Replacing Leaf Springs On A 5th Wheel | RV Suspension Repair
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2024
- Today is all about replacing the leaf springs on a 5th wheel! More specifically, our 2019 Grand Design 28BH 5th wheel. With all of the posts we have seen regarding broken 5th wheel and travel trailer leaf springs, I decided to inspect ours a little closer. What I found was the left side leaf springs almost completely flattened out! Our 5th wheel is not overweight, so we have come to the conclusion that the flat leaf springs are a result of wear and tear from multiple trips across the country over the last few years. I found some slightly heavier duty leaf springs (3000 lb capacity per spring) at Michigan Truck Spring (truckspring.com) and they were at my door in 3 days! Replacing leaf springs on a 5th wheel is probably much easier than you think, if you can change a tire, you can change these leaf springs on your trailer!
4 Leaf 3000 lb Leaf Springs: www.truckspring.com/trailer-p...
5 Leaf 3000 lb Leaf Springs (May Require New U-bolts): amzn.to/3uYrwCj
Chapters:
0:00 Why We Decided To Replace Our Leaf Springs
4:46 Jacking Up The 5th Wheel
5:48 How To Remove The Leaf Springs
8:32 Old Leaf Springs vs New Leaf Springs
9:23 Installing The New Leaf Springs
13:48 Was Replacing The Leaf Springs A Hard Job?
When installing the wet bolts, the hole in the bolt shaft must be oriented at either the 9:00 or 3:00 positions for the grease to ooz out properly. Otherwise the wet bolt may not take grease properly. If the grease does not ooz out of the bushings and the pressure seems high going in, the bolt will need to be removed and reinstalled correctly.
I should have addressed that, thanks for the tip.
Great video! We are about to swap ours within the week. We have everything we need. We did go with a 5 leaf upgrade. Thanks again for a great video!
Thank you! The 5 leaf is a great choice, thanks for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors did all your new leafs come with the rebound clip? Only one of ours came with a rebound clip.
Our brand new 39ft bumper pull TT is flattened too. Didn't buy through a dealer so we have to do the same thing. Thanks for the video!
You’re welcome! Not a difficult job, just time consuming. Thanks for watching!
I always come back to your video on changing leaf springs. Like I commented a couple of years ago, I carry 2 spare leaf springs with us when we travel in our TT. I checked the torque on the U-bolt nuts the other day on our TT. Wow, a couple of them weren't at the minimum 45 ft. lbs that Dexter recommends. Glad I checked. We are getting ready to take a cross country trip in our RV next month. It really pays to go around and check the torque on everything. Coming back from Maine last year, I arrived home. I found the nut holding the ball to the hitch was loose!! I now carry a wrench specifically for that, too. That gets checked every time we pull stakes up at a campground. Keep the videos coming!!
Thank you and thanks for the support!
Really a very thorough video on how to change the leaf springs. Our RV is a 2019 Coachmen Catalina. Yesterday, I bought a "Spare" leaf spring and shackles to take along with us on our adventures. I've seen too many videos where people have been broken down in the middle of nowhere because of a broken leaf spring, and had to wait days to get a replacement. That's not happening to me. I carry all the tools necessary to change one if need be. With the supply chain shortages, you could be in a real pickle if you couldn't get a replacement. It's not a real expensive part to buy as a spare and you will have peace of mind if one should ever break. Even if you couldn't replace it yourself because of lack of tools or knowledge, at least if you had an extra one with you, someone could replace it. Again, good video!!
Thank you! I have read the horror stories as well. Definitely glad I took a look at them before hitting the road! Thanks for watching!
Great video brother! This James from camper Size Living. We just had a spring snap in half here in El Paso. I was thinking it would probably be a pretty easy fix and your video confirmed it. Thanks again and hopefully we get to meet up down the road somewhere. 👍
You’re welcome! Glad the video was helpful and thank you for watching!
Hello friend, thanks for the great video, it was a huge help with my recent leaf spring replacement. While we don't have nearly the mileage on ours as you have on yours (less then 9000 miles actually) our 5300lb dexter springs have been put out to pasture! Just one quick correction on your torque specks, Moryde recommends 40 Ft pounds on their wet bolts as the shaft of the bolt is hollow and shouldn't be over torqued. Thanks again and safe travels!
