Dexter Torque Suspension

Submitted: Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 08:39
ThreadID: 138981 Views:6151 Replies:4 FollowUps:3
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Hi has anyone got this or heard about it, we are looking at a caravan that has it and we have not heard much regarding this type of Suspension.
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Reply By: Bruce and Di T - Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 13:34

Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 13:34
Do you mean Dexter sway control? We have it on our van and find it great. It works on the wheel having the problem.

Diane
AnswerID: 627404

Follow Up By: RMD - Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 15:20

Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 15:20
I think Dexter sway control works on the wheel's NOT having the problem so it can correct for the one/s which has the problem. Seems logical to me.
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 15:27

Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 15:27
.
...."Alternate side braking technology Next generation technology promptly detects trailer sway and responds by applying EITHER the left or right brakes dampening the sway much quicker than other systems that apply brakes on both sides at the same time."
Cheers
Allan

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Reply By: kgarn - Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 15:23

Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 15:23
Try this link;

Rubber Torsion Suspension

Ken
AnswerID: 627405

Reply By: RMD - Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 15:34

Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 15:34
Dexter suspension is like ALKO rubber suspension which uses lengths of compressible rubber between fixed and articulated sections of the unit. Doesn't give much range of movement and doesn't load share if dual axle and becomes abrupt as it approaches maximum compression. Some use it on horse floats which traverse smooth roads, seems ok for that use.
I would not buy a trailer or caravan with that style of suspension unless ONLY ever travelling on well made roads. Some people on here have had failures with axles/loss of wheel and the unit must be replaced if not doing it's job regarding ride height.. No adjustability on suspension ride height is possible.
I don't know if it uses shock absorbers but the rubber causes wheel bounce of suspension when travelling over corrugations and sudden bumps.
What alarms me is the axle is fixed into a relatively thin swing arm and there is not much axle support on the inner end. The arm has to take all twisting forces created by load and or road conditions.
AnswerID: 627406

Follow Up By: Ron N - Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 17:22

Saturday, Aug 24, 2019 at 17:22
The compressible rubber suspension system for trailers and caravans was invented in Pommyland in the late 1940's, by a bloke named Alex Moulton.

The original suspension is called Flexi-Tor, and it comprises a rubber-bonded axle/spindle inside a housing, which is bolted to the chassis or subframe.
The Flexi-Tor uses a removable swing arm, clamped onto splines on the axle.
Later, cheaper versions simply use a swing arm welded to the axle.

Alex Moulton biography

Moulton went on to be a consultant on the design of Alex Issigonis' Mini-Minor rubber suspension.

When Moultons patent expired on the Flexi-Tor, others copied the idea. The cheapest version merely consists of a square axle mounted diagonally in a square tube (SHS steel) housing, with four rods of longitudinal solid rubber filling the voids between axle and square tube housing.
These are the suspension units with the welded swing arm.

These units are made simply by pressing an axle into a housing whilst the rubber rods are held in place, and compressed a relatively small amount - enough to stop the axle from slipping out.

When in use on the road, the pivoting of the swing arm compresses the rubber rods even further, allowing a degree of oscillation.
As RMD says, these units are made for smooth roads, because the angle of articulation is relatively narrow, and quite limited in its arc.

I built a 2,200 litre tandem axle fuel trailer in the mid-1970's using this type of suspension unit.
The fuel trailer was used on mostly dirt roads and paddock work.

The rubber suspension units failed completely within about 20,000kms. The rubber rods flogged out until the axle came out - and those units that didn't fail completely in this manner, ended up with bent axles.

I scrapped the whole four rubber suspension units within a year, and installed a four-spring rocker suspension with lubed shackles and lubed rockers - which suspension is still running today, more than 30 years later (my nephew has inherited the fuel trailer!).

These rubber torsion suspension units are extremely limited in their capabilities, and they won't stand up to hard work.
There is apparently also a difference in build quality between the original Pommy Flexi-Tor units and Chinese-built versions.

Flexitor failure - motorbike sidecar

I also utilised a couple of 4,500 litre, 4-wheel, articulated fuel trailers, supplied by my fuel company.
One of these units was built with four high-capacity, original Flexi-Tor suspension units (the ones with the bonded rubber guts), and the other articulated trailer had four conventional springs.

Neither of the articulated fuel trailer units gave any suspension trouble, and I would put this down to the fact that the manufacturers used some seriously-heavily-rated springs and Flexi-Tor suspension units.

But neither of these articulated fuel trailers did big kms, they spent a lot of time sitting around on job sites and in paddocks, and most movements of them were over short distances.

Cheers, Ron.
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Reply By: Dave B18 - Tuesday, Aug 27, 2019 at 17:14

Tuesday, Aug 27, 2019 at 17:14
If it is on a Jurgens Caravan it is fine.
The biggest issue with Dexter Torque suspension is when they don't fit correctly sized units, and they consequently get overloaded.
Works well, reliable and been around a long time. Dexter don't make rubbish, and their torque suspension was a cut above other brands.

Doesn't give any issues any different to springs, and is always fitted with shock absorbers like all independent suspension.
I wouldn't hesitate to have Dexter Torque Suspension, but you need to check the weight loading and weight loading of the caravan. Personally I would want a weigh bridge certificate prior to purchasing the caravan to ensure the plated weight is actually what it says it is as so many caravans are a guessed weight. Jayco is one of the few caravan manufacturers that have their own weigh bridge and weigh every caravan.
AnswerID: 627447

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