Ranger trail trailer frustration

[carpman]

I need new springs on my Ranger trail trailer. Here are my problems.

I have one good spring, the other is stretched a bit from who knows what.....pothole ect.

The good spring measures 25.5" L x 4.25" H and is a double eye. The shackles are 25.75" center hole to center hole. In my infinite search to find a spring that matches those dimensions, I have come up short. A good search and phone calls have turned up only 2 springs that are 25.5" long, and they both have too short of an arch height. When I say search and phone calls we are talking about a month worth of it.

Now, I thought, hey I can go up or down 1/4" on the length and that won't matter much. Wrong. 25 1/4" springs are not offered in anything over 3" arch height, installed and they are too short. 26" long springs have the right height but are too long and collapse the shackle straps on the back side of the shackles when loaded. 25.5" seems to be the sweet spot.

Now what I need help with is my options. What I am thinking is I need to have custom springs made or need to move the shackles to accept 26" springs that have the right height. Any insight on this?

I am new to this, but learning quick because I have a 600 mile trip in 30 days.

 

[fhhuber]

Cheaper to move the shackles than to have custom springs made.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Cheaper to move the shackles than to have custom springs made.

+1.

 

[Silvertip]

Springs can be re-arched. As they are re-arched the length changes accordingly.

 

[gm280]

I would stop searching and buy the correct weight type springs and move the attachment point(s) via cutting and re-welding. WHY? For two reasons. First the new springs will be perfectly match to each other. And second if you ever needed a spring down the road for any reason, they would be standard everywhere then. Cutting and move an attachment point would be a fraction of the cost of having custom made anything. JMHO

 

[G_Hipster]

Are you measuring the good spring in an unloaded state? ie: unloaded without out an axle and tires hanging on it or weighted? You might be comparing apples and oranges. Most catalog listings are unloaded. Whatever springs you get need to be about an inch longer than 25.75 loaded to have the proper shakle angle or the shackle could flip forward going down the road. Replaced in sets so you have the same rate on both sides. I never had much luck with re-arched springs lasting very long. Might be a broken spring in the pack, corroded, or fatigued beyond repair. Also not the hard to fab a longer shackle out of some flat bar to make up an inch. Over torqueing the u-bolts can lead to spring failure. Most are 50-80 ft-lbs depending on bolt size.

 

[carpman]

I am measuring unloaded, off the trailer just like a vendor would list their dimensions.

Right now I am going to run till the end of the season like they are now and then get the points re-welded to accept a 26" spring with an arch of 4.25".

I need that arch length in order for my fenders to clear.

thanks for the replies.

 

[TyeeMan]

I would think going to the Ranger dealer would be easiest. They could hook you up with the trailer manufacturer who in turn could hook you up with a pair of springs made for that trailer. I wouldn't change just one spring, change em both.

 

[Teamster]

No reason to be scared of the Ranger factory,...

They are awesome to deal with,.....

They will probably want to know the hull identification number to identify the trailer under it,...

And might even have the part in stock,............

 

[carpman]

No reason to be scared of the Ranger factory,...

They are awesome to deal with,.....

They will probably want to know the hull identification number to identify the trailer under it,...

And might even have the part in stock,............

I started by calling the factory with my serial number off of the trailer. They could not find my serial number in the system to start with. So he had me give him the specs of the boat. He gave me all the wrong numbers for springs and shackle links. He told me they were 26" eye to eye, they are actually 25.5. There is markings on the bottom of the springs that are on the trailer but a google search and a call back to ranger yielded nothing. I am now believing that the springs that are on the trailer were custom made for that application which is why none of their numbers match. Beyond frustrated on this.

I am going to have the points re-welded to accept 26" springs. I have a few more tournaments left in the season, so after that I will get the work done.