Dimensions of Hangers and Equalizers on Tandem Axle Suspension on 16-Ft Trailer

Question

Question:

Im rebuilding my trailer and I think who ever built it had no idea what they were doing when it came to mounting all the suspension. Was wondering if you could help me choose the right equalizer and shackle? Using your tandem axle picture for measurements: A- 30 1/4 front hanger to center B- 29 7/8 Center to rear hanger C- 36 D- 6 1/2 Front and rear hangers are 1 3/8 tall Center hanger is 3 1/4 tall axle is 2 3/8 round 3500lbs leaf springs are 25 1/2 long, 1 3/4 wide double eye with 4 leaves Now the equalizer that is in there is 2 7/8 tall, 7 3/4 long with 9/16 dia. on center hole and the shackles are 2 3/4 long What I found to be strange is the A and B measurements, the height combination of the hangers, the shackle lengths and they had the shackles facing down towards the ground instead of up towards the frame. Does this sound ok? Thanks

asked by: Marc W

0

Expert Reply:

Front and rear springs hangers should be equally spaced around the center hanger and spring equalizer. It may be that your trailer was modified (if not originally built) with a different height center hanger and that might be how the spacing became how it is. Also, it may be that at some point the shackle straps were changed to a different length - we offer three different lengths: 2-1/4-inch, 2-5/8-inch and 3-1/8-inch. On a tandem axle trailer the 2-5/8-inch length is most common.

It is not unusual for shackle straps to flip around when the trailer is not under load. The face-up position for the strap will usually return once you load the trailer with some weight and pull it to actuate the suspension. This in itself is not a problem. But shackle straps are also the most likely part of the system to wear out from use. They carry the weight of the trailer and also have to deal with constant movement. A worn strap may develop oval holes from the wear and this can change the alignment of the rest of the system. I suggest you check your shackle straps for wear and replace as needed.

You may also care to review the linked article for more on trailer suspensions.

expert reply by: Adam R

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Answer 1

To determine the location for the front and rear hangers on your tandem axle trailer you will first need to make sure that you have the correct center point for your equalizer hanger. The center point of your equalizer hanger needs to be located…

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Answer 2

Yes, the Timbken bearings part #TMK73VR and #TMK23VR are made in the USA.

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Answer 3

Thank you for providing the specs for the suspension components that you already have. Correct hanger spacing really depends on the components being used such as springs, hangers and equalizers. Most of the hanger spacing dimensions that we have are…

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Answer 4

A lot of it depends on the length of the springs and equalizers that are used. When using Leaf Springs #e64SR with the #AP233 Equalizer Kit and the #H248 Hanger Kit, there should be 29-1/2" between the front and center hangers and 29-1/2"…

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Answer 5

The equalizers in trailer suspension hanger kit #AP233 are 5-3/4 inches long measured from the center of one spring eye to the center of the other spring eye. I have included a picture illustrating this for you.

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Answer 6

It does look like you have shackle straps that are to long and possibly worn out bushings. You can replace your shackles with the 2-1/4" Shackle #LC122487. You will need 8 of these for the entire trailer. I would recommend pulling a couple of…

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Answer 7

To find the proper replacement equalizer for your horse trailer you will need to take a couple of measurements. Measure from the center of the front hole to the center of the rear hole. Then measure from the center of the top hole down to the center…

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Answer 8

Yes, if you lowered the height of your trailer's equalizer the height of the trailer would change. That said this is not the best solution as the outside hangers on the trailer suspension are at a height is designed to allow the leaf spring to…

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Answer 9

You could do that, but in order to get the height increase, you'll also need to go with taller front and rear spring hangers. For instance, if your current equalizers are 2 inches high, and you switch to the #TREQ310 equalizer which would add two…

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Answer 10

You can pretty easily go from a 205/75-14 to a 15 inch tire size like 205/75-15 like with the #AM32395 without clearance issues. This will give you a slightly larger wheel and tire which will have a higher weight capacity. So you might gain a slight…

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Answer 11

The 2x2 inch square axle is likely 3,500 lbs or less capacity. I would need more spindle dimensions or bearing numbers to assist. If you pull a hub and measure at the spindle where the bearings and seal ride using the digital caliper like #PTW80157 I…

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Answer 12

The difference in tire diameter will be an additional 2-1/2 inches going from the 225/75-15 which measure 28.4 to the 235/80-16 which measure 30.9 inches. As a general rule of thumb the minimum safe distance between front and rear tires on the same…

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Dimensions of Hangers and Equalizers on Tandem Axle Suspension on 16-Ft Trailer

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