How Can I Lift My Forest River 5th Wheel If My Leaf Springs Have Already Been Flipped

Question:

How do I choose the correct size axle hangers to lift my trailer?

asked by: Robert K

Expert Reply:

Your leaf springs are already over the axles, so you have a couple of options. You can go with a lift kit or you can replace your axle hangers. The tandem axle lift kit that will work with your trailer is the Lippert Components Tandem Axle Lift Kit, part # 407131. It is no longer available on our website, but it is still available through Lippert Components. It will provide you with approximately 2" of additional ground clearance. If you need more lift you can replace your existing axle hangers with taller ones instead. Please keep in mind if you replace the axle hangers you will need to know the size of the leaf springs on your trailer. Replacing the hangers will provide you will greater lift.

I have included a video demo link and a link to our axle hangers below.

expert reply by: Mark Smith

Customer's axle
(click to enlarge)

Robert H.

9/28/2021

How do I choose the correct size axle hangers to lift my trailer?

Mark S.

9/28/2021

The first thing you need to do is measure the width of your leaf springs. You will have to remove the wheels of your trailer and take an unsuspended measurement. A leaf spring's width is measured by the distance from one edge to the other along the top spring. Once that measurement is found, you have to measure the height of your axle hangers. Since you have tandem axles you will have three axle hangers per side. The hangers are going to vary in size and it is important to keep track of the size differences between the axle hangers. Those differences in size need to reflected in the new, taller axle hangers. This keeps the lift even as you increase the height of your trailer, camper, or 5th wheel. I need to remove the reference to the part that is no longer available on our website. This was originally an email answer.