how do you put leaf springs on a tandem trailer

How To Replace The Leaf Springs On A Tandem/Dual Axle Trailer

• 1. Break The Lug Nuts Before you do any lifting the first thing you need to do is break the lug nuts on the tires. ...
• 2. Jack Up The Trailer ...
• 3. Remove The Tire ...
• 4. Position Jack Under Axle ...
• 5. Start Loosening Bolts ...
• 6. Remove U-Bolts & Leaf Spring ...
• 7. Place New Leaf Spring ...
• 8. Insert The Bolt Equalizer Side First ...

Full Answer

Can you replace the leaf springs on a tandem or dual axle?

And that’s how you replace the leaf springs on a tandem or dual axle trailer. The process is basically the same for a single axle trailer you just won’t have an equalizer to deal with. Have any questions about replacing the leaf springs on a tandem or dual axle trailer?

How do you center a leaf spring on a trailer?

Your new leaf spring will have a bolt on the top and bottom in the center. This bolt will align with the leaf spring hanger on either the top or bottom of the axle depending on how your trailer’s suspension system is made. It will also help you center the leaf spring. Use the top or bottom bolt to center the leaf spring on the axle mount.

What should I replace on my Tandem axle trailer?

The shackles on a trailer suspension system are usually the first thing to wear out. You can replace the shackles and keep the old equalizer if you want to, but sometimes it’s better to just replace both. If you have the time and resources replacing the equalizer and shackles along with the leaf springs on your tandem axle trailer is a good idea.

Can You mount axle springs on a trailer frame?

As with many things, there’s a lot more to mounting trailer axle springs than first meets the eye. Here are 2 tips to make your trailer frame stronger. Once you’ve placed the axle properly, it’s time to mount it. There are many suspension options available, yet leaf springs are still the most common, and arguably least expensive.

Which way do leaf springs go on a trailer?

Normally the band is placed forward of the axle on the trailer but it really does not matter which way the band is oriented. Measure the distance from the center of the spring eye on one end of the spring to the center of the spring and then to the center of the back spring eye. The on center distance should be equal.

Does it matter which way a leaf spring is installed?

A leaf spring does not care which way it is bowed for they will work either way.

How are leaf springs attached to the axle?

Leaf springs are directly attached to the frame, either at both ends or at one end. For the latter, the front end is attached to the frame while the other end is attached to a short swinging arm through a shackle.

Which side of the leaf spring goes forward?

Customarily, the end of the spring with the band wrapped around it is placed forward of the axle, closest to the front of the trailer, but it really makes no difference. On leaf springs that are asymmetrical, the shorter distance would be forward of the axle.

Do trailer leaf springs have a front and back?

Do leaf Springs have a front and a back when installing? Expert Reply: Double eye leaf springs like the part # SP-169275 do not have a front or back designation. Slipper springs like the part # SP-038275 do have a front and back.

Should axle be over or under leaf springs?

You can mount trailer axles above or below the leaf springs. The difference is just the amount of ground clearance that the trailer would end up having. The biggest advantage with the spring below the axle (trailer will be lower) is that you would have a lower center of gravity.

Can a trailer axle go under the leaf springs?

Lift the Van The solution to the tyre hitting the mudguard problem is to remove the axle from on top of the leaf springs to a new position, under the leaf springs. Commonly called an underslung axle or axle flip. When flipping an axle, all of the braking equipment needs to be de-installed then re-installed.

How tight should bolts on leaf springs be?

0:312:12We need to make sure there is absolutely no movement taking place between the u-bolts. And the onlyMoreWe need to make sure there is absolutely no movement taking place between the u-bolts. And the only way to eliminate this movement is to be sure the u-bolts are torqued to the manufacturer's specs.

Can leaf springs sit on axle?

Expert Reply: Yes, you can move your springs on top of the axle to gain more tire clearance. Doing this will raise the height of your trailer by the height of your axle and the thickness of your leaf springs.

Which side of leaf has most matter?

Explanation: All surfaces of the leaf have some amount of stomata for regulating gas exchange for photosynthesis. However, the lower epidermis (the underside of the leaf) has more, because it is more often in the shade and so it is cooler, which means evaporation won't take place as much.

How do you tell if a leaf is alternate or opposite?

0:171:37Alternate if the leaves. Two leaves occur at the same point directly opposite from each other thenMoreAlternate if the leaves. Two leaves occur at the same point directly opposite from each other then it is called opposite when plants are opposite. Not only are their leaves opposite.