You’re welcome, thanks for sharing that info and thanks for watching!
Definite improvement to ward off the chance of suffering a broken main spring. But I would have replaced the the plastic bushings with bronze. The plastic bushings disintegrate, wet bolts or not. They just can't stand the weight. That's why all heavy duty shackle kits only come with bronze bushings.
I would have preferred the bronze bushings over the nylon. Given how hard it was to even find springs, I decided to take what I could get at the time. I will definitely be keeping an eye on them. Thanks for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors with 30 years of RVing behind me, I'd like to make a suggestion to prolong the life of your springs. Many manufacturers recommend jacking the RV and supporting it to relieve at least partially some of the weight off the suspension. Springs will tend to sag over time from simply having the full static weight resting on them. This is also beneficial to extending the life of your tires and to prevent flat spotting. Goodyears trailer tire website recommends raising the tires off the ground and reducing tire pressure by 50% during long periods of storage. I've practiced this procedure for nearly all my years of RVing and have never suffered a tire failure. Just a friendly suggestion.
Good job! Don’t you love the feeling of getting something like that done and out of the way?
Absolutely! Much better than the feeling of seeing a broken spring on the side of the highway! Thanks for watching!
With the suspension issues you’ve had in the past I think I would have replaced the Dexter equalizer with the MORRyde SRE 4000, using that system you get a slight lift and a crossmember for added strength. I am very pleased with the results.
I’m sure that’s an excellent replacement option. I was looking for the easiest, most straightforward, and cost effective option, not to mention the time crunch I was under. That is why I went this route for now. Perhaps a MORRyde suspension will be in our future! Thanks for watching!
The upgraded equalizer does not extend the life of the springs.
@Randall Wiebe it does. It softens the impact that would normally be fully transfered to the springs.
A fact of life is that extreme forces on the frame and springs while backing into paved camp spots cant be avoided . The pavement doesnt let the tires slip and dissipate the stress of bieng dragged sideways while making turns. All one has to do is to have the wife video the wheels while you make a turn or back into a camp spot. That twisting force is transferred directly into the frame and its axle components and can break them .So I recommend a visual inspection of the Ibeam frame near the wheels 3 ft before and after the axles . Look at the I beam web for cracks appearing as bulges or rust colored streaks about 1 inch above the flange . Also spring shackles and springs . On 5th wheels a common point of frame failures is the Goose Neck frame transition area. Any movement is a sign of broken frame members .
Great tips, thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much for this. Can I suggest that if the finances will allow to change out your equalizer system. I put the SRE 4000 system on my solitude two years ago and love it. Just look at the difference between the two.
Thanks for the suggestion! I have heard nothing but good things about the SRE4000. Perhaps an upgrade is in our future! Thanks for watching!
Suspension components on RV’s break because the manufacturer installs only the bare minimum needed for the weight. Once you add your cargo and some fresh water you are very close to or over the GVWR. NOT GOOD! Also, if remove the U bolt’s first, and then let the axle down slightly with the bottle jack until the centering bolt on the leaf spring is clear of the U bolt bracket, it is way easier to take the wet bolts out. One more thing. If you’re installing new springs, get rid of those nylon bushings and upgrade to the brass ones. Those nylon ones are crap and wear out quickly.
Thanks for the tips!
Ok, so where do you want to meet up so you can do ours! Looks to be a little over my abilities. It is something that I have thought about though as well as replacing the shackles. Yours looks a lot more heavy duty than ours. Thanks for sharing!
It’s really not too difficult, I bet you could knock them out with no problem! Hopefully the new, beefier springs will hold up better than the originals. Thanks for watching!
Great video! Also enjoyed your bearing packing video.
I replaced our 2500 pound springs that last year on our 303RLS, only I went to 5-leaf 3000 pound springs.
One other thing I have read and I will probably do next time I do the springs -- upgrade to thicker shackles. While they don't break as much, they do fail.
