Clearance between tyre and wheel arch

yorkyladandlass
yorkyladandlass Forum Participant Posts: 6
edited October 2018 in Caravans #1

My 2013 Lunar Clubman SE has just been in for annual service and my dealer says it needs a new axle as swinging arm / caravan is 1 inch lower on offside and inner edge of that 6 year old tyre is worn right down. I have seen a lot on the internet about Alko axles problems but am not sure how accurate his diagnosis is as he said "we think the problem is" on more than one occasion.

Going to have a good look myself tommorow but am sure the offside wheel has always been higher in the wheel arch and. Any guidance on a safe distance between the two would be appreciated.

I also intend to jack up the van, remove both wheels, and see if one arm hangs differently to the other.

 

Thanks

Steve 

Comments

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2018 #2

    Some info about the alko axles here.

    http://www.al-ko.co.uk/edit/files/handbooks/caravanchassishandbookwhite.pdf

  • ric95
    ric95 Forum Participant Posts: 30
    edited October 2018 #3

    Just browse ALKO axle problems and its epidemic, problem is no caravan manufactures any liability, my theory is that due to caravan design weight limits have been exceeded on one side of the van  and axle failures occur.

    This failure affects all makes fitted with the ALKO axle.

    I have noticed looking at later vans they have more evenly distributed the weight in the van, but no one accepts any liability even though many owners have had to pay around £1000 to have the fault fixed.

    The clubs technical department has let us down as many members have had issues with axle failures but no one is interested in pursuing what appears to be a design fault despite them being aware of the problem.

    Its frustrating and to be honest puts me off buying another caravan. 

  • yorkyladandlass
    yorkyladandlass Forum Participant Posts: 6
    edited October 2018 #4

    Thanks for your replies Lornalou1 & Ric 95. Also for directing me to the other posts on this site regarding this issue.

    85 replies to one post makes sombre and frustrating reading ,looks like Its either pay up and have a new axle fitted or carry on using a van which may or may not have a safety issue which could void my insurance if not addressed following the service report.

    For what its worth Ric 95 I also believe its the caravan designers grossly uneven weight  distribution that's the main problem 

    Thanks again

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2018 #5

    There is an advert in the recent mag for Alko axle repairs. Page 106. Fraser Brown Engineering. They even pick up and drop of but I don't know what the cost would be. Website is-www.fraserbrowneng.co.uk could be others around the country that do repairs. Worth a thought.

  • DaveCyn
    DaveCyn Club Member Posts: 339 ✭✭✭
    100 Comments
    edited October 2018 #6

    Looked at these when our axle needed replacement. Would have worked out at just over £1200 as opposed to the £900 quoted by the dealer.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited October 2018 #7

    I have noticed looking at later vans they have more evenly distributed the weight in the van, but no one accepts any liability even though many owners have had to pay around £1000 to have the fault fixed.

    Unfortunately that is not always the case, our new Coachman has on 1 side, the boiler, battery, pcu, food cupboard, cooker, wardrobe and finally the toilet. The other side has the fridge and shower, not a very well thought out weight distribution.

    We will be keeping a very keen eye on our axle.

  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2018 #8

    We must have been one of the first to be affected by this, way back in the year 2000.  Our brand-new Swift, after one outing from pickup at Coppull to a site in Derbyshire, and then back to our storage site, developed a 'lean' to one side, with the tyre almost rubbing on the wheel arch.  The original dealer wasn't a bit interested, and told us to tow it over there for them to look at 'when we had time'.   We didn't have time, as we were due to go on holiday at the end of the following week. We decided it was too far, so took it to Dickinsons in Bradford, our local dealer.  They diagnosed a fault with the Alko axle, and it was sent away to Alko for 'repair and/or refurb' under warranty but when they got it back and refitted it, the caravan still had a problem.  So they rang Alko, and then Swift, and got them both out to a meeting with us.............. (Technical Directors no less!)  where all parties agreed that there was a real problem and that the caravan was unsafe.  It was loaded on to a low loader, and towed back to the Alko factory somewhere in the midlands.  This was on a Tuesday, and the caravan was back with us on the Friday, new axle fitted, and ready for us to go on holiday to France.

    I wrote about this on another forum at the time, and Chris at Dickinsons still calls us 'the people with the Swift Alko axle problem'!  We've towed it approximately 60,000 miles since then....... most of those miles in France, over speed bumps and rough roads, and have had absolutely no other problem with the axle.

    We were told at the time that the problem was the rubber triangular bushes inside the axle, which are prone to twisting as they are inserted into the axle, and that 'a whole batch of axles was affected'.

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