Replacement Leaf Spring Recommendation for 2009 Forest River Cardinal

Updated 06/15/2020 | Published 06/11/2020

Question:

I have a 2009 forest river Cardinal. The tag on my axle says 6000lb. It’s a ALKO T60. My springs are pretty flat. One measures 27 1/2 inches and the other 26 1/2 inches. I’m having trouble figuring out what size leaf springs to buy. I also want to upgrade to 7k springs.

asked by: James W

Expert Reply:

Typically as springs wear out they stretch or get longer as they flatten. So when picking out a replacement spring normally you go with one slightly shorter than what you measure but most importantly the correct capacity based on the axle. The temptation is to go with a higher rated spring than needed but this will just give you a harsher ride than ideal as the spring will move less. So the best solution is the leaf spring part # e94SR which is a 6k spring that is 26 inches long. This matches capacity and length like you need.

The only 7k spring we have is much shorter around 24 inches and would not be ideal for you.

expert reply by: Jameson C