The pothole won! Broke a trailer spring. Of 4 leafs, 3 are gone, resting on just one on the right side.
What is the correct, safe way to replace the spring. How do you measure the spring to buy a replacement?
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The pothole won! Broke a trailer spring. Of 4 leafs, 3 are gone, resting on just one on the right side.
What is the correct, safe way to replace the spring. How do you measure the spring to buy a replacement?
Put trailer on a level hard surface where you can work on it and it's out of the way.
Loosen the tire nuts while the trailer is still on the ground.
Jack up your trailer and get it off the ground. Put jack Supports on three points to hold the trailer and wheels off the ground. At least you want to take all pressure off the trailer axle and the springs.
Remove the tire on the side of the broken spring. Remove the other tire. You will need to remove the axle first. Then remove the broken spring and take it to the store with you. If there are any holes or pins on the trailer frame measure the distance between them to help you figure out what type of new spring to buy.
Go to a farm implement store or a store that sells trailers or trailer parts. I saw some new springs at a tractor supply store in Boonville, IN. Before that I had no idea where to find those things. They had three different size springs for sale. I think they were only about 20 or 30 apiece. Don't quote me on the price as I am going from memory.
My boat trailer's spring broke on time when I was pulling my boat out of Patoka Lake and I was stuck on the boat ramp with a mess. I had to have someone help me get the axle back on the boat trailer with straps. I took the boat and trailer to Tony's on Hwy 145 North of Patoka Lake and it cost me over $100 to get a new spring put on my trailer. If I had know how easy it was to take the axle off and put on a new one I would have done that myself.
Recently the axle on this same trailer rusted and broke in half right in the very middle. I had to cut off the wheels and weld on a new axle and put that back on the trailer. I watched someone with experience do this task and helped them. Now I know how to do it myself.
If you have a hydrolic jack it helps. Also a pair of good sturdy jack stand are needed.
Regards,
Moose1am
If you tow this trailer often I would replace both springs as a set to keep things equal.
Dave.
Good idea, first one that broke is as old as the one that didn't.
Thanks!
PS: Want to buy a spare, used trailer spring?
Thanks, that was very helpful.
If you live near the Louisville area you can get any trailer part needed at J and J Boat Trailer on Dixie Hwy. Don`t know the phone number but they are in the book. That guy has it all.