My experience with the Reese Revolution maintenance

[cachencouple]

Just wanted to say I did the "annual maintenance" (as suggested in the Reese manual) on the revolution hitch today. We've had the 5th wheel trailer for a couple of years so I guess I'm a little late...

First challenge was to find a 2-1/4" socket. Got one at Princess Auto (sort of the Canadian version of Harbour Freight) for about $17.00CDN. Also had to buy a 1" to 3/4" adapter and a 3/4" to 1/2" adapter because my torque wrench is 1/2" drive. Then I needed to find some pipe to extend the leverage of an old pipe wrench I have so I could even move the pin box (hitch), it was very tight. The nut came off with little trouble but I still could not move the pin box. Eventually after swinging it back and forth with the pipe wrench and the pipe for assistance and with a bit of driving a chisel in to persuade it, it finally came off. I used the tailgate of the truck to 'catch' the pin box because it isn't exactly light. I cleaned the big pivot pin and lubed the wear plate and wear disc (but not the pivot pin) and used the trailer jacks and truck tailgate I get the two back together. I tightened the nut to 80 lb/ft and put the cotter pin back in.

Now I can move the pin box by hand, it's still stiff, which is good, but at least it moves and it doesn't squeak which is the main reason I did this job in the first place.

Hopefully this will make hitching up and unhitching easier, I was having quite a bit of trouble at times.

So, one more job done.
Cheers!

[dcheatwood]

Thanks for reporting this. I don't remember hearing or reading about ant annual maintenance. I'll check it soon.

[cachencouple]

If you look at the last page of the 'manual' that came with the pin box (hitch), there is a short paragraph that is titled "Maintenance" and it says in point 3:

"Tear down and inspect annually"

Cheers!

[dcheatwood]

Thanks. Gonna give it a go when I get home. Used to be able to turn it. After first 1000 miles or so it got too stiff. Maybe maintenance will do it.

[PhoneDude 8289]

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

Thanks. Gonna give it a go when I get home. Used to be able to turn it. After first 1000 miles or so it got too stiff. Maybe maintenance will do it.

Our unit is 8 months old, revolution works great. I can move mine as long as the sun has not heated it. I didn't know that they should be taken apart and cleaned yearly, i'll have to go over the documentation. Taking it apart and back together could be interesting because of the weight. Let us know how that works out for you.

[dcheatwood]

Will do. I'll try to take pics. Gonna be a while. I'm out for two weeks.

[Jjsav]

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

Will do. I'll try to take pics. Gonna be a while. I'm out for two weeks.

Guess I will be watching this threat too......

On a side note, not to hijack the thread, dcheatwood, you ever replace your slider with regular legs? I did and it so much lighter, and less banging. And still plenty of room for turning. I am so glad I did it...

[dcheatwood]

No I haven't but would love to. Hoping to make a trade one day. I watch for 5.5' beds without sliders. Who knows. Maybe one day. Glad to hear it decreased banging.

[ronb707]

Read on one of the forums about the suggestion of hitching your RV up to the tow vehicle and then begin the dis-assembly of the Revolution pin. The truck hitch would be supporting the pin and holding the weight. Once the large nut on the pivot is off one could use the landing gear to raise the RV to help separate the pivot portion (probably still need a pry bar). Oh yeah, how about the reassembly? Might be a little tough getting things lined up when the front of the pin is still in the hitch.

I personally have not tried this method. Might work though. Think it thru before you try it. My Revolution was groaning like a rusty nail being removed from a board--only could hear it at low speed like when pulling into a campground. How embarrassing is that? Had the dealer (still in warranty) disassemble and lube. No noise now!!

[cachencouple]

When I did the dis-assembly I didn't actually hitch up the the hitch in the truck, but I did use the truck and the trailer jacks as you suggest to take the weight of the pin box. I don't think hitching it up would work. I think it would pivot on the hitch. They say it can be done with two people, but I didn't have two strong people handy so I had to use something else!

I put a few blocks of wood on the tailgate (when it was down) and then lowered the landing gear of the trailer until the pin box was almost touching the wood blocks. Then I wrestled with the pin box until I persuaded it to come loose. Then I raised the trailer and pulled the truck ahead a bit to get at the pin box, now in the truck.

Going together wasn't too hard but you need to make sure the pin box is going onto the shaft of the trailer straight. Don't rush, and wiggle it around and it should slip on easily. Just use the trailer landing gear to slid the trailer into in. Then put the big nut on and pull the truck out of the way.

Before I did it I'd read somewhere that I should not lube the shaft the nut attaches to... then, after I was done, I read the instructions a bit closer and see it says:

"use lithium on the wear plate, wear bushing and bearing."