I have been stuck roadside on a major highway in a prior travel trailer and it is a terrifying experience. I have a goal to never repeat that!
Thanks! I was planning to go with the 5 leaf version but my U bolts were not long enough, If there is a next time, I will invest in the 5 leaf springs and new U bolts. Thanks for watching!
Looks like I'll be ordering a couple of wet bolts and shackles for spares....
Not a bad idea to have on hand! Thanks for watching!
@@bigearn8782 if you have a drill press and a tap you can make your own. I used some of the old bolts from when I replaced them on my 1998 Alfa Ideal. I held them in a vice for a drill press and drilled to the center of the bolt and then layer them on their side and using a wire for the depth to know where to drill the holes in the side. Cleaned everything with brake cleaner and then used the correct tap for the grease zerk.
I replaced the bolts on my 2014 Keystone Cougar 337fls with a wet bolt kit but this summer when I rebuild the suspension, new 3,000 5 leaf springs and I’m replacing the 5,200 axles with 7,000 lbs axles I’ll use the wet bolts I’ve made. The reason is the wet bolts that came in the kit have a shoulder on the threaded ends, so the nut is small than the bold diameter and with the lip there’s a chance that the lip will catch and not go through the hanger and you’ll be tightening against the hanger and not properly torqued.
@@paulshannon4576 Excellent info. Thx.
Thank you for making this video. I have a Reflection 311BHS and I am about to undertake this job myself. Have you had to change your suspension out and when you changed your leaf springs did you still have plenty of camber remaining in your axles? I am considering replacing the equaflex for either a new set or switching to the MORRyde units.
I have only changed the leaf springs. If we end up keeping this 5th wheel, it will get an entire suspension upgrade. Thanks for watching!
Great video! You make it look easy!Very informative ! Wondering , have you ever checked into Sumo springs for Your RV ?
Thank you! I have Timbrens on our truck which are a competitor to Sumo Springs. We have been extremely happy with them on the truck. I can see the benefit of having them on the trailer since most leaf springs are right at max capacity.
@@JouppiOutdoors
Thank you for your reply. I was also wondering what you use for your drive route planning ? Y'all be safe.
Great video! Easy to follow and understand. I don’t have the self levelers. Do you have any suggestions for my situation. 35’ 5th Wheel. Thank you!
Are you referring to the equalizer between the axles?
@@JouppiOutdoors I believe I just need to put jack stands under the frame to free up the springs.
I understand what you mean now. Yes, just jack the frame up and put jack stands under it and it’s basically a manual version of what I did with the auto level jacks.
Thanks so much for the detailed video. I'm looking at replacing my leaf springs. But I'm having trouble with the measurement from eye to eye while on the rig. I have one that measures 26" and all the rest measure 25 1/2" with the weight removed. I don't see anyone selling 25 1/2" springs. They seem to be all 25 1/4". And what about the one that measures 26"? Not sure if the previous owner just replaced that one with a different size. I don't have any wear or tracking issues. I just want to be proactive.
I would say they are 25 1/4” springs. That is a common length, so yours may be flattened out a bit from the original length
I have seen videos which say that the holding bracket on the leafs need to be at the front and not at the rear.
Not sure I understand? Mine has a bracket on both ends, it a double eye leaf spring. I know there are slip-in style leaf springs on some trailers, could that be what you are referring to? Thanks for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors No it's the small band that holds the leafs I place. I saw this on a few TH-cam videos. I'm still not 100% sure why though.
I was told to replace the u bolts as they tend to stretch.
It is recommended to replace them. At the time I ordered the springs, parts were very hard to find (Covid shortages?). I am actually getting ready to do 6 leaf 3500lb springs with new U bolts and MORRyde shackles, bushings, wet bolts, and equalizer.
I did recheck the torque on these U bolts regularly and they have not loosened in 2 years.
It looked like you put the spring on backwards to the one you took off. The wet bolts should not spin in the shackles.
Mixed views as to whether or not the direction of the spring matters. This was done when parts were scarce. I have since upgraded to MORRyde equalizers and heavy duty shackles along with heavier leaf springs. Thanks for watching!
