Alko axles.

[knokinonabit]

Recently I put the MH in for it's annual MOT and the usual health checks.
It passed the MOT with an advisory, that being that one of the wheels wasn't leaving the ground when the MH was jacked up, leading to the conclusion that the torsion bars had failed on that particular side of the axle. As it's a twin rear axle it hadn't fallen over, but had developed a slight lean. Anyway, the reason it wasn't a fail is because the examiner couldn't see it, therefore couldn't fail it. Stupid idea or what !! Even though we both knew what was wrong.
After finding out how much replacement axles were I looked for a repairer. These are like hens teeth to find.

I found one called Fraser Brown who is based at Nigg on the Cromarty Firth. LeisureTech NE removed the axles for me, I had decided that if one failed the others were likely to fail as well, and I put them in my van and drove them to Nigg, arriving at around 7pm. Fraser couldn't have been more helpful and obliging. This was Wednesday evening when I arrived and they started work on Thursday morning as I drove home. I had an appointment on Friday and couldn't stay. On Friday evening Fraser emailed me with pictures of the stripdown, repair and rebuild and I drove back to collect them on Monday, arriving back home on Tuesday and delivering them to LeisureTech on Wednesday morning. The axles will be refitted by them, and other jobs carried out that need doing, and the MH will be ready next week. One of the other jobs involves damp, but that's another story.

The total time the MH will have been off the road to back again will be around four weeks, which includes at least four days standing time at LeisureTech as it wasn't booked in and they had to complete pre-booked work first.

Hats off to both companies for the way they have responded and dealt with the problems. I have no connection whatsoever with either of them, other than they will be helping to reduce my bank balance, but I think they deserve praise for going the extra mile.

Well done LeisureTech NE and Fraser Brown Engineering.

 

[Googlebot]

Fraser Brown have a great reputation.

 

[knokinonabit]

Fraser Brown have a great reputation.

And very well deserved.

 

[peterc10]

Did you grease your axles each year as in Alko's instructions? Supposed to do it with the wheels off the ground.

How much did it cost to get done please?

 

[knokinonabit]

Did you grease your axles each year as in Alko's instructions? Supposed to do it with the wheels off the ground.

How much did it cost to get done please?

I had left the servicing and greasing to “professional” authorised garages. The problem is that the Alko grease nipples are in the wrong place and don’t do the job they are supposed to. Watch Fraser Browns videos on YouTube as they will demonstrate it better than I can explain it.
The cost of a full refurbishment is £1275 per axle + vat.

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[knokinonabit]

Did you grease your axles each year as in Alko's instructions? Supposed to do it with the wheels off the ground.

How much did it cost to get done please?

Fraser Brown recommends that the axles are greased every 1,000 miles.

 

[knokinonabit]

Did you grease your axles each year as in Alko's instructions? Supposed to do it with the wheels off the ground.

How much did it cost to get done please?

Also, having the wheels off the ground won’t make any difference. The axles are hollow tubes with torsion bars. The way Alko have the grease nipples none enters the bushes anyway. They are doomed to failure from the day they are made.

 

[pappajohn]

Fraser Brown recommends that the axles are greased every 1,000 miles.

Evidently the Alko handbook recommend grease every 12 months or 20'000km whichever comes first
That a massive difference between 1000miles and 20'000km

 

[knokinonabit]

Evidently the Alko handbook recommend grease every 12 months or 20'000km.
That a massive difference between 1000miles and

It certainly is. After seeing the condition of some of the axles he was working on I’ll go with a 1,000 miles. He has little faith in the way Alko do it.

 

[peterc10]

Also, having the wheels off the ground won’t make any difference. The axles are hollow tubes with torsion bars. The way Alko have the grease nipples none enters the bushes anyway. They are doomed to failure from the day they are made.

Interesting, given that many motorhomes use Alko axles, I have not seen many examples of failure on this forum.

I had left the servicing and greasing to “professional” authorised garages. The problem is that the Alko grease nipples are in the wrong place and don’t do the job they are supposed to. Watch Fraser Browns videos on YouTube as they will demonstrate it better than I can explain it.
The cost of a full refurbishment is £1275 per axle + vat.

I assume you mean Fiat professional dealers. The problem with relying upon them is that Fiat does not supply or fit the axle. That is the responsibility of Alko and the converter. That is why when you look at the Fiat service schedule there is no mention of greasing these axles.

Our dealer did not mention this at handover but there was in the handover documents the Alko booklet which clearly did.

Maybe a need for more guidance from dealers and include the greasing in the habitation check, which is supposed to cover all the bits that the converter fitted?

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[knokinonabit]

Interesting, given that many motorhomes use Alko axles, I have not seen many examples of failure on this forum.



I assume you mean Fiat professional dealers. The problem with relying upon them is that Fiat does not supply or fit the axle. That is the responsibility of Alko and the converter. That is why when you look at the Fiat service schedule there is no mention of greasing these axles.