The wear plate is the piece of plastic stuff (not sure what it is) at the top of the assembly. The wear bushing is a piece of the same material on the bottom just above the big nut and washer and, I assume, the bearing is the 'hole' the shaft goes through. So I guess I should have put lube in there as well. Humm, read instructions first!!
I this I got enough lube in there anyway, but I'll be sure to lube it when I do this next year.

[PhoneDude 8289]

Hey Cachencouple about how many miles do you have towing with the revolution. We are coming up on about 4K on ours and I can still move it unless it's been sitting in the sunshine very long. I was wondering if a dry lube would work, dirt and sand wouldn't stick. I guess if they recommend lithium that's probably what I would use when I do mine this winter.

[cachencouple]

How many miles? humm... good question, not really sure but we did take it from our home (near Vancouver, BC) to Tucson, AZ and back this last winter, not exactly sure how may miles that is, I suspect less than 4K... maybe 3K ish ??

I was never able to turn the pin box by hand and even after I'd removed the big nut on the bottom I still needed a pipe wrench and an extension bar to budge it. After I got it off and lubed it up I can now move it by hand. The main reason I removed it in the first place was to stop the horrible squeaking noise it made. Nice and smooth and quite now!!

[PhoneDude 8289]

My reese revolution started making lots of noise so I decided to try and lube it. Bought a 2-1/4" socket and a 3/4 x 1/2" adapter to remove the castle nut that holds the revolution together. Used a breaker bar and a 2" pipe extension to break the nut loose, everything looked so rusted. Could not get the revolution to move so I hitched it to the truck and got the hitch at almost 90º and soaked it with wd40. Did this in both directions and did a few circles in both directions. Screwed the castle nut back on so the hitch would not drop off and finely got it separated. Lots of grit and dirt along with some pretty good gouges on the front ware plate and the ware plate above the large washer and nut. Got it all cleaned up and spread white lithium grease on the ware plates. No ware or marks at all on the rear ware plate. Anybody know when these ware plates should be replaced?

Rusted threads and castle nut

Scratches and gouged metal, ware plate worst

Scratches and gouged metal, ware plate worst

Ware plate above castle nut.

[PhoneDude 8289]

Here we are in 2017, going to be making a couple of cross country trips this year. From the condition of the ware plate and the large ware ring above the castle nut last year I ordered a repair kit from etrailer. The kit came from Reese with the ware plate, ware bushing, ware ring, a container of silicone lube and instructions. Instructions were dated 08/2016. Everything that came in the box already had lube on it including the inside and outside of the bushing. Instructions also showed pictures of all the parts with instructions to lube with arrows pointing at each part to include the bushing inside and out. The pin box should come apart a good bit easier this year I greased everything pretty good last year except for the bushing and I can still move it putting my weight into it (170#). This year parts are getting replaced and well greased including the bushing.

[hitch hiker]

following this thread, i wondered if anyone has fitted [in England we call it] a grease nipple, so you can constantly be pushing grease through.and in so doing be pushing all debris out. mine seems ok at the moment but its only been used for 6 months.
will check and service when i get back to England.
steve and ali

[PhoneDude 8289]

Mid 70's today I spent a couple of hours tearing apart the pin box cleaning it up, greasing everything real good, installing the new ware plate, ware ring and bushing. If you have the 10K revolution those are the only parts you will need. The kit I bought came with several bolts and washers that were not needed. It took more time to get the pin box and spindle cleaned up than it did to tear it down and put it all back together. Had to press the new bushing into the pin box but I was surprised how easy the spindle went into the bushing. Once it was cleaned and greased it went together pretty easy. Everything got grease including the spindle as per the directions. A few pictures of the work.

I don't see why the ware plate and ware ring couldn't be turned over and use the good side. If there is much damage to the bushing that would need to be replaced. All in all about a two hour job more than half of that spent cleaning.

Taking it apart


Condition of spindle


Spindle & plate after cleaning


Going back together


Ready to pull


Now all it needs is a good coat of hi gloss black

[B and B]

Thank you for posting this. I did a teardown on mine just to clean it up and despite what others had stated lubed up the whole thing.

Have a safe trip Phone Dude.

[jtatum65]

Great post!! Thanks for sharing and including pictures. I was wondering what you did/use to clean the spindle?

[PhoneDude 8289]

Originally Posted by jtatum65

Great post!! Thanks for sharing and including pictures. I was wondering what you did/use to clean the spindle?

I used brake parts cleaner, rags, plastic putty knife, brass wire brush and some "00" steel wool to clean the spindle and all surfaces. I think someplace I mentioned that Reese sent silicone grease, that was wrong. They sent "TEFLON" grease. Enough grease to clean and grease it a couple more times.

[THESCUBADOC]

shout out to "PHONE DUDE"
how in the name of GOD did you get the pin box to drop????
pullled the cotter pin, loosened the nut, and sprayed almost a can of BLASTER in there,,,,short of a grenade it ain't budging,,,can reach me at
thescubadoc@gmail.com