Spring issues

[mitchell2345]

Hi,

Brought my boat home this weekend and noticed one spring was up high. I only had about 1/2" between the axle and the spring and the shackle is all the way back on the frame. So Monday I ordered some new springs for the rear axle and put them on tonight. After putting the weight back on all was well. Both sides looked balanced. Then i pulled the boat around the neighborhood all looked/sounded good. Parked the boat and now i noticed that again the same spring is the same spot.

Two thoughts...Could it be when i am backing up the driveway its pushing the spring like this and getting it stuck? Will it flex out when i'm driving?

Or what would you recommend??

Attached is a pic on approx what it looks like after i backed in. This is on a 21ft bow rider. trailer is tandem.



Thanks,
Mitchell

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: Spring issues

actual pics of both sides would be better

 

[mitchell2345]

Re: Spring issues

sure...its hard to take pics but here we go....

This pic shows the low rider on the back right side. As you can see its really close to the frame. You can also see the shackle all the way flat...


This shows the front axle on the bad right side:


This is the rear of the left side, you can see the shackle is at a good angle here a little over a inch of clearance:


This is a full pic of the good side.

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Spring issues

Don't mean to set off any alarms but it looks to me like you have a boat load of water. Does it look like that when it's sitting level on the trailer wheel? Or is it on the wheel in the pics. I'm just throwing out ideas here but if you put it on the trailer wheel and level the rails on the trailer and still have that problem there is something really wrong. My guess is loading, maybe water in the bilge.

 

[mitchell2345]

Re: Spring issues

Don't mean to set off any alarms but it looks to me like you have a boat load of water.

No that's not the case. Its been sitting in indoor storage for the past two weeks with out use and since sat in 100 degree kansas heat with the plug out.

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Spring issues

No that's not the case. Its been sitting in indoor storage for the past two weeks with out use and since sat in 100 degree kansas heat with the plug out.

I added a little to that last post.

 

[mitchell2345]

Re: Spring issues

Don't mean to set off any alarms but it looks to me like you have a boat load of water. Does it look like that when it's sitting level on the trailer wheel? Or is it on the wheel in the pics. I'm just throwing out ideas here but if you put it on the trailer wheel and level the rails on the trailer and still have that problem there is something really wrong. My guess is loading, maybe water in the bilge.

Not sure what you mean by "put it on the trailer wheel" but the boat is on the trailer. Its on there nice and level.

Thinking about loading this is on the boat wheel side and i have my two batteries on that side but i wouldn't think a 100lbs would flatten out a spring like that...I think im taking it to a trailer shope tomorrow...already wasted $120 on this!

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Spring issues

No that's not the case. Its been sitting in indoor storage for the past two weeks with out use and since sat in 100 degree kansas heat with the plug out.

Humm, you still can't completely rule out saturated foam. I've seen it stay soaked for months. I doubt it though, it should have done it right off the bat not after riding around. There's no way for the axle to move and it doesn't appear to be bent in the pics. I have to admit, it's got me stumped. I saw one like that once but it was hit in a parking lot and that wasn't the only damage.

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Spring issues

By trailer wheel I meant the front trailer jack. Most of them are wheels some are just stands.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Spring issues

Do you have slipper springs?Are the springs the same length as the original? That front shackle looks a little wrong also
In the first picture it appears you have the spring on the wrong end of the shackle. The shackle looks like there is nothing attached to the bottom hole.A boat load of water or saturated foam wont create that look.There is something wrong with the application of the springs.

 

[mitchell2345]

Re: Spring issues

I ended up taking it to the shop this morning. They are going to rebuild the suspension puting fixed eyes in the front and rear. Then moving the shackles to the equalizer. This is how it should have been built from the beginning.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Spring issues

I ended up taking it to the shop this morning. They are going to rebuild the suspension puting fixed eyes in the front and rear. Then moving the shackles to the equalizer. This is how it should have been built from the beginning.

So my guess is you had slipper springs and you probably had one in backwards.
There is nothing wrong with slippers but you have to pay attention on how the go in.

This is what your new setup up should look like