Suspension Upgrade Imagine 2670MK

[Dale G]

All of this started when I decided to upgrade my tires from the Westlake to the Goodyear Endurance. I had not had any issues with the Westlakes but I was never comfortable with the tires on the left of the trailer since they only had 40PSI in them when the trailer was delivered to me. Now the tires had over 9000 miles and every time we went out, I worried about those two tires. When I went to take the tires off to get the new tires, I found a cut in the sidewall of one of the tires and the inside of the left rear tire was worn meaning bent axle/spindle. So, I decided to do some suspension upgrades while Grand Design decides what they are going to do about the axle.

I was going to go with the MORryde CRE3000 but they have a requirement for 3" of tire clearance and I only have 2 3/4" to 2 7/8". I then looked at the Dexter E-Z Flex which is a direct replacement for the equalizer that is on my axles. I figured if I did not have any clearance issues with the stock equalizer then the E-Z Flex should not have any either. They also get great reviews. I was also going to add the Lippert Shock Kit but I did not have the tire to frame clearance necessary to install the kit. After talking to the people at etrailer.com I decided to install the SumoSprings for trailers.

Grand Design still hasn't made a decision on the axle and we are getting ready to go out for a couple of weeks all the way to Door County, WI and I really wanted the upgrades before we went out again. So, I decided to go ahead and install everything and if I ever get a new axle all they will have to do is put the bronze bushings in the new axle if it comes with new springs.

This is what I upgraded, Dexter E-Z Flex K71-655-00 equalizer, MORryde Heavy Duty Shackle and Wet Bolt Upgrade Kit UO12-016, MORryde X-Factor Crossmember on the center hanger, SumoSprings TSS-107-40. I did not do the crossmember on the outside hangers because of the clearance with the gray tank drain and the back hanger.

Everything was very easy to install, just time consuming getting the trailer jacked up and stable. The SumoSprings are super easy to install. After getting all of the old stuff off I was glad I did not wait on the new axle and went ahead and did the upgrade. The bushings were completely shot and the bolts in the shackles were so worn you could spin them with your fingers. This meant that the shackles had about 1/8" to 1/4" play in each one. I can't imagine how much the play would transfer to the axles but it had to affect it.

I also had the hangers that are too wide for the springs which caused the side of the hanger to be pulled in when the bolt was tightened. To stop this, I got gold anodized grade 8 washers and placed one on each side of the spring when I put it back into the hanger. There is actually plenty of room and I did not have to force it. So now when the bolt is tightened the sides of the hanger stays straight. For the center hanger for the equalizer there was only room for one washer, but again, it made the sides of the hanger stay straight when the bolt was tightened.

I haven't had a chance to test drive it but we go out in a little over a week and I will let everyone know how much better the trailer pulls with all of the improvements.

Dale

[Dale G]

Here are a couple of more pictures.

[Dale G]

We took our first trip with the new suspension upgrades. We traveled from Southeast Missouri, up to St. Louis and then to Indianapolis and up to Elkhart. For those who have never traveled I-255 east of St. Louis then I-70 to Indianapolis it is some of the worst roads you can travel. All I can say is, WOW, what a difference. I don’t know if it was any one upgrade that helped more than any other or if it was just a combination of all of the upgrades I did, but the trailer handled and rode out the rough roads like a different trailer. It was much more stable with almost no big rig suck. When you hit bad spots in the road, like poor transitions at bridges, it didn’t feel like the trailer was being ripped off of the truck. At times you didn’t even notice the trailer was back there when you hit bumps. We were even fighting a 17 mph crosswind and never felt it, the trailer was rock solid. My brother was traveling behind us and said he never saw the trailer sway or bounce, he said it rode out the bad spots very well. It didn’t even flinch when the big rigs would blow by. I traveled most of the trip at 67 mph.

We changed out the Westlake tires for Goodyear Endurance, added a MORryde X Factor crossmember, replaced the worn out shackles and bushings with the MORryde heavy duty shackle and wet bolt kit, replace the stock equalizer with the direct fit Dexter E-Z Flex equalizer, and added the SumoSprings for trailers. I am very happy with the money I spent and all of the upgrades.

Dale

[Riceball1]

what was the cost for all the upgraded parts not including tires?

[Dale G]

what was the cost for all the upgraded parts not including tires?

MORryde UO21-003 Suspension System X Factor $134.93 Amazon, MORryde UO12-016 Heavy Duty Shackle Upgrade Kit and wet bolt kit $97.99 Amazon, Dexter E-Z Flex Equalizers - Double-Eye Springs - Tandem Axle - 8,000 lbs - Qty 2 Item # K71-655-00 $187.25 etrailer.com, SumoSprings Trailer Helper Springs w/ Line Relocation Bracket - Single Axle - 4K to 8K - Overslung Item # TSS-107-40 $398.70 etrailer.com. The prices include taxes and shipping.
I am very happy with everything I installed. The trailer seems a lot more stable and I don't get the hard hits from it when we go over bad roads.

Hope this helps,
Dale

[SlimJim]

A belated thank you for posting the details on this. Have my 2670mk on order, this will be one of the first projects I do for it.

[Dale G]

A belated thank you for posting the details on this. Have my 2670mk on order, this will be one of the first projects I do for it.

I really like what the upgrades did for the trailer and I am very glad I did them. Definitely worth the money.
Dale

[Tigger1]

I really like what the upgrades did for the trailer and I am very glad I did them. Definitely worth the money.
Dale

We went with the Dexter EZ Flex kit k71-653-00. Only two short pulls so far but the pot holes around the neighborhood seem a little smoother. Couple of more trips planned this month.

This is our first leaf-spring trailer and I had read about the nylon bushings lasting only about a season so I pulled the trigger and got it done. We replaced the Westlakes with GY Endurance too.

I’m curious how much benefit you can tell with the trailer Sumo Springs in conjunction with the EZ Flex?

[Dale G]

We went with the Dexter EZ Flex kit k71-653-00. Only two short pulls so far but the pot holes around the neighborhood seem a little smoother. Couple of more trips planned this month.

This is our first leaf-spring trailer and I had read about the nylon bushings lasting only about a season so I pulled the trigger and got it done. We replaced the Westlakes with GY Endurance too.

I’m curious how much benefit you can tell with the trailer Sumo Springs in conjunction with the EZ Flex?

Since I did it all at the same time it is really hard to say which improvement is from which upgrade. The trailer no longer leans or whips when a truck blows by and I would imagine that has a lot to do with the Sumo Springs. When my brother was following me he said the trailer no longer bounced when I went over the rough bridge transitions and dips in the road and that would be the result of the Sumo Springs.
Dale

[Riceball1]

Finally got around to suspension upgrade. New wet bolts, Cree 3000, and repack bearings. Job went great. Before upgrade I had 3.25 inches of clearance on curb side and 4 inches on other. After both went up 1/2 inch. Did it in my driveway with 2 floor jacks and 2 good sized jack stands. I also kept the truck hooked up for stability. The plastic spacers were trashed. Trailer 18 months old with 8500 towing mileage.