Troubleshooting Equalizer and Shackle Not Making W Shape After Leveling Trailer

Question:

While leveling our tandem axle trailer on a fairly un-level site, we heard a metallic noise within the suspension of the trailer, on the side we were raising. A couple of days later, I observed on the raised side of the trailer, that the rear shackle strap on the back axle is bent too far. Not flipped, but the angle is sharper than the typical W. Refer to the photo. The other side looks good... a perfect W. Weve gently tried correcting by raising one wheel and then the other, with no success. How do we correct this?

asked by: Bonnie S

Equalizer and Shackles on Trailer
(click to enlarge)

Expert Reply:

Is this with it still leveled? Have you tried sitting it down completely on the axles again? That will likely get everything back into place. It doesn't look like anything is specifically broken/damaged from what I can see unless your leaf spring suffered damage but that isn't in the picture. The equalizers shifting like this can happen when leveling or lifting the trailer. Sometimes mine get this way and if nothing else driving gets it to shift back.

expert reply by: Robin H

Bonnie S.

4/15/2024

Hello. Thank you for your response. Upon further investigation, I determined that the leaf spring was broken, about 4-6 inches from the eyelet. I'm happy to send a photo if there is a way.

Robin H.

4/15/2024

@BonnieS our comments don't allow for photos just yet but I'm sure you're right it would be pretty obvious. If you're looking for a replacement leaf spring you will need to know the axle capacity and the length. I have attached two links, one which shows how to measure and another with all of our available leaf springs. It is also worth noting that these should be replaced in pairs so you will want to replace the other side as well.

Helpful Links

dept-pg-trailer_leaf_springs.aspx

faq-how-to-accurately-measure-trailer-leaf-springs.aspx