Fender Clearance Problem on a 3,500 Lbs Tandem Axle Trailer with Double Eye Springs

Updated 12/30/2010 | Published 12/29/2010

Question:

I have double eye leaf springs on my trailer, they are bolted to the hangers and the equalizer. When the trailer is loaded I only have about 3/4 clearance between the lip of the fender and the tire on the rear wheel. Should I replace the hangers with longer hangers or should I just try to add longer shackle straps to compensate for flexibility and clearance?

asked by: Eric L

Expert Reply:

It sounds like you definitely need to make a change in the trailer suspension. Longer hangers may help but, if the springs are worn out, changing the hangers would not fix the real issue.

Installing longer shackle straps would make the issue worse. Shorter shackle straps would not allow the suspension to work properly either. Check the shackle straps for wear, these are commonly the most worn parts on a trailer suspension, followed closely by the springs. If the holes in the shackle straps are worn oblong and sloppy on the bolts they should be replaced. Measure from the center of one hole to the center of the other hole to select the proper replacements.

Next the springs need to be looked at closely. If your trailer was setup by a trailer manufacturer, and is not a home built trailer, the spring and hangers are designed for the proper clearance, as long as the components in the suspension are not worn out and have not been changed. Larger tires could be an issue.

Most 3,500 pound axles use springs that are 25-1/8 inches from spring eye to spring eye center. If you measure this dimension on your springs and it is longer than that it most likely means that the springs are flattened out and worn so they are not performing properly and the clearance between the tire and fender is reduced because of this. An example of a typical 3,500 pound tandem axle spring is the 4-Leaf Double-Eye Spring for 3,500 Pound Trailer Axles # e54SR.

If you are experiencing less clearance at the rear tires than at the front trailer loading may also be contributing to the issue. Loading the trailer farther forward or back can help in this situation.

Longer spring hangers are available (see link) if your springs are not flattened. You will need to measure the distance from the center of the spring eye hole to the top of the spring hangers and select longer spring hangers that extend the hanger an equivalent distance for each hanger location, front, center and rear. A 1 inch longer hanger will create quite a difference in clearance.

Finally, if you would like to take some measurements and send them to me I can help with spring replacement parts or suspension part replacement. I have added a photo with indications of the measurements that will be helpful in determining the correct replacement parts for your trailer suspension.