Trailer sagging, need springs? |
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Bremsen
Senior Member Joined: June-26-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 171 |
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Posted: April-12-2010 at 6:34pm |
My trailer is sagging, enough that the tires beat the heck out of the fenders and I can't keep the hardware/fender on the RH side (it sits lower and looks like its taken some good hits). There is only about 1-1.5" of space between the top of the tire and the fender at rest. I'm sure some of it has to do with my boat likely weighing about 500lbs more than it did when it came from the factory on top of 22 y/o springs.
Anyway, I've never dealt with leaf springs so I need some advice. As they sit with the boat on the trailer my springs measure 31 1/4 eye-eye. The shackles are angled toward the rear at about 45° angle. I've found these springs at Northern Tool and think they may be what I'm looking for. The are the same leaf count and width, but the eye-eye measurement is about 4" short. I'm assuming they will spread once under load, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something before I go shell out the $100. Thanks! -Ryan |
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8122pbrainard
Grand Poobah Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41045 |
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Ryan,
Chances are very good that you have odd ball length springs that CC used. If so, then you'll need to go the OEM route or weld new spring/shackle mounts onto the trailer at the narrower spring center distance. I have no idea why they made these trailers this way? Are you carrying any extra weight in the boat? IE: wet foam? |
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NEDLUTZ
Groupie Joined: November-26-2007 Location: Seekonk Ma. Status: Offline Points: 69 |
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Ryan,
Did you try Googling, boat trailer leaf spring? Or, If you have local suspension shop they could build them for you. |
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GottaSki
Grand Poobah Joined: April-21-2005 Location: NE CT Status: Online Points: 3363 |
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Yes, search for local spring shops. If you are near any truckerville chances are there is one around they can just make them up.
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"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worthwhile as messing around with boats...simply messing."
River Rat to Mole |
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Bremsen
Senior Member Joined: June-26-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 171 |
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Pete, most definitely carrying wet foam/rotten secondaries (possibly some rot in the primaries). My goal this summer is to get the trailer ready for blast/paint while the boat is on stands this winter and plan/prepare for the stringer/floor job (yay!). I originally wanted to do it this past winter, but finances/time couldn't support such a project.
I don't know, I just find it hard to believe that they would use an oddball spring with so many options available (but I could be wrong). Every other item on the trailer (brakes, actuator, lights, etc) is straight of the parts shelf, except the axle and frame obviously. I just can't see it making sense to use a custom length . I have found a couple other options, Here is onethat is 30" and carries a 2500lbs a piece. Ned, I'm trying to avoid having to remove the factory springs for a long duration. I thought about having them re-arced, but around here that could take weeks (they don't call the south 'slow' for nothing) if I can even find a good 'ol boy willing to do it. I guess I'll pull one spring and see what it measures without load. I still think that 6lf 27" one is probably the one I'm looking for, but I wanted to make sure I'm not missing some important measurement. |
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p/allen
Gold Member Joined: March-14-2006 Location: Dixon Illinois Status: Offline Points: 942 |
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springsTry this place . Looks about the same selection you already had. If you want to rearch , you take each leaf out seperatly and lay it crossways on a piece of channel and hit it with a sledge hammer working it from one end to the other .You wont see the bend on the first couple hits but eventually you will see some results . it will take time and patience
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skibum1110
Senior Member Joined: October-21-2007 Location: Lakeland, FL Status: Offline Points: 256 |
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I had the same problem on my 75 as many saw at SJRR this year. Contact Woody through the site or call him at Southeast Mastercrap in Orlando 1-407-851-1965 and he'll get you setup. New springs will run about 95 tax included.
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79nautique
Grand Poobah Joined: January-27-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 7872 |
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All you need to measure is the hanger brackets that are welded to the frame. Measure from center to center, if the tabs are equal width front and back tabs, then just measure from the right edge to right edge and that will be the centerline dimension as well.
Once you get that measurement then you just need to get the right weight rating for the spring and then the eye to eye distance within an inch either way longer or shorter of the hanger measurement you took. |
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Bremsen
Senior Member Joined: June-26-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 171 |
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I don't know why I didn't do that before. Thanks, that's pretty much the response I was looking for Chris. |
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