Our dealer did not mention this at handover but there was in the handover documents the Alko booklet which clearly did.

Maybe a need for more guidance from dealers and include the greasing in the habitation check, which is supposed to cover all the bits that the converter fitted?

I’ve owned this MH from new and have never seen anywhere that mentions greasing the axles. I understand and agree with your point about Fiat servicing and not knowing about the axle lubrication.
But as I said in a previous post, the grease nipples are not in the correct position to do any good anyway.
I’m sure there are mentions on here somewhere re failed axles, although I have never checked, but when I did a search for axle repairers on here Fraser Brown came up straight away, so someone has used him.
There are also lots of people with MHs who aren’t on this site who must have had axle failures.
Without wanting to turn this into a debate about the rights and wrongs, please would you have a look on Fraser Browns website and look at his videos.
He is repairing axles from all over Europe on a weekly basis.

Cast Iron Welding : AL-KO Axles : Nipple Therapy : EyeLevel

A range of Engineering Solutions and Innovations from Fraser Brown Engineering

www.fraserbrowneng.co.uk

 

[TheAleMan]

Did you grease your axles each year as in Alko's instructions? Supposed to do it with the wheels off the ground.

How much did it cost to get done please?

Used to grease our old tag every other year and with both axles off the ground. Our yearly mileage was low though. Had that van 14 years with no problems at all.

 

[knokinonabit]

Used to grease our old tag every other year and with both axles off the ground. Our yearly mileage was low though. Had that van 14 years with no problems at all.

That’s good to hear.
Not all of them fail then

 

[68c]

I was so happy knowing I had the highly desired Alko chassis on my twenty year old van. Then I started reading Alko axle threads.Now I worry every time I hit a bump and fret over how much grease the nipples take. The joys of internet forums.

 

[R32Paul]

Our van was in with LeisureTech on Friday For MOT and service. Same issue, looks like the same problem. Axle refurbishment required……

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[knokinonabit]

Our van was in with LeisureTech on Friday For MOT and service. Same issue, looks like the same problem. Axle refurbishment required……

Are you using Fraser Brown ?

 

[R32Paul]

Yes, Fraser Brown it will be.

 

[Googlebot]

I had a failed Alko axle replaced on my Bailey caravan before I got the MoHo under warranty. It wasn’t an isolated case and thousands of them have had to be done. Bailey always blamed the owners overloading them and did with mine.

I never overloaded it, they were talking tosh. They even weighed it before agreeing to replace the axle under warranty.

Problem was those owners who had slightly overloaded, even by a few KG Bailey refused to replace them and those out of warranty it was tough luck.

They subsequently had a squealing brake hub problem on the new axles which required the drums replacing. Again not an isolated case.

For a quality German engineering company, the stuff Alko make can be absolutely awful.

Would never touch a Bailey again, even if they are cheaper than others.

 

[wp1234]

Evidently the Alko handbook recommend grease every 12 months or 20'000km whichever comes first
That a massive difference between 1000miles and 20'000km

Just on the back of this thread just wondering what the experts on here think ? how much grease should you put into the axle ? I usually grease the Alko rear axle on my Laika via gun every 6 months or so and pump the gun about five times or so , is that enough ? can you ever over grease the axle ?

 

[68c]

......For a quality German engineering company, the stuff Alko make can be absolutely awful. ......

Are the really a quality company if the stuff they make is awful?

Are there any other companies making suspension suitable for caravans and motorhomes? I suppose the need to have a low floor means some kind of torsion bar/rubber in shear suspension is the only way.

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[Figaro]

can you ever over grease the axle ?

I have read (on here) putting too much grease in can blow a seal.
I've wondered before where the grease actually goes ? it doesn't come out or get used up so it must accumulate in the tube somewhere ?
Timely reminder to do mine again on a fine day

 

[wp1234]

I have read (on here) putting too much grease in can blow a seal.
I've wondered before where the grease actually goes ? it doesn't come out or get used up so it must accumulate in the tube somewhere ?
Timely reminder to do mine again on a fine day

My thoughts as well. I pumped a 500 cc tube of grease into the two nipples today and nothing came out of the ends … so how much is enough !

thoughts

 

[Cookieboy68]

My thoughts as well. I pumped a 500 cc tube of grease into the two nipples today and nothing came out of the ends … so how much is enough

 

[Cookieboy68]

I put in 6 pumps of the grease gun every year ,as recommended by alko ( they say 5- 7 pumps ). SHELL GADUS grease.

 

[Minxy]

Do a search under my user name for Alko and you should find a thread about greasing.

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[wp1234]

I put in 6 pumps of the grease gun every year ,as recommended by alko ( they say 5- 7 pumps ). SHELL GADUS grease.

~Cheers that’s what I used as well - Do you se any grease coming out at the end of the axle though ? I didn’t

 

[Cookieboy68]

No