AL=KO friction pads

Oct 31, 2022
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I live in Australia and have a Bailey Pageant Imperial 2001 and love it
I need to change the friction pads on the hitch but can not find them anywhere in Australia.
It is a AL-KO Kober AKS 2000 hitch. the the Shaft on the pad is metal and straight and only has one grove at the end
about 5mm. When i search for them i only get the those with several groves in them and plastic for the 2004/3004 models even tho it says they
are for the AKS 2000 they are different. Does anyone know where i can buy these straight shaft pads or will the newer ones fit
Thanks for your help
Ray
 

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Jun 16, 2020
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AlKo UK is a responsive company. I suggest you gather as much info as you can and then email them using this link.


See if there are any serial numbers and use pictures. The should be able to provide a part number.


John
 
Oct 31, 2022
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Thanks John
Have sent info and pictures to ALKO Australia and they do not have any info on them which is very strange as they are from an ALKO hitch
Will try ALKO UK
Ray
 
Oct 31, 2022
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Are you sure they are the AKS 2000, the 2000 looking here https://www.tauntontrailers.co.uk/al-ko-aks-2000-friction-pads-1220758-98-p.asp are not the same.

These show as fitting according to the website

As you can see they show two different kinds for the AKS2000 but if you look at my photo in my first post neither are the same as mine
 
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Martin_E Thanks for reply
I am begining to think the same, ALKO UK gave me the same Pt No so may just have to go along with it and hope they fit, expensive if they don't
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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Unless physically broken, or one missing are the existing not serviceable after a bit of roughing up the contact flank?

My experience is that they last, in later models for 10s of thousands of miles only requiring breaking the surface glazing when they get a bit noisy.
They, in at least the newer versions of the coupling, can be fitted with steel spacer washers [shims] on the shank to take up wear.
May be worth considering?
 
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Unless physically broken, or one missing are the existing not serviceable after a bit of roughing up the contact flank?

My experience is that they last, in later models for 10s of thousands of miles only requiring breaking the surface glazing when they get a bit noisy.
They, in at least the newer versions of the coupling, can be fitted with steel spacer washers [shims] on the shank to take up wear.
May be worth considering?

Alko say they are good for about 30000 miles, having said that they can wear prematurely due to varying factors like rusty tow ball or sandy/dusty environments.

They are very easy to check if they are worn, attache to vehicle, gently lower friction handle until it rest, check wear indicators on soft dock boot, if in the green all good, once they start getting towards the red (or on the older stabilisers lower end of the window is good towards the top end they want changing.) they want replacing.
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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They are very easy to check if they are worn, attache to vehicle, gently lower friction handle until it rest, check wear indicators on soft dock boot, if in the green all good, once they start getting towards the red (or on the older stabilisers lower end of the window is good towards the top end they want changing.) they want replacing.

In my view, not necessarily "replacing", surely just reshimming with one of the washers that come [or did with mine] side pad kit?
Is that not the purpose of the shim pack, to get the initial "bite point" right?
 
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In my view, not necessarily "replacing", surely just reshimming with one of the washers that come [or did with mine] side pad kit?
Is that not the purpose of the shim pack, to get the initial "bite point" right?
The shims are to balance the sides left/right, to install the friction pads correctly you take the red/black handle off, then lower the ears together, if one falls lower than the other you put a shim in, very rarely do shims need fitting.

if you keep adding shims you run the risk of the head of the friction pad shearing off as it get to thin
 

JTQ

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Exactly, "to get the initial "bite point" right".
If one or both side pads are worn, then using shims compensate, just as if the coupling is dimensionally unbalanced, or simply made excessively too wide.

The shims though will not affect the "shear" but the "bending stress" in the stems as the head is cantilevered more than without.

Clearly that is detrimental, if used for either reason, however the sheer fact they furnish shims means they are technically content for them to be used. The cantilever one or more shim creates is no greater if the shim is used to compensate for a misaligned coupling, than for wear; in both cases the shim offsets the bending by the same distance.

