Weird suspension problem

[budro]

New to the group here you guys have lots of helpful info on trailers not too many forums on trailers yet. I have a 16 foot flatbead trailer with tandem axles. The axles were widened a few years ago with solid stock but the problem was like this before. The problem is that the equalizer never sits right. I have only seen this type of suspension setup on one page on the web. Go to this web page to view the setup:http://www.stengelbros.com/photogallery/ee2a.gif

It has 2 inch leafs instead of 1-3/4 inch leafs. And only has one shackle on the equalizer instead of 2 like on the 1-3/4 inch leafs. The problem is the back axle keeps getting kicked back and forth. When I measure from the outside of the bearing caps on one side its 2 inches wider than the other. And the shackle always swings down under the equalizer even when we jack it up and reposition it. Can you guys look at the pics below and see whats going on? Thanks.

Left Side Front

Left Side Center

Left Side Rear

Right Side Front

Rigth Side Center

Right Side Rear

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Weird suspension problem

Here is a link to a previous thread with the same problem.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=196578

Although, look at the second and fifth picture. Notice something different on each side of the equalizer bar? Methinks thats your problem.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Weird suspension problem

Actually the problem appears in the third and last picture. The rear spring shackles should both be pointed toward the rear and nowhere near touching the frame as shown in the third picture. The causes for this can be anywhere along the line except for the front (stationary shackles). Because the rear shackle is pivoted forward against the frame, the walking beam or equalizer is forced upward. There is a specific distance that must be maintained between the stationary eyes and the location of the rear shackles. That dimension depends on the eye-to-eye length of the spring. There is one thing that may have happened however, and that's that due to rough road, dropping a wheel in a hole, etc., that the rear shackles overtraveled forward. Regardless, rear shackles, whether attached at the equalizer or the frame should never pivot forward. Why?? Because as a spring compresses under load the dimension from eye-to-eye increases. The way the shackle sits, the spring can't compress. The shackles allow the spring length to change.