Hi Restorers,
Just got the mother heavy axle from Dexter. It came in a 60 footer and had to
be dropped on the highway out front. Took about a half hour for me to wrestle
it from the highway to my back yard. Certainly is a massive axle with hubs,
emergency brake, drums, etc. Think I'm going to like it when I can get a bit
of help to push it into position after removing the original Henchen. Of
course, once the old axle is removed, I can make comparative measurements to
be absolutely, positively sure it fits! :)
Hope this is the beginning of orders from Dexter for replacement axles for the
older airstream restorations. If all works out OK, it's nice to know that the
replacement can be done for less than half the cost that Inland has foisted on
restorer's.
In addition to the emergency brake suggested by Dr. G.J., I ordered the 32
degree down angle, 10% increased weight, the larger drum, oval brakes, and the
inverted shock tabs, etc. that will modernize the axle. Hopefully, the rear
will ride a couple of inches higher with the increased down angle of the
torsion arm.
If any of you order an axle, DO NOT ALLOW it to be shipped COD. I had quite a
heated discussion with Dexter about my order. $460 for the axle, $350 for the
shipping? :( The $460 for the axle is OK and possibly a bit over $100 for the
shipping, but $350 is right out gouging, so to say then there's Inland and
Airstream to serve as the standard.
Might take some pictures and have them available, but . . .
Regards,
'69 Safari, Joy