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Old 02-11-2022, 08:52 PM   #1
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New Springs

So my rigs leaf springs are flattening a bit and it sits low in the back so I just ordered 8 leaf 4600# custom made springs to replace the sagging 6 leaf 3500# stockers. The 25.25" springs only go up to the 6 leaf version off the shelf so the spring shop is making 2 leaves to add to a 6 leaf spring pack. Plus I'm installing a wet bolt kit to go along with the Lippert Road Armor equalizers that are already installed. The company is local so I should get them in about a week. $886 out the door with wet bolt kits. It would have been $75 more but I'm going to do the press work on the bushings myself. I'll let you know how it goes after install.
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Old 02-12-2022, 04:42 AM   #2
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There are some stories of the wet bolts breaking. Not sure of the details but confirm they can handle the weight, especially if you are a two axle trailer.

Many of us have replaced our leaf springs too. Just getting American made springs instead of the stock Lippert Chinese crap will be huge.
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Old 02-12-2022, 05:09 AM   #3
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I'm getting the wet bolt kit from the spring shop and they service everything from RV to commercial rigs and daily drivers. Should be good there. I was also surprised to see my end hangers are boxed but I'm going to make square tubed struts between the hangers as well.
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Old 02-16-2022, 09:36 PM   #4
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You don’t need to build custom 4600# 8 leaf springs. Lippert sells a direct 4000# 7 leaf spring with the same dimension as the 3500# stock springs.

4600# springs may be a bit harsh on 7K rated axles
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Old 02-16-2022, 10:50 PM   #5
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You don’t need to build custom 4600# 8 leaf springs. Lippert sells a direct 4000# 7 leaf spring with the same dimension as the 3500# stock springs.

4600# springs may be a bit harsh on 7K rated axles
The springs Lippert used are terrible, I wouldn't go back to them for the replacements. Only 2 axles on a 16K# GVW Toy Hauler is maxed out and too much for 3500# springs. 4000# springs just gets you to the adequate range but 4600# is optimum. Increasing the spring rate will improve the ride, not make it worse. The spring shop agrees.
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Old 02-17-2022, 12:00 AM   #6
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I also have a 16k lb tandem axle and I’m on my 3rd set of springs. The OEM springs were crap and flattened out after one camping season. I replaced those with non-lippert 3500 lb springs and those lasted 2 camping seasons. I then replace them with the lippert 4000 lb springs and they are holding up much better so far. The guys at Transwest, advised against going to stiffer springs, only because the stiffer springs aren’t as compliant and applies more shock to the 7K axles when you hit a bump. It didn’t stop me from using the 4K springs. But 4600# is quite a bit stiffer and will undoubtedly have an effect on how your trailer rides. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
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Old 02-17-2022, 05:43 AM   #7
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Same here on the springs

I also upgraded the springs on our voltage 3200. The springs lost their smile and the RV was leaning to the right. Local spring shop added a leaf to all the springs, re-arched the right side springs and I replaced all the U bolts. That brought the RV level left to right and reduced the nose up attitude by raising the back. This year, just the right rear spring flattened out, so spring shop suggested just adding a leaf to that one. Dropped it off today and will see if it is corrected upon return.
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Old 02-17-2022, 03:41 PM   #8
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I also have a 16k lb tandem axle and I’m on my 3rd set of springs. The OEM springs were crap and flattened out after one camping season. I replaced those with non-lippert 3500 lb springs and those lasted 2 camping seasons. I then replace them with the lippert 4000 lb springs and they are holding up much better so far. The guys at Transwest, advised against going to stiffer springs, only because the stiffer springs aren’t as compliant and applies more shock to the 7K axles when you hit a bump. It didn’t stop me from using the 4K springs. But 4600# is quite a bit stiffer and will undoubtedly have an effect on how your trailer rides. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Thanks for the warning and no offense but I'm going with my 36 years of mechanic & suspension experience as well as Spring Works Inc.'s 30 years of custom spring building, tempering & re-arching. Transwest might be a fine place if you don't work on your own rig but they're just a dealer, not a custom shop. They don't make springs or have 25.25 8 leaf springs available to sell because you can't buy them off the shelf so they most likely don't have any experience selling or installing them. Increasing the spring rate so the load is properly supported is going to be far better for the axle than being so under sprung that rough roads make the trailer feel like it's lifting the back of my 1 ton dually off the ground.

My TH has never had more than a couple dirt bikes or a golf cart in the back and the golf cart is 300# lighter than stock with lithium batteries. The stock springs couldn't handle it. Lot's of people use their TH garage for a second bedroom and never put 2000# plus in the garage and they still flatten out 3500# springs. Put 4000# springs on and your in the same boat as before after adding 2000# of cargo. Adding an additional leaf to get it to 4600# is not a drastic move.
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Old 02-17-2022, 04:43 PM   #9
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Three years on my wet bolts and no issues.
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Old 02-18-2022, 01:33 PM   #10
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Does increasing the amount of springs stiffen the ride to where the rv takes more of a beating? Do you need to install some sort of shock absorber in order to mitigate the ride?

