What Causes Trailer Suspension Equalizers to Sit Unlevel

Question

Question:

I have a triple axle and tandem boat trailer that Im building at work that was created out of an extendable trailer so its two pieces front and back and its got a whole bunch of other issues. I think I got everything square as I could but when I set the trailer down the equalizers are cockeyed to the front all four of them. What causes that? And how do I fix it. Thank you for your time hope to hear from you soon.

asked by: Michael M

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Expert Reply:

What causes the equalizers of the trailer suspension to not sit level can be caused by a few things. Typically it's just a trailer not sitting perfectly level which can easily be leveled by lowering or raising nose of trailer.

Or it can be that the leaf springs are too long, or that the hangers were mounted too close to each other. So shorter springs can fix this or spacing out the hangers a little more.

expert reply by: Jameson C

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Answer 1

Nope, heavy-duty shackle straps are either 2-1/4" or 3-1/8", so the closest heavy-duty shackle strap to 2-3/4" would be the the 3-1/8" long, 1/2" thick Dexter Heavy-Duty Shackle Link #DX55FR. This option…

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Answer 2

I attached a picture that shows the proper position of shackles and equalizers on trailer suspension. Sometimes the shackle will flip up but if you jack up the trailer by the axle that's got the shackle flipped you can usually get it to flip…

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Answer 3

If you spread tandem axles to far apart you end up causing tire scrubbing which means that when you are making tight turns the axle with less weight on it will be skidding around on the pavement which cause premature tire wear. You want to have the…

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Answer 4

In order to determine the torque rating for the lug nuts on your trailer you will need to know check out the chart I attached that shows all of the torque specs for all the trailer lugs available based on stud size, wheel material and wheel size.

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Answer 5

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 6

Hey Chuck, Malone has a spare tire and mount for the Malone EcoLight Sport Trailer for a Heavy Kayak #MAL73FR with part #MAL33FR. It's just a simple U-bolt that you'll use to clamp the wheel to the frame of the trailer, just like the picture…

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Answer 7

Hi Bruce, To lift your trailer we'll first need to check of the suspension and see if you have torsion axles or a leaf spring suspension. If you have torsion axles then I'll need to see the axle tag in order to determine what you have so I…

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Answer 8

To find the load capacity for your axle you should look on the trailer VIN plate or sticker that lists the VIN number. The weight rating of the axle should be listed on that same plate or sticker. Also, the axle could have a tag or plate on it that…

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Answer 9

To correctly measure a leaf spring, you'll want to jack the trailer up on jack stands so the axle is hanging freely, then measure directly across from the center of one spring eye to the other, as shown in the provided diagram. The height of the…

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Answer 10

For a single axle trailer, you want the shackle strap to be able to move so that you have the spring deflection needed for your suspension. Angled like the photo or even almost vertical is fine you just don't want the shackle strap to bind and…

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Answer 11

Well shackle length is mainly based on the height difference between the front and rear hangers. The rear hanger normally doesn't hang as low as the front so that the shackle can offset the difference and add the ability to move. What is the…

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Answer 12

I have attached for you below some common torque values needed for a trailer suspension system but a lot of these will vary by bolt size and other factors. U-Bolts: Varies by Size - 1/2" bolts: 45 ft/lbs - 70 ft/lbs, 9/16" bolts: 65 ft/lbs…

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What Causes Trailer Suspension Equalizers to Sit Unlevel

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