Trailers are great all-purpose haulers, but just like any other vehicle, they need maintenance. A trailer can end up with a broken or worn-out leaf spring.
The leaf springs on a trailer are an important part of the suspension, holding the axle straight and also supporting the trailer and the cargo it contains. These springs can sag and wear down over time, until eventually they’re not able to do their job anymore. They also can break, which could cause a serious accident. The solution for worn out trailer leaf springs is to remove the old ones and install a new set.
Installation Guidelines:
1.) Lift up the trailer using the jack and secure it on jack stands. Make sure both the axle and the frame are on the stands.
2.) Unbolt the leaf spring from the axle at the u-bolts using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket set. The u-bolts go around the axle and the leaf spring itself.
3.) Unbolt the leaf spring from the front and rear shackles using the 3/8-inch ratchet and sockets.
4.) Place the new leaf spring in the front, frame-mounted shackle and install the bolt. At this point, just push the bolt in place; do not tighten on the nut.
5.) Swing the leaf spring over the axle and attach the rear shackle to the frame. Slide in the bolt, but do not secure it in place.
6.) Slide the u-bolts over the axle and onto the leaf spring pad in the reverse order of installation. There is a pin in the middle of the leaf spring and a hole in the axle pad, so make sure to align the two, then tighten down the bolts using the 3/8-inch ratchet.
7.) Tighten down all of the leaf spring bolts using the 3/8-inch ratchet.
8.) Lift up the trailer using the jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the trailer to the ground.
Leaf springs also keep the trailer’s axles aligned properly. If the leaf springs break or aren’t able to carry the weight you need, then you can replace the trailer springs. This process takes about an hour.
Replacing Leaf Springs Guidelines:
1.) Lift the trailer using the jack and put jack stands underneath the frame of the trailer as well as the axle. Remove the wheels with the tire iron.
2.) Unbolt the leaf spring from the front shackle on the frame with the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket and an open-end wrench. Unbolt the leaf spring from the axle with the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket. Unbolt the leaf spring from the shackle with the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket and an open-end wrench and pull the leaf spring from the suspension, or if you have a slipper spring which just slides into a pocket of the frame, pull the leaf spring assembly out of the leaf spring pocket and the suspension.
3.) Install the replacement leaf spring into the suspension and bolt it to the axle and shackles using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket and an open-end wrench. Reinstall the wheels to the trailer with the tire iron and lower the trailer off the jack stands using the jack.
