Community Forums

Weissmand · 05-26-2024, 08:03 AM

A few weeks ago, I got some great advice here on how to align the axles on my 5er - and I'm back seeking some more help.

For myself, it took me 3 weeks to finally find a heavy duty truck alignment shop in denver - and finally spoke to them. As others have pointed out it's somewhere between 350-500 bucks to have my axles aligned.

My friend has a toyhauler (5th wheel) and on the same trip as myself, his tires started rubbing in the middle. For whatever reason, all four of his tires crowned in the center and started to rub. His tires are extremely close to begin with.

When he was on the road, and took the trailer to a RV dealer in colorado, aside from the obnoxious amount they charged to fix his problem they did a mickey mouse job.

One of his spring perches welds was cracked through and the company booger welded (we're not sure if the welds actually penetrated to the steel I Beam) the perch on - and then didn't have the correct size spring and put one on that's 1" longer than the rest - which has thrown his equalizer out of whack.

Yesterday, we got under the 5er, to measure the existing springs to replace them (and upgrade the suspension with all new springs, moryde hardware) and took measurements - and here's the question.

How do you measure the springs properly? do you have to remove them from the perch/shackles and then measure center to center or can you measure them while they are under weight?

When we looked last night for the leaf spings for his dexter axle (model number V000157328) everything we found (3500 lb leaf springs - 2 of them) are 25-1/4" on center eye to eye.

Our measurements under load were 26-1/2" eye to eye.

Hence the question.

Thanks in advance!

Josh

TB673 · 05-26-2024, 11:00 PM

If you measured the loaded spring length, they would be a little longer than the length from the parts manual (unloaded measurement).
The following video shows taking the measurement with the weight Off of the spring.
Here is a tutorial from E Trailer for leaf spring measurement:

https://www.etrailer.com/faq-How-to-...f-Springs.aspx

Tim

Weissmand · 05-27-2024, 06:53 AM

Thanks Tim!

What was interesting is they never mentioned whether or not to measure while it was on the rig. The location of where it was measured in the video was very helpful though!

Josh

john1981 · 05-31-2024, 09:48 PM

i already went through this garbage once. call the company that manufactured the rv and find out what axle/spring assembly they specd it with or you might be able to get the bom off the axle and call dexter direct. this turned into a ridiculous headache for me trying to go the route youre headed.