Roads like 20 from Atlanta to Columbia are like old fashion washing machines that bounce my rv to the point that I can’t ride in the right lane.
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Old 02-18-2022, 04:19 PM   #11
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Does increasing the amount of springs stiffen the ride to where the rv takes more of a beating? Do you need to install some sort of shock absorber in order to mitigate the ride?

Roads like 20 from Atlanta to Columbia are like old fashion washing machines that bounce my rv to the point that I can’t ride in the right lane.
It increases the spring rate which will make them deflect less under load. They will be stiffer but that is the desired affect because they are not stiff enough now. The springs support the weight but most of the suspension travel comes from the equalizer. A properly engineered spring will transfer much less shock to the components it's connected to than an under sprung one that is being pushed against it's limits every time it compresses.
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Old 02-22-2022, 12:52 AM   #12
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New springs are used if the previous springs are damaged

Thanks, I had no idea!
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Old 02-22-2022, 01:32 AM   #13
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Thanks, I had no idea!
Yah that came out of left field somewhere.
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Old 02-23-2022, 02:31 PM   #14
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There are many online places to buy the new string.
With all this great advise, can you tell me where to find a u-bolt stretcher? My stock ones aren't quite long enough.
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Old 02-23-2022, 03:20 PM   #15
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With all this great advise, can you tell me where to find a u-bolt stretcher? My stock ones aren't quite long enough.
in russian!

Со всеми этими замечательными советами, не могли бы вы сказать мне, где найти растяжку U-образного болта? Мои стоковые недостаточно длинные
So vsemi etimi zamechatel'nymi sovetami, ne mogli by vy skazat' mne, gde nayti rastyazhku U-obraznogo bolta? Moi stokovyye nedostatochno dlinnyye
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Old 02-23-2022, 03:39 PM   #16
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So besides forgetting I'd need longer u-bolts....

My TH already had the Lippert Road Armor Equalizers that are around 1.5-2 years old (don't know miles). There was a bit of wear already in the bushings and I had new ones so I took them to the shop to press the new bushings that came with the wet bolt kit. Since I had them at the shop and I've got a powder coating addiction, I decided to powder coat them as well so I took them apart. I found the center pivot arm that the spring shackles connect to also has a bronze bushing that's only a half inch wide and was almost worn through. It was also smashed into an out of round shape. What I found was the bushing was only slip fit into the hole it should have been pressed into but the hole was laser cut over sized. Lasers don't make a precise hole in half inch material so the hole isn't very round or straight through but tapered from the laser kerf. The loose fit allowed the bushing to move and get hammered. So now I either bore the lasered holes and machine new bushings to press in properly or I buy Dexter E-Z Flex equalizers. Looks like a much more solid pivot design and recommended by Spring Works. Even if I do the machine work to fix the problem, I don't like the flimsy design and will probably change them out in another year or two any way.
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Old 02-23-2022, 04:39 PM   #17
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So besides forgetting I'd need longer u-bolts....

My TH already had the Lippert Road Armor Equalizers that are around 1.5-2 years old (don't know miles). There was a bit of wear already in the bushings and I had new ones so I took them to the shop to press the new bushings that came with the wet bolt kit. Since I had them at the shop and I've got a powder coating addiction, I decided to powder coat them as well so I took them apart. I found the center pivot arm that the spring shackles connect to also has a bronze bushing that's only a half inch wide and was almost worn through. It was also smashed into an out of round shape. What I found was the bushing was only slip fit into the hole it should have been pressed into but the hole was laser cut over sized. Lasers don't make a precise hole in half inch material so the hole isn't very round or straight through but tapered from the laser kerf. The loose fit allowed the bushing to move and get hammered. So now I either bore the lasered holes and machine new bushings to press in properly or I buy Dexter E-Z Flex equalizers. Looks like a much more solid pivot design and recommended by Spring Works. Even if I do the machine work to fix the problem, I don't like the flimsy design and will probably change them out in another year or two any way.
I notice you have soft starts on you AC's Do you like them? Why doesn't manufactu8rers offer them on new AC units? Maybe I should have started a new thread!!!
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Old 02-23-2022, 04:53 PM   #18
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I notice you have soft starts on you AC's Do you like them? Why doesn't manufactu8rers offer them on new AC units? Maybe I should have started a new thread!!!
I love them. I have micro air easy starts so the AC can be run off the 3kw inverter and batteries. I can't run both at the same time but I have accidently run the microwave while the main AC was running and nothing tripped.
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Old 02-24-2022, 03:51 PM   #19
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I'm abandoning the Lippert Road Armor Equalizers and ordered the Dexter Red E-Z Flex Equalizers. I don't expect one to work any better than the other but I do expect the Dexter to last longer. The Lippert design is just too flimsy and most will never notice the center bushing is bad because it's hidden and slop is masked by the rubber dampers hindering movement by hand.
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Old 02-24-2022, 06:11 PM   #20
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I'm abandoning the Lippert Road Armor Equalizers and ordered the Dexter Red E-Z Flex Equalizers. I don't expect one to work any better than the other but I do expect the Dexter to last longer. The Lippert design is just too flimsy and most will never notice the center bushing is bad because it's hidden and slop is masked by the rubber dampers hindering movement by hand.
I think you are making the right choice. I believe ANYTHING lippert has would be made on the cheap! Not that others would cut corners to maximize profits but I think better quality could be found elsewhere.
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