Wet bolt install question

[FlyStar]

I need to replace rearmost wet bolt on my heavy tandem axle trailer. What is the best way to unload the suspension?

Do I have to take both wheels off and put the frame on jack stands making the rig level? Or can I leave the front axle wheel on and just put a jack stand under the frame at the rear?

If both wheels are off, do I need to jack up both axles a little to make them level, or just the rear?

How can I determine that there is no pressure on the spring hanger before I press out the old bolt?

If I need to replace the bushing, are there any tricks to keeping the spring aligned with the hanger for reinstall?

I’m a newbie when it comes to suspension work but am willing to give it a try based on long lead time and questionable quality at the dealership.

Thanks in advance for the advice.


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[Steven@147]

I need to replace rearmost wet bolt on my heavy tandem axle trailer. What is the best way to unload the suspension?

snip

Thanks in advance for the advice.


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i replied to your personal message but it was early this morning and I hadn't had my coffee yet.

RV up, frame supported on jack stands. Both wheels off is best and floor jacks under both axles at the U bolts. You don't want the equalizer between the axles to move as you jack on the axle you are working on. If the equalizer or its shackle moves forward or aft as you disconnect a spring and let it down you'll have a time getting the spring eye lined back up in the frame hanger hole.

For the axle leaf spring wet bolt your working on, jack up slightly on the axle tube under the U bolts. If you have the leaf spring unloaded and in a neutral position (no tension on it up or down), the wet bolt should come right out. If the wet bolt is like stuck and doesn't seem to want to come out, the leaf spring still has tension weight on it. Once you get the wet bolt out, if your replacing the eye bushing, lower the jack under the axle tube so that the spring eye just clears the frame hanger.

Remove the old bushing from the spring eye however you want. Use a new bushing to force the old one out or use a small drift or screwdriver or use a small deep socket to get the old bushing out. If the old bushing is plastic just use a screwdriver to collapse the plastic bushing in on itself, grab a hold of it with needle nose plyers and hank it out of the eye.

Insert a new bushing in the eye, a C clamp works good. Slowly jack raise the axle back up so the spring eye centers with the frame hanger hole. If you kept the equalizer and or shackles from moving forward or aft as you lowered the axle the spring eye should be close to centered with the frame hanger hole as you raise it back up. A drift inserted through the hanger hole can help align the spring eye. You can stick a crow bar through the shackle and pry forward or aft to help align the spring eye to the hole in the frame hanger.

Mark the bolt head in relation to the grease hole in the bolt shank. Insert new wet bolt, clock the head mark to the 3 or 9 o'clock position to facilitate better easier greasing, use a deep impact socket on the bolt head over the grease zerk and hit with hammer to Seat new wet bolt knurled end so that the bolt head is flush with the hanger bracket. Make sure on the other side of the frame hanger, the shoulder of the wet bolt is sticking through the frame hanger hole, put on nut and torque to spec. Should be about @ 50 ft#.

I have had a least one cup of coffee. Hope I made sense.

[cfowler55]

One thing. Turn the nut, not the bolt. They are knurled to keep the bolt from rotating in the spring hanger. You’ll probably have to tap it out with a small hammer to get past the knurled portion.
Charlie

[Hoopy Frood]

And try to put the ridges into the original sites so the hanger isn't chewed up any more than necessary.

[FlyStar]

Wow. Thank you all so much. Great information. Will report back on outcome in a week or two.


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[Steven@147]

Wow. Thank you all so much. Great information. Will report back on outcome in a week or two.


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No problem, for additional info go to the upper 1/4 of the forum on the right to the Advanced Search box, type in Imagine Spring Bushings. You'll find some threads on replacing bushings, wet bolts, HD shackles and MORyde equalizer installations. You should find my threads when I installed these on our 2950RL Imagine and then on our Solitude 3350RL with [pictures.

[Grandesigner]

Great info for future reference...

[dryfly]

One thing that really helped me was to cut a piece of 2X6 lumber the exact length of the inside distance between the 2 axles. By doing one spring at a time, and keeping the 2X6 stabilized between the axles, it prevented front to back movement of the spring eyes. Then, all you have to be concerned with is centering the spring eye with the shackle vertically using the floor jack.

[Hoopy Frood]

Just a minor thing: after pressing the bushings into the spring eyes, check for proper fit of the bolt in the bushing. I found, when doing mine, that I had to ream a couple of the bushings to size so the bolt would fit properly.

[FlyStar]

Happy F

Did the bushings distort a bit during the insertion? Yikes.

Not being a machinist, what exact type of tool do I need to ream them out a bit? Thanks for the help. If it’s not too expensive, I’ll get whatever it is and have it if I need it.

Thanks


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