Good Stuff. Also own the GD Reflection 28 BH. Are there any manuals/info on service schedule (either time or mileage) for things like this from GD or anyone else?
Thank you! I’m not aware of any manuals regarding regular maintenance. I see problems others have had and try to service and maintain those areas to prevent problems as much as possible. There is a lot of good info on the Grand Design Owners Forum, I learned a lot from there. Thanks for watching!
Hey guys, just wanted to see a year down the road update. How are these holding up?
So far so good, holding up great! We haven’t been on the move as frequently but have made multiple trips from NC to Florida, Indiana, and West Virginia since installing them so they’ve definitely had some miles put on them with no issues. Thanks for watching!
Most RVs use cheap Chinese made springs. Adding shocks will greatly increase the life of a spring. I always tack weld the bolt head to the shackle link. You don't want the link to rotate around the bolt.
Thanks for the input and thank you for watching!
Should have put in bronze inserts with the wet bolts. The nylon will ware out even with grease in a few thousand miles.
Parts were very hard to find at the time, I guess time will tell though. Thanks for watching!
I have a travel trailer with a dual axle and just replaced both leaf springs on one axle. Do you recommend replacing both springs on the other axle and why. My trailer is 10 years old. Thanks so much.
If the springs on the other axle look good and are not flattened out, you are probably ok. The only possible drawback might be that the old springs do not have the same load carrying capacity as the new ones, but that might not be a big deal if they are still in good shape. Thanks for watching!
If I change 2 springs from 1 axle, do I need to change the other 2 on the second axle?
It would be recommended to do both axles, however, if they appear to be good you could probably get by on them.
Why did you not replace the bushing on the equalizer shackle? If those wear out they will damage the equalizer. Camper trailers have a constant load on the suspension and are not designed for commercial use hauling across the country many times puts a lot of wear and tear on them. the 5 leaf pack spring would have lasted 2x as long as the 4 leaf pack which is barely enough to hold all that constant weight. If you have a trailer with those think shackles it would also be good idea to have couple spare on the road with you. Those wear out and break below the bolt hole.
All good points, thanks for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors Nice work maintaining those springs and suspension. Most people would wait till it breaks and be surprised.
Couldn't you reuse bushing?
I would not recommend reusing the old bushings.
Hopefully stays in place ? On bolt nuts. Oh my
Nice video
I have already replaced these along with upgraded shackles and a new equalizer. Thanks for watching!
Very nice video but you should have replaced the U bolts as they stretch when torqued and never should be reused.
Normally I would, I was in a time crunch and new U bolts were not readily available. Thanks for watching!
I noticed the 4 leaf are 25 1/8 and the 5 leaf are 25 1/4. Do you think the 5 leaf would have fit ok even though slightly longer? I'm not sure if this is an issue or not?
During my research, many people used the 25 1/4” 5 leaf springs with no issues. That was my preferred option, but they were out of stock at the time and our U bolts were not long enough to accommodate the extra spring. That is why I ultimately went with the 3000 lb 4 leaf version.
10-4, I'm having the opposite issue but at least they have 5 leaf in stock. I'll go with those. Thanks for the response and video
@@davidlawson5937 you’re welcome
@@davidlawson5937 David, did the 5 leaf work ok? Any feedback with the install? Thank you.
@@cadexim The 5 leaf worked fine. Had issues getting the old ones off and new on but it was manageable. Took longer than expected. If you are like me then everything does but you'll get it done 🤣. For me it was a bit of trial and error trying to find the sweet spot with the jacks to get bolts off and on. Don't really have any additional tips. It's a pretty tough job but doable. Be patient and take your time figuring things out.
I think you put it on backwards. Did you notice in the video clip prior the leaf spring clip is not matching?? It’s in the wrong direction? Easily overlooked I San see how. I have done the same. Maybe you adjusted it prior to installation. You probably should make sure? I dunno. Juts for safety. I believe the clip should face forward on the leafs?? I may be wrong. Nice video. Would be better if you showed where you jacked the rest of the RV up.? Most of the technicians out here don’t do RV/Trailer work… Doble check that positioning for your own safety. Regards and thank you sir!!
