Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I have a trailer which appears to have a problem with the leaf setup.
The springs have 12 leaves in them, so are stiff as buggery, but the shackles occassionally come up and get stuck against the chassis. (and I don't mean inverted) So I assume the shackle is mounted too close to the spring eye, and the springs are too stiff (remove leaves?).
Can someone explain this method of measuring the shackle mount distance from the spring eye. ie. what is "flattened length" etc

Cheers, Brad

DR Frankenstine wrote:The correct way to set up leaf suspension !!!
You measure the flattened length of the spring(centre of eye to centre of eye). Then deduct the shackle length + 15mm. This is the distance you should have between the spring eye mount and the shackle mount on the chassis. [/b]

how ya going brad
being a trailer builder of a long time the way we determine where to put the shackles is as follows: if you look at the mount on the chassis as the centre of a clock the eye of the spring should be at 7 unloaded
this is a general rule {kiss technology} that should work 4 you
any other problems pm me
thanks Steve

Thanks steve, I'll unload it tomorrow and see how it looks. Think i'm going to have to move it a bit though.
Just tacked a new drawbar on it today, and i'm hiring a bigger welder tomorro to burn it together properly, so I thought i'd fix the spring position up at the same time.

maybe try and work out where 730 is while loaded [if that makes sense]
between 7/8
it should be about 7 unloaded
cheers Steve

It looks as though it's at 7:30 now (loaded) but the dam thing gets stuck up against the chassis over big bumps. The thing is, the springs are that stiff that you can hardly bounce the trailer when jumping on the back of it.

This is what it looks like now (i've actually got a bit of gear out of it ATM, its a tool trailer)

so try setting it at about 7/645 loaded then
what type of leaves r they[trailer/car]?
try to take a picture of them
without seeing them its hard to say
but making them softer wont help

cheers Steve

sorry didn't see the photos
buy looking at the photos you could try moving them back a bit further
closer to the 6:30/6:45 position
i don't recognise the springs but they might be off road springs?not sure
might need longer shackles??
worst case scenario weigh it loaded and buy the rated springs 4 it

cheers Steve

Yeah, i just edited the photos in.

I'll move them closer to 6.30 and see how she goes. It's very close to a tonne loaded, and she's an old trailer, homemade... in 1960
You should have seen me tearing my hair out trying to get parts for the hydro brakes!

Thanks for your help

might be easier to just get longer shackles?

if the shackle is getting stuck

it must be jamming, maybe the chassis rail is wider than the space between the shackle sides, so when it slams up, it gets stuck over the wider chassis?

90Mav wrote:might be easier to just get longer shackles?

from what i can tell, longer shackles would worsen the problem.

Shadow wrote:if the shackle is getting stuck

it must be jamming, maybe the chassis rail is wider than the space between the shackle sides, so when it slams up, it gets stuck over the wider chassis?

I shouldn't slam all the way up though should it? The springs don't even spring, but the shackle manages to move its stiff arse all the way up to the chassis!

flylux wrote:

Shadow wrote:if the shackle is getting stuck

it must be jamming, maybe the chassis rail is wider than the space between the shackle sides, so when it slams up, it gets stuck over the wider chassis?

I shouldn't slam all the way up though should it? The springs don't even spring, but the shackle manages to move its stiff arse all the way up to the chassis!

if the shackles swing up to the chassis, then the springs are springing.

yeah your right, what I mean is they are very stiff and I've been told by a trailer builder they need to be a bit softer to work properly. I might go and sus out some new springs at the correct weight rating.

there like 11 or 12 springs in that pack ..it looks like a forty series spring pack or something which is way to stiff..what sort of weight are you towing??...go to a trailer supplies place and get the correct weighted spring for what you are towing..

dave

Yeah the trailer is rate 1250 total weight. It weighs 600 on its own, and with all my tools in it weighs just over a 1000. So I am easily reaching full capacity with planks and ladders on top.

flylux wrote:yeah your right, what I mean is they are very stiff and I've been told by a trailer builder they need to be a bit softer to work properly. I might go and sus out some new springs at the correct weight rating.

"a bit stiff" ?????


try

Massive overkill




Get some new Ubolts while ya at it too
( I doubt that the current ones will have enough thread for a new spring pak )

V8Patrol wrote: Get some new Ubolts while ya at it too

New tyres wouldn't do any harm. Cross ply's aren't the best especially on a trailer where pressures aren't checked that often.
Those backing plates look vaguely familiar... Ford Customline (fronts)maybe??

want33s wrote:

V8Patrol wrote: Get some new Ubolts while ya at it too

New tyres wouldn't do any harm. Cross ply's aren't the best especially on a trailer where pressures aren't checked that often.
Those backing plates look vaguely familiar... Ford Customline (fronts)maybe??

I hear ya there Look loke the same tyres i had on my trailor, Old as the hills and perished to the sh!t house Then one day one blew with A tonne of top soil on and 14 sleepers on the back. oops should have checled those pressures.

want33s wrote:

V8Patrol wrote: Get some new Ubolts while ya at it too

New tyres wouldn't do any harm. Cross ply's aren't the best especially on a trailer where pressures aren't checked that often.
Those backing plates look vaguely familiar... Ford Customline (fronts)maybe??

Ok, thanks for the tip. I'm thinking of maybe going a little wider (and would have to cut the guards out to accomodate) to make it a little more stable. This was also a suggestion by the trailer builder I went to.

Oh, while i'm on the subject of tyres, can someone help me clear something up...
I've got a mate who reckons that putting bigger diameter tyres on a trailer will make it harder to tow. Is there any sense in this?

Wish I had coils wrote:
I hear ya there Look loke the same tyres i had on my trailor, Old as the hills and perished to the sh!t house Then one day one blew with A tonne of top soil on and 14 sleepers on the back. oops should have checled those pressures.

OOPS I better get onto it soon then.

flylux wrote:
Oh, while i'm on the subject of tyres, can someone help me clear something up...
I've got a mate who reckons that putting bigger diameter tyres on a trailer will make it harder to tow. Is there any sense in this?

Wider tyres will but I can't imagine how a larger diameter will make it harder to tow.
I can see it being harder to tow with tiny little wheels on it just because smaller tyres don't roll over obstacles as easily.

want33s wrote:

flylux wrote:
Oh, while i'm on the subject of tyres, can someone help me clear something up...
I've got a mate who reckons that putting bigger diameter tyres on a trailer will make it harder to tow. Is there any sense in this?

Wider tyres will but I can't imagine how a larger diameter will make it harder to tow.
I can see it being harder to tow with tiny little wheels on it just because smaller tyres don't roll over obstacles as easily.

Yeah, that's what i thought, I ride mountainbikes, and notice the difference between a 26" wheeled bike and a 29".

Anyway, thanks everybody for your help with tips etc. The trailer is now back on the road. Now with:

- nicely working suspension
- new longer drawbar
- new rims and tyres
- toolbox and spare wheel carrier
- new wiring and side positioning lamps
- new jocky wheel
- new roof racks
- mud flaps
- side tie down rails



Cheers

Cool. Should be a whole different (better) story to tow it now.
A lot easier to reverse with that longer drawbar and a lot safer with tyres.
Does the park brake work? The idea of 1500-200kg rolling away down the street when unhitched doesn't sound like fun to me.

It works when you hold it on by hand, but you can't latch it back to lock it on. You've just gotta throw a block under the wheel.