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  1. #21
    Site Sponsor TerryH's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BeerBrewer View Post
    Just to clear things up, I haven't done any upgrades to my leaf spring hangers. I came across the picture on another web page and thought that it would definitely help strengthen the leaf spring hangers. So I reposted the pic on this site to get your opinions on it. I too am an armature MIG welder and welding "end caps" on my leaf springs is well within my skillset. Having said that, I still don't know if I'd entertain doing it, because I don't like welding anything that is structural. Ask me to weld a crack in lawn mower deck or fix a shelf bracket, I'm on it, but if you ask me to weld an crack in a trailer frame and I'll refuse.

    I had heard about welding V brackets onto the leaf spring hangers, but I never saw it done before. It definitely looks like it would strengthen the hangers, not only side ways, but also front to back. Is there a gap or drain hole at the bottom of the Vee? If not, I'd be concerned about water collecting in the Vee causing it to rust.
    I haven't taken possession of the trailer yet. It is currently still at the dealer. I just noticed that the hangers were reinforced and snapped those couple of photos. I'll check more in depth when I pick up the trailer next Wednesday. Agree with you completely that it should have a weep hole in each of the V's to allow any water to escape. I'll report back once I know more.
    2021 Momentum 31G
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  2. #22
    Big Traveler
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    The problem is how do you find a suspension ship that knows how to weld these little plate reinforcements on? Also did you ever entertain the MorRyde independent suspension? I'm thinking of having a Carli Back Country suspension and 35x12.5R20 tires fitted to my F450, but this would result in an increased bed height of 1.5". My fiver is already very slightly nose high so I'd need to level the trailer somehow. I figure either go with the Roadmaster or MorRyde systems, with the attraction of the Roadmaster being significantly less expense. No idea how the two systems perform relative to each other however.

    Quote Originally Posted by 2019SD View Post
    We bought our 268BH at the show in Feb. Since we didn’t it until June -(pandemic..&#128580 I was able to read an enormous amount regarding trailer suspension, good and bad. About a month after delivery, I took it to a local welding and suspension shop who dealt with trailers. He looked it over and pointed out that the front hanger on one side was already out of straights. We pulled the trigger and installed the Roadmaster system with shocks. They added cross bracing front and back in addition to 3 and 1/2 lift. The difference was night and day. Before, going over dips in the freeway I could see and feel the trailer bouncing quite a bit. Now, hardly feel any bounce and no creaking and groaning while turning. We decided to do this since we figured we would keep this one for a while and where we like to camp is usually in the high mountains well off the beaten path and did not want to take a chance on broken spring or hangers etc.....Attachment 30988Attachment 30989
    2017 Ford F450 - our kids call her "Big Red"
    2018 Grand Design Reflection 28bh

  3. #23
    Seasoned Camper
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    Quote Originally Posted by zinman View Post
    I'm not an engineer but does anyone know why Lippert would choose to use the inverted V on the spring hanger as opposed to boxing both ends as shown in BeerBrewers pic??? I weld recreationally and am seriously considering beefing up the spring hangers with one or the other.
    Because often times to remove or install the spring bushings the hangers have to spread a little. And then when you torque up the bolts the hangers have to pinch together slightly

    Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

  4. #24
    Site Sponsor BeerBrewer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by [email protected] View Post
    Because often times to remove or install the spring bushings the hangers have to spread a little. And then when you torque up the bolts the hangers have to pinch together slightly

    Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
    I had not thought about this....good point. Adding the plate on the end may make it more difficult if not impossible to change the springs. I also think the V bracket adds more support front to back and may help alleviate the stress on the hangers during a hard stop.

  5. #25
    Rolling Along
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    The way those braces are welded, it appears is to reduce twist as opposed to flex. Those brackets are designed to flex otherwise they'd be much shorter.

    Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

  6. #26
    Seasoned Camper Scramjet's Avatar
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    Rear hanger broken

    I was on my way from Ohio to Arizona and discovered the right rear spring bracket broken. The inside had cracked away from the frame at the weld. On this day we were traveling from Davey Crockett national forest to Kemah Texas. By the time I found a shop north of Houston the outside of the bracket had cracked at the frame too. I can’t think of anything that would have precipitated the failure except repeated bending fatigue.

    The welder attached angle iron on both sides of the bracket with one side of the angle boxing the bracket and the other side up against the frame. If I figure out how to post a photo from my phone I will add a picture. Now I am just hoping the other side doesn’t crack.
    Brian & Shea+ Zeke & Roxy GSP’s
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  7. #27
    Site Sponsor TerryH's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BeerBrewer View Post
    Just to clear things up, I haven't done any upgrades to my leaf spring hangers. I came across the picture on another web page and thought that it would definitely help strengthen the leaf spring hangers. So I reposted the pic on this site to get your opinions on it. I too am an armature MIG welder and welding "end caps" on my leaf springs is well within my skillset. Having said that, I still don't know if I'd entertain doing it, because I don't like welding anything that is structural. Ask me to weld a crack in lawn mower deck or fix a shelf bracket, I'm on it, but if you ask me to weld an crack in a trailer frame and I'll refuse.

    I had heard about welding V brackets onto the leaf spring hangers, but I never saw it done before. It definitely looks like it would strengthen the hangers, not only side ways, but also front to back. Is there a gap or drain hole at the bottom of the Vee? If not, I'd be concerned about water collecting in the Vee causing it to rust.
    Finally got around to checking out how LCI did the V reinforcements inside the hangers. They stopped the welds just before the peak of the inverted V. Assuming that was to keep water from standing in them.
    2021 Momentum 31G
    2021 20' Haulmark Edge race trailer
    '17 Ram CCLB 3500 dually 6.7 turbo
    '96 Chevy C3500 CC dually 454
    2019 Honda Talon X
    1985 Honda FL350R Odyssey

  8. #28
    Seasoned Camper Scramjet's Avatar
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    Broken leaf spring bracket

    It looks like LCI will accept the claim to cover the road repair and wants to see and estimate for replacing the rear brackets on both sides.

    We will be in AZ for about a month. Does anyone know of a good RV trailer frame repair facility in the Phoenix area that has done this work?

    Brian
    Brian & Shea+ Zeke & Roxy GSP’s
    2018 GD Reflection 303RLS 800w solar 400ah LiFePO4
    Sold 2018 Ford F-250 CCSB Lariat gas 2,980# payload
    2024 Ford F-350 4x4 CCSB Lariat diesel 4,000# payload

  9. #29
    Big Traveler dryfly's Avatar
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    Can anyone suggest a contact at Lippert so I could inquire about getting them to install the V brackets on my spring hangers? Or, at least get info on buying the brackets and having them welded locally.

    Also, what search phrase would I use to locate the "really long thread (aprox 29 pages)" on suspensions mentioned in post #4 ?

    thanks,
    2020 Reflection 273MK

  10. #30
    Site Sponsor andrewssteve's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dryfly View Post
    Can anyone suggest a contact at Lippert so I could inquire about getting them to install the V brackets on my spring hangers? Or, at least get info on buying the brackets and having them welded locally.
    This is what I had in my email history w.r.t. my V bracket install at LCI.

    You received a voice mail from Tommy Hemminger.

    Job Title: OEM Service Technician
    Company: LCI Plant 82 - Service
    Work: +1 574-537-8900
    Mobile: +1 574-524-5273
    Email: [email protected]

    and

    "Thank you I am assigning this case over to Josh Northam who schedules our in house appointments."

    -Steve
    Steve and Renee
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