I asked the spring manufacturer about this. Since the spring eye is the same distance to the center pin on these springs, it can be installed either way. They said typically the clip is forward of the axle but there is no issue installing an equal length spring with the clip towards the rear. Very observant, thanks for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors ha. Crazy how I saw that lol. I know because I just did the same thing, I removed that and re did it. I did not know and just saw this. I was hoping I saw this earlier luckily I caught it before it got to far along. Am I the first person to notice that. 😂. Hey. Thank you and great video. Was a help that’s for sure. I do have one question, the length of mine I installed are about 2 inches longer. I’m thinking they are ok. Just after market. Did fine easy job all together good money. If you know that’s it’s not just let me know. Regards.
They are all junk and the manufacturers know it on all these rvs why aren't they being held responsible is beyond me. Wow until someone gets killed because of this bull no one will do anything about it. It's a sad situation
I don’t think you are wrong! The components being used are subpar.
Looks like if you use your RV a lot you need to replace the springs every two years.
Traveling full time definitely puts a lot of wear and tear on the RV. We will see how these springs hold up. Thanks for watching!
2 year old bad leaf spring is not impressive and you should have changed that dexter out also
Agreed, 2 years is premature for a leaf spring. To be fair though, we are full time and have made multiple cross country trips over some extremely rough stretches of road. Thanks for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors after our first trip from Nevada to the Keys and back, our next trip is to Alaska. Replaced the suspension with a Cree 3000 and seems to help. Rough roads ahead
Never, ever reuse u-bolts. U-bolts are a torque to stretch alloy meaning when they are properly torqued, using a torque wrench, they stretch a certain amount which is where they gain their holding power. If you back them off even a turn, the stretch you have applied will have an inherent memory therefore if you properly re torque them they will be over stretched thus reducing their strength and holding power. Sure, you could cruise around for a long time without issue yet when you get into a high speed evasive maneuver or a panic stop at speed they will more than likely fail causing a catastrophic failure. Those who say they have done it for years without issue are what we call "lucky". As a certified, professional technician I have seen it all. Do the right thing and purchase new u-bolts, washers and nuts. In the end, what is your life worth?
Thank you for the info and thanks for watching!
You can easily buy some or if you want to save a few dollar please use some lock tight. I don’t see a issue with that, just make sure they don’t back off, I have also mage a personal cotter pin, smalll heavy duty drill bit and there ya go. Piece of mind. I do agree with above opinion but if this gentleman is in a situation it’s not going to hurt for a while at all
Next time you do leaf springs go with American made with American spring steel from AlCan Spring in Grand Junction CO. Real thick bronze busing, 2inch wide springs machined on ends to fit in hangers. Never do springs again! Bye Bye China stuff!
I’ll be checking in to these! Thanks for the info!
@@JouppiOutdoors There are so many TH-camrs that have done videos on replacing leaf springs, and some have done it more then once!. All of them use the China, $40 each, spring pack. It is amazing to me that $50K to $200K trailers are going down the road on $$160 worth of china leaf springs! It is nuts!! Yes Check out Alcan Spring. I started doing research when my friend broke a spring on his Reflection while we were in the middle of now where. You are truly stuck. The 5th wheel or trailer is not moving until you replace the leaf spring pack. After this night mirror I started doing research and discover Alcon Springs. I went ahead and replaced my suspension with their product. Alcan springs are 2 inches wide but he presses down the ends so they fit into your 1-3/4 wide hangers. HIs kits come with everything, new U-bolts and axle plate to fit the wider spring pack, MORryde equalizer and heavy duty shackles and wet bolts. Alcan Spring have a larger diameter on the ends to accept a real thick bronze bushing , not a paper thin china bushing! I am curious about Dexter springs if they are truly made in America with American spring steel? I am glad I did the upgrade, now I am very confident crossing the USA on springs that won't fail me.
Pay a lot for these rigs and get Chinese crap!!
It’s definitely disappointing, thanks for watching!