Have you checked your trailer lately?

[powerwagontim]

This weekend I was doing a little maintanance on my trailer, in preparation for heading to the West Virginia Rally in a couple of weeks. I had the 4 wheels off and happened to look at the spring shackles. I could see hole around a couple of the bolts. I pulled the bolts, and the holes were all very egg shaped and the nylon bushings all were worn through. A lot of the spring bolts were worn as well. Eventhe cast equalizer pivot bolt had worn the pivot hole elongated. I stopped at a local trailer place on the way home from work today and bought all new parts. The original set-up stinks, as there is no way to grease anything, short of taking it all apart. Like thats ever going to happen. I asked the owner of the trailer store and she said she had greasable spring bolts. Thats a good start, so I asked her about bronze bushings instead of nylon. She looked it up, but the catalog only offered them for 10K axles and above. So, I went with the nylon, but at least now have the ability to get some slippery stuff in there. I am really glad I caught it in my driveway, not after a shackle let go on the way to West Va. That could have been grim.
So, learn from anothers mistakes, and go out and check your spring shackles and bushings. I bet you will find something you didnt want to find!
Tim

[Brett]

I'll second that. trailers are always neglected, and a lot of times poorly designed, and built. I've been pulling trailers in my various jobs since I was 16, and probably 50% of the miles I've driven were towing, I've seen some really scary stuff. Worn shackles, equalizers, and bolts like you described. Broken leaves from being overloaded. We had an all aluminum enclosed trailer with twin 6K lb axles that the suspension subframes had over half of the bolts were sheared off. Once had a trailer that the trailer wheels were replaced with Chrome 8 lug truck rims by the owner of the company cuz they looked cooler. well, when it got loaded heavy the first time he started cracking the welds in the wheel when he made sharp turns. had a brand new trailer with torsion axles that the two drivers side wheels were 1.5" closer together than the Pass. side. Didn't even notice it untill it had chewed through a set of tires very quickly. My trailer I pull most days now is a 36' enclosed gooseneck with triple 7k lb axles, and a solid oak floor. I can drive the m37 right in with the windshield up. I've only done it once though, I'm usually hauling equipment for work.

Brett