An addition to your pre trip trailer check-- spring hangers/perches
05-23-2010, 12:34 PM
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St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10
An addition to your pre trip trailer check-- spring hangers/perches
This happened to my dual axle trailer for my 24' pontoon boat. Even though I checked out bearings/tires /lights, I did NOT look close at the spring perches.
Our first fishing trip to Ontario Canada was delayed by 3-1/2 hours ( halfway there ) by a broken spring perch/hanger. Pa Turnpike lane changes because of construction and a nasty pothole caused my left front mount to break and bend back, allowing the tire to move back against the fender and bolts, cutting a 3/4" deep groove in one of the tires on that side.
Above is the groove in the tire ( less than 1000 miles too ) compared to the other brand new tire. The wide groove was cut by a fender mount bolt and the smaller groove by the fender itself. I carry two spares since it's a dual axle trailer.
( these pictures from the inside of the trailer )
The mount broke right at the fender mount in the front. It then bent back against the U bolts and created all kinds of noise and smoke.
I used my floor jack to jack up the trailer on the bent mount and attached two racketing tie downs to the axle of that side and to points forward on the trailer. I made them as tight as I could and removed the fender. I left the grooved tire on as it still holds air and I didn't want to ruin another tire.
I drove slowly ( 45 mph ) on the turnpike until I reached the last exit on the NE Extension, Clarks Summit which was about 3 miles. I stopped at Monroe Muffler on the main drag and they said they would weld my broken bracket. After I disassembled the trailer they decided they couldn't do it. Even though I explained exactly how to weld it with their MIG welder, ( I weld at work in addition to being a machinist ) they still wouldn't do it.
Koos Muffler up the street told me straight out they didn't have any welders in the shop
What kind of muffler shop doesn't have a welder on site? 
I didn't realize the economy had recovered so much that companies would turn down work.
A phone call to a friend in upstate PA got me in touch with one of his friends, who welded it for free at his house. He would NOT accept any money.
The rest of the trip was uneventful and the usual 6-1/2 hour trip took just over 9-1/2 hours.
Jeff
Our first fishing trip to Ontario Canada was delayed by 3-1/2 hours ( halfway there ) by a broken spring perch/hanger. Pa Turnpike lane changes because of construction and a nasty pothole caused my left front mount to break and bend back, allowing the tire to move back against the fender and bolts, cutting a 3/4" deep groove in one of the tires on that side.
Above is the groove in the tire ( less than 1000 miles too ) compared to the other brand new tire. The wide groove was cut by a fender mount bolt and the smaller groove by the fender itself. I carry two spares since it's a dual axle trailer.
( these pictures from the inside of the trailer )
The mount broke right at the fender mount in the front. It then bent back against the U bolts and created all kinds of noise and smoke.
I used my floor jack to jack up the trailer on the bent mount and attached two racketing tie downs to the axle of that side and to points forward on the trailer. I made them as tight as I could and removed the fender. I left the grooved tire on as it still holds air and I didn't want to ruin another tire.
I drove slowly ( 45 mph ) on the turnpike until I reached the last exit on the NE Extension, Clarks Summit which was about 3 miles. I stopped at Monroe Muffler on the main drag and they said they would weld my broken bracket. After I disassembled the trailer they decided they couldn't do it. Even though I explained exactly how to weld it with their MIG welder, ( I weld at work in addition to being a machinist ) they still wouldn't do it.
Koos Muffler up the street told me straight out they didn't have any welders in the shop
What kind of muffler shop doesn't have a welder on site? I didn't realize the economy had recovered so much that companies would turn down work.
A phone call to a friend in upstate PA got me in touch with one of his friends, who welded it for free at his house. He would NOT accept any money.
The rest of the trip was uneventful and the usual 6-1/2 hour trip took just over 9-1/2 hours.
Jeff
05-23-2010, 02:03 PM
#2
Race Director
can't see from photos, but were they loose/damaged, or did the pothole cause the failure. I've hit some of those PA potholes before, shattering otherwise healthy tires
05-23-2010, 02:28 PM
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St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10
All brackets were tight. One big problem is my trailer has 10" rims ( diameter , not width). The tires are load range E . The pothole I hit was at the edge of a bridge were the lanes moved to the right. The asphalt had the hole and the concrete bridge (road ) structure formed an upright edge. I think that caused the rearward movement of the hanger.
