- Joined
- Apr 14, 2014
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- 3,543
This weeks project was a bit different than most. It was finally time to replace the shackles and springs on the trailer, and properly align the axles
I’ve had the trailer over 17 years and have slowly doing some improvements over the years. It’s on its second set of tires and they weren’t wearing all that well. It had an odd spring configuration with the springs for the front axle being 26 1/2” long while those on the rear axle were only 25 1/4” long
Another problem was the fact that there were no locating pockets for the spring center bolts on the bottoms of the axles. The previous owner had installed spacers under the axles so the only thing locating them was the tension of the U bolts.
I took it to a friends fabrication shop last Tuesday and started the process. We removed the axles and springs. Then cut off the shackles. The process of measuring for the new shackle was the trickiest. The frame wasn’t exactly square and the new springs were all 25 1/4” long. It took a while but we finally were able to find a solution.
The next steps were to weld locating tabs on the axles and position and weld on the shackles. We fixtured everything up and got to work. Fortunately our measurements were accurate. When we did a test fit for the springs they fit perfectly. The positioning of the axle tabs were also spot on. When the job was finished the axles were within less tan 1/32” of square, and even closer side to side.
I took it for a 20 mile test drive and everything worked out well. I put the box back on it yesterday and started loading it with leaves for another (and hopefully last) trip this season to the recycle center. Then it’s back to the cottage for winter storage.
I’ve had the trailer over 17 years and have slowly doing some improvements over the years. It’s on its second set of tires and they weren’t wearing all that well. It had an odd spring configuration with the springs for the front axle being 26 1/2” long while those on the rear axle were only 25 1/4” long
Another problem was the fact that there were no locating pockets for the spring center bolts on the bottoms of the axles. The previous owner had installed spacers under the axles so the only thing locating them was the tension of the U bolts.
I took it to a friends fabrication shop last Tuesday and started the process. We removed the axles and springs. Then cut off the shackles. The process of measuring for the new shackle was the trickiest. The frame wasn’t exactly square and the new springs were all 25 1/4” long. It took a while but we finally were able to find a solution.
The next steps were to weld locating tabs on the axles and position and weld on the shackles. We fixtured everything up and got to work. Fortunately our measurements were accurate. When we did a test fit for the springs they fit perfectly. The positioning of the axle tabs were also spot on. When the job was finished the axles were within less tan 1/32” of square, and even closer side to side.
I took it for a 20 mile test drive and everything worked out well. I put the box back on it yesterday and started loading it with leaves for another (and hopefully last) trip this season to the recycle center. Then it’s back to the cottage for winter storage.