With these side pads typically lasting wear levels into tens of thousand miles use, we cannot be talking of a shimming offset requirement of unrealistic levels.
Clearly, if one goes to stupid amounts of shimming things will go wrong. The OP's photo does not look if the pad itself is excessively thin.
.
 
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Exactly, "to get the initial "bite point" right".
If one or both side pads are worn, then using shims compensate, just as if the coupling is dimensionally unbalanced, or simply made excessively too wide.

The shims though will not affect the "shear" but the "bending stress" in the stems as the head is cantilevered more than without.

Clearly that is detrimental, if used for either reason, however the sheer fact they furnish shims means they are technically content for them to be used. The cantilever one or more shim creates is no greater if the shim is used to compensate for a misaligned coupling, than for wear; in both cases the shim offsets the bending by the same distance.

With these side pads typically lasting wear levels into tens of thousand miles use, we cannot be talking of a shimming offset requirement of unrealistic levels.
Clearly, if one goes to stupid amounts of shimming things will go wrong. The OP's photo does not look if the pad itself is excessively thin.
.
You can’t see the wear surface on the original picture, just the outer case!

The heads wear through then shear as not enough meat is left to hold it onto the stem.
 
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Some good info there guys but the pads are very badly worn with very little "shoulder" on them almost no resistance when the handle is lowered. shims had been fitted
 

JTQ

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Agreed we can't see the wear surface.

The OP though can, they could also check if the use of a one or two shims [they are 5 in number 0.3mm plus 5 in number0.5mm] solves their wear issue.

It is here worth noting that, for similar AL-KO hitches, these shims are marketed for this very purpose, to quote Tauton Trailers website:-

"Shim washers to be replaced on AKS 2004/3004 side friction pads if originally fitted.

Or to allow for wear of the side friction pads ."


LINK

Edit: I note whilst typing this the OP has posted implying his pads are probably shot anyway.
At £50 I would be playing quite a bit more!
QED
 
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Oct 31, 2022
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Just had reply from ALKO UK. The friction pads are not available any more and the newer ones do not fit. So have to change the hitch.
As they are not very common here in Aus are there different models and any advice on which one to fit
Thanks
Ray
 
Oct 31, 2022
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Thanks for that John, i got so exited when i saw your thread. But, alas they are not the right ones
but many thanks anyway
Ray
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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Just had reply from ALKO UK. The friction pads are not available any more and the newer ones do not fit. So have to change the hitch.
As they are not very common here in Aus are there different models and any advice on which one to fit
Thanks
Ray

If I could not salvage the existing by shimming, or pick up a perused decent coupling, then I would forgo having a damping hitch and use a conventional one.

At best all these friction damped hitches, only dampen the minor movement amplitudes thus offer a more comforting tow, they don't help with the bigger issue of snaking.
For decades I towed without them.
 
Jun 16, 2020
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Thanks for that John, i got so exited when i saw your thread. But, alas they are not the right ones
but many thanks anyway
Ray

I am surprised because I just followed the link for a 2001 Pageant. Try going back to the home page and searching using your vin number.

Don't forget. the Prima part num is not necessarily the same as the AlKo part number.

50E2C3ED-6687-4311-BB53-99BECF5BFA6A.jpeg

John
 
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I am surprised because I just followed the link for a 2001 Pageant. Try going back to the home page and searching using your vin number.

John
2001 Bailey Pageants didn't have a stabiliser hitch as standard - I don't recall if it was a factory-fit option but it may have been a dealer-fit option - I fitted an Alko 3004 to my 2001 Pageant around 2005.
 
Jun 16, 2020
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2001 Bailey Pageants didn't have a stabiliser hitch as standard - I don't recall if it was a factory-fit option but it may have been a dealer-fit option - I fitted an Alko 3004 to my 2001 Pageant around 2005.

Nevertheless, it is on Prima Leisure's spares 2001 Pageant page.

John
 

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