Replacement 3,500 lb Leaf Springs & 7-3/4 Inch Wide Equalizer

Question:

I had an incident where the leaf springs on one of my rear axles broke and so now want to do a full replacement but need some help picking out the right parts. The axle does not have any sticker or anything on it, but it does measure to be 2 3/8 inches. Is there concern with having springs that exceed the rating of the axle? The leaf measured 25 1/2 inches from the center of the eye to the center of the other eye. The equalizer measured 7 11/16 inches horizontally from bolt to bolt but I wasn't entirely clear on how to take the other measurement (there's a lot of rust and gunk and it was raining so it could very well be 7 3/4, as I see you have on the site Thanks

asked by: Walter P

Expert Reply:

Thanks for all that info and we can get you exactly what you are needing. Since you have a 2-3/8" axle that would be a 3,500 lb axle, so you want leaf springs rated for that weight. The concern with springs that exceed the rating of your axle is that they will give you a very stiff, rigid ride, so you want to stay with the correctly rated springs.

I'll go ahead and list out the parts you need, with a couple notes. First is that leaf springs elongate slightly over time, which is why the correct replacement is one a bit shorter than 25-1/2 inches. Second is that the only other measurement you'll need is the length of your shackle straps (from center hole to center hole) to ensure your suspension stays at the same height, so I'll list the most common sizes.

- 4-Leaf Double-Eye Spring for 3,500-lb Trailer Axles - 25-1/8" Long # e54SR

- Curved Equalizer for 1-3/4" Double Eye Spring - 7-3/4" Long # A2252CB-GALV

- Shackle Bolt For Double Eye Springs - 9/16" Diameter - Plain - 3-1/4" Long # ABS54FR

- Locknut for Trailer Shackle Bolt - 9/16" Diameter # TRFA916DLNZ

- U-Bolt Kit for Mounting 3,500-lb, Round Trailer Axles - 5-1/2" Long U-Bolts # APUBR-1

- Shackle Strap - 2-1/4" Long # TRSL225, 2-5/8" Long # 115052, 3-1/8" Long # TRSL313

Keep in mind that for your tandem axle trailer, since you're replacing both sides you'll need eight shackle straps, 14 bolts, and 14 locknuts.