mosseater
Dillsburg, PA
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Joined: 10/19/2007
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How much wear is acceptable on the cams before they need replaced? Can they be flipped over and switched side to side to use both sides? Is it normal for the cam surfaces to be off-level and wear only one side of the cam?
I don`t use any lube (Vaseline) on the cams, but I`m considering trying it. They are starting to wear a little and are pretty noisy at slow speed. I don`t switch the bars from side to side. I always keep the left on the left and the right on the right. I figure when the cam wears a pattern closely resembling the contour of the bar, the cam action will be at about optimum performance, provided they are adjusted to compensate for the loss of spring tension from material wearing away. There is now considerable galding of the surfaces of the cams and the bars. I am not alarmed by any of this, just wondering what is considered normal wear. Milage of the hitch is now at about 8500. Thanks for any input.
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swebber
Brunswick , MD
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Joined: 02/14/2005
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Not sure what wear is acceptable and I believe it has been posted previously about shimming out the brackets to square the bars to the cams. The cams can be swapped side to side to utililze the backside of the cam.
I use vaseline on mine and boy does it help eliminate the noise. I am sure it helps eliminate some wear as well. I also have the bars marked so that I always use the bar on the same side each time I hook-up.
No new truck yet ??
Steve & Tracy Webber
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wtravlr1
Palm Harbor, Flordia, and Geneva-on-the-lake, Ohio
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I think they should stay on the same side and wear in. They can get noisy at low speed. How much wear, i dont know. im on about 12,000 miles, and they seem fine. I always want to use vaseline, but have not done so. It seems they are noisy at the start of a trip and then settle out. pics are on my site of my set up.
2007 Forest River Sierra 31fkd (37') dual slides
chevy suburban 2003 2500-8.1 L.4.10's
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dodge guy
Chicago, western subs.
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Yes, mine are also starting to show some wear. the last couple of times I have added a dab of grease to the cams, which is OK by Reese due to my TT having approx. 1200lbs of TW! no more noise and no decrease in performance.
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fla-gypsy
North Florida
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I have a small amount of wear on mine so I started using some vaseline on them.
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mosseater
Dillsburg, PA
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Quote:No new truck yet ??
No, ya know what? That was a lot of worry about nothing. My towing on our trip was fine. That 150 is a great truck. Sure, it could be better, couldn`t they all. But, overall, I`m happy with how it tows and performs in general. Maybe next time I trade up I`ll give it a hard look. That`s a few years down the line. Biggest thing still is the tongue weight issue with the factory receiver. I`m just watching how I load it and life is good. I may make a few mods over time, but it tows solid as a rock. I`m thinking about an intake system and dual exhaust. That`s quick 20 hp or so. maybe some real shocks and a rear sway bar, stuff like that. Maybe a blower kit (hey, where`d that come from!!)
After looking at my credit card bill, I don`t need higher payments right now.
Oh, and PS: I dressed up the smashed threads and removed my hitch ball just to check things out. She weren`t very tight! I got the big wrenches out and was ready to root on it to get it loose, but it came right off. I torqued the dog pee out of it when I put it back on and used a drop or two of blue Loctite. Just temp until I get the higher ball. It pays to check them now and then fellas.
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LIKE2BUILD
Mt. Zion, IL
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Joined: 09/30/2004
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mosseater wrote:I dressed up the smashed threads and removed my hitch ball just to check things out. She weren`t very tight! It pays to check them now and then fellas.
Not to highjack your thread, but you are very right!!!! Last year I was helping my buddy hitch after a weekend of camping. I guided him back and then started to put on the WD bars. That's when I noticed the nut for his hitch ball was loose and there was almost a 1/4" vertical slop in the ball shank He was extremely glad we caught that one before he hitched up and drove off.
KJ
2002 Jayco Qwest 324G
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swebber
Brunswick , MD
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mosseater wrote:After looking at my credit card bill, I don`t need higher payments right now.
Glad it has worked out for you and could not agree more about the CC bills 
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rhondavid
Birmingham, Al
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Joined: 07/01/2003
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Back to the original topic. This is my fifth year to be using dual cam. I have some flatened out places on my cams as well from many mile of happy camping. I do use vaseline to keep the noise down but not so certain it really keeps the lobes from wearing. You have a lot of weight back there with a lot of friction.
I see no reason why you cannot turn the cams around and use the other side. At this point I am not concerned about the wear as the system still works perfectly. If I feel there is a need to make a change I will in fact turn them around.
I highly recommend a little dab of vaseline on each cam. Make for lots quiter towing.
David,Wife,4 kids,SIL,1 grandchild
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