Which side of the leaf loses more water?

lower surfaceThe results show that most transpiration happens from the lower surface of the leaf: coating the upper surface caused water loss similar to coating no surface at all (leaf 2 vs leaf 1) coating the lower surface caused water loss similar to coating both surfaces (leaf 3 vs leaf 4)

Do leaf springs come in left and right?

Yes, there is a different part # from side to side... therefore a left and right......

Are springs directional?

The coil direction of a spring is simply the direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) it is wound. But isn't that relative to how you are looking at the spring? Yes, it is. The easiest way to determine if a spring is left-hand wound or right-hand wound, you have to look at in a specific way.

How should a leaf spring look?

How Should Leaf Springs Look? Leaf springs can be found on the front or rear end attached to either the bottom or top of the axle of cars, trucks, vans and SUVs. It looks like different sizes of bowed, narrow strips of steel stacked together. This part is created to absorb the gravity of an excessive amount of weight.

Do coil springs have a left and right?

First, position the front coil so that the tip of the wire is at 12 o'clock. Then, check the direction in which the wire turns to make the first coil. If it goes clockwise, it's a right-hand spring, if it coils counter-clockwise, the spring is left-handed.

Product Page this Question was Asked From

You will have 2 leaf springs per axle. For example if you have a 2,000 pound axle, you will need two 1,000 pound springs to take full advantage of the axles 2,000 pound capacity. The number of axles, and the weight capacities needed, will be determined by the weight of the trailer and its load.

Follow up Questions

You will have 2 leaf springs per axle. For example if you have a 2,000 pound axle, you will need two 1,000 pound springs to take full advantage of the axles 2,000 pound capacity. The number of axles, and the weight capacities needed, will be determined by the weight of the trailer and its load.

What is the advantage of using rubber torsion axles?

Hybrid equalizer using rubber. One of the advantages of using rubber torsion axles is the vibration damping. Similarly, by adding rubber to the equalizer for a leaf-spring tandem setup, much of the same effect is achieved.

What is the mounting point for a tandem axle?

The mounting point for a single or tandem-axle setup is 40% the length of the trailer bed, measuring from the back end (length x .4). For a tandem axle setup, the 40% mark lines up with the center of the equalizer.

What happens if you hit a bump in your car?

Basically, if you hit a bump or pot hole, the front axle will take the entire load, forcing the rear axle up into the air. Depending on your capacity, this might become a serious overload issue. While it’s true that torsion axles handle overload conditions better than leaf springs, the tires and the frame do not.

What happens when two leaf springs are mounted without an equalizer?

When two leaf-spring axles are mounted without an equalizer, the back axle acts like a leading arm, which is not a stable setup. But if they are connected with an equalizer in the center, the back axle becomes more stable. One word about Silent Ride….

Why does my trailer hitch sway?

Axles mounted too far to the rear puts too much weight on the trailer hitch causing undue wear on the tow vehicle's suspension and tires. Too far forward and the tongue weight won't be enough, causing the trailer to sway badly.

What is trailing arm?

A trailing arm is a very stable way to mount an axle. It’s one of the reasons people like the feel of torsion axles. (But as we said before, twin torsion axles – although very stable – don’t offer any equalization.)

What is the equalizer on a trailer?

Ride quality With more than one axle, the load is distributed over more points, so when a tire encounters a bump or pot hole, the load-sharing linkage (the equalizer) helps lessen any bouncing or jarring of the trailer. This produces a smoother ride.

Is Replacing Trailer Leaf Springs Hard?

So long as you have the proper tools and the right size of leaf spring to replace the old one with it’s not that difficult.

Why do you need to tighten lug nuts?

You need to do this first because if the lug nuts are on super tight or a little rusty you won’t be able to loosen them as easily once the tire is off the ground.

How long do you have to tighten lug nuts on a trailer?

It’s also recommended to re-tighten all the lug nuts on the tires after about 50 miles. And that’s how you replace the leaf springs on a tandem or dual axle trailer. The process is basically the same for a single axle trailer you just won’t have an equalizer to deal with.

What is the only thing holding up the axle on a trailer?

Once the main bolts holding the leaf spring to the trailer are removed you will notice that the only thing holding up the axle is the jack.

Why use a floor jack for axle?

The reason I used a floor jack for the axle is to make it easier to line up the trailer leaf spring with the mounting hole. A floor jack can move around and it’s easy to jack up or down. Once you’ve lined everything up you can insert the bolt. Make sure the nut is on the inside of the trailer.

