on leaf springs, or modifying the trailer's suspension in any way give an insurance company an "out" in the case of an accident? I really have no idea. You would have to read your policy for that answer. As I said in the video, I don't recommend anyone do this, but if you do, you do it at your own risk. For those worried about invalidating their insurance coverage, maybe getting a 45-degree axle instead, at a cost of $1000-plus, would be a better option. But even then, read your insurance policy to see if that will invalidate it in case of an accident.
@@ernietauber5950 - Plate dimensions are here: ua-cam.com/users/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1dGNE9rMV9KY2oxTWdwcmlmQ3JjZGZRcC1KQXxBQ3Jtc0ttNGFMV0lkRGMyejBFS2t3TVJHNkRMQnJKQjlUTlZEQll5ZlFPOUxVRmJzQjR4ODBQeENPQmlrRWp6ZWI4Nzd0QzRacUZUdXY4TGhvVkc0N2FGYmd1MUduRzl4bzBKYVBodHFKOE5SX2dQOEt0NFl4QQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Fqkx6w71xdoa317e%2FLift%2520Bracket.PDF%3Fdl%3D0&v=v-UVJcDvP-k
I called kinney fab and it seems they are either out of business or changed there phone number. Im lookong to get tis lift bracket fabricated and haven't been able to find anyone to do it. Does anyone know where i could get this?
Do you mean Kimzey Welding Works in Woodland, CA? 530-662-9331 - Google shows them being open now, but I guess they've been wrong before. I know one guy who had them fabricate the plates and send them to him, but not sure what they charged. If the machine shops in your area don't have CNC equipment (Computer Numerical Control) to use the .DXF file, ask them if they can fabricate the plates the old school way, just using the dimensions. In the video description is a .PDF file you can download that has a diagram of the plates with all the dimensions.
Thank you so much! I had the wrong number.
I just placed an order!! Thank you for your help. He said he just recently processed 6 other orders. I guess more people are putting them on than I originally thought!
@@chasewells268 I guess I'll have to call him and ask for a commission! Lol.
We are trailer manufacture from Ningbo HARSCO machinery co, LTD, welcome you visit
Can you send me the dxf file
Hi Bob - if you look in the video description you'll see a link to that file on Dropbox where you can download it, along with the PDF file that has the dimensions.
Dexter sells them
@ Derek Smith - Thanks. You don't happen to have a link, do you? I know Dexter sells lift kits for torsion axles but I've never seen one to fit their axles with these Norco mounting plates. If they do make a lift kit for this type that's reasonably priced, it would be good to know.