What happens if you only replace one tire on a trailer?

If you only replace one it may cause uneven wear and improper alignment of your trailer tires.

How to measure a double eye leaf spring?

For a double eye leaf spring measure from the center of one eye to the other. It’s recommended to remove the old leaf spring and measure it with no load on it but sometimes that’s not always possible. If your leaf springs are old, like ours were they may have flattened out a little bit over time.

What color is best for trailer axle springs?

Blues, and especially darker blues are lower stress. Now you know 2 great tips for making a better mount for trailer axle springs. 1. Don’t weld on the stress faces of a beam, and 2. add a stress buffer to spread concentrations. For a third tip, use longer leaf springs .

How thick should buffer be for spring mount?

Make the buffer piece at least as thick as the spring mount bracket material. 1/4″ is shown here. Extend the buffer beyond the spring mount — more the better — but there is a diminishing return. We find 5 or 6 inches out both sides from the bracket works wonders. Finally, weld the buffer piece to the main frame beams in stitches only along the sides — not on the ends. Short, spaced welds (stitches) are great.

How much weight can a 6x14 trailer hold?

Build a great tandem axle, heavy duty utility trailer from these 6x14 trailer plans. Blueprints are fully engineered for 12,000 lb. total capacity. The trailer you build will be tough and ready to work.

What happens when a trailer is loaded?

When loading a trailer, a ‘ stress ‘ is created within the supporting beams. If the stress is below the material limits, the beams hold just fine. If the stress becomes greater than the material limits, then the beam will bend or break. That’s failure.

How to strengthen a trailer frame?

Another key to strengthening a trailer frame is reducing or eliminating the stress concentrations. Failures almost always start in areas of stress concentration, so if we get rid of them (or minimize them), the frame is stronger.

What are the stress concentrations in Figure 2?

In Figure 2, you can see some stress concentrations that appear as smallish red areas. Other stresses around them (indicated by greens and blues) are not as high, but because of the construction, there is concentration of stress in areas adjacent to the spring mounts.

How big is a 10000 lb trailer?

A great mid-size Tandem Axle, 10,000 lbs Flat Deck Trailer is waiting for you in these plans. At 8.5' wide x 20' deck length , the plans include many options to achieve the function needs.

What is rust coming off a trailer spring?

The type of rust you need to be worried about is chunks of rust coming off the springs or large amounts of rust that would not be considered surface rust. Rust compromises the strength and load capacity of the spring as it begins to take over the strong steel and turn it into weak layered rust. The Rusted Trailer Spring.

How to stop trailer springs from rusting?

A good way to stop your trailer springs from rusting as quickly is to use toilet ring wax and allow it to warm in the sun and then smear this onto the trailer springs . This allows the water to roll off the wax and not get to the spring as easily. Your trailer springs will have some surface rust after time but should never have cracks, ...

Why do trailer springs crack?

This is caused from the spring fatiguing over time due to weight and use. When springs fatigue they cannot support the weight as needed.

Why are there so many issues with Champion trailer springs?

The reason we see so many issues with springs at Champion is that trailer springs are not usually a trailer part that wears or breaks easily unless it is over loaded, rusted badly, or just old. For this reason many people overlook the springs during yearly maintenance checks.

What are trailer springs?

Trailer springs are essential part of trailer suspension and as we all know you cannot go anywhere without your springs. Unfortunately, many of us do not pay attention to our springs and years can go by before we think of them. Usually, this thinking occurs when you are sitting on the side of the road or boat launch waiting on that expensive tow truck that is heading your way! And the worst thing about it? It can be avoided and all it takes is knowing what to look for before leaving on your fishing trip. A good trailer spring makes a happy fisherman and boater! Any of these problems and issues we will cover can occur on Double Eye Springs, C-Hook (reverse curl) Springs, and Slipper Springs at any time. These types of leaf springs can be found on boat trailers, utility trailers, and enclosed trailer so make sure you check every trailer you may have to avoid suspension issues in the future.

Where are cracks in trailer springs?

Cracks typically appear near the philister bolt and near the eye of the bolt that connects your spring to your hanger. Anytime you see a crack or break in the spring it is time to replace them. When a trailer spring fails you can receive ...

Can a tired trailer spring break?

When springs fatigue they cannot support the weight as needed. A fatigued spring will flatten out quicker and may possibly break. Tired springs are not safe springs! The Separated Trailer Spring. Another thing to keep an eye on is the amount of rust on your springs.