Both shackles on both axles flipped during brake maintenance. How to correct?

[John E Davies]

 

I was spinning all the wheels and operating the brakes from my truck, and I managed to flip the shackles somehow. Is this something to worry about and does it mean there is a problem with the spring length or equalizer length? I thought this should not happen with correctly sized parts.

 

I found a video showing how too fix it by jacking up the axles one at a time, but it is rather violent and not something I want to do if it will correct itself when I lower the trailer...

 

 

Comments? I suspect it is too late to catch anyone in Howenwald.

 

Found this - good advice?

 

Find a piece of wood (like a 1x1, large enough to fit and not allow for any wobble) that will fit through the equalizer hanger and on top of the leaf springs and shackles. The springs won't drop when you lift the trailer by the frame. We use this method when we finish building a trailer for my company since we only put the rear tires on to make the thing easier to move around with a dolly; and it always works after 2300+ flats and tilts made.

 

Thanks.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[ScubaRx]

Drive/Back over a curb. They will usually flip themselves with a VERY LOUD bang.

[Raspy]

Seems like you could just take a very large screwdriver or pry-bar or something and stick in between the spring eye and the equalizer, between the shacles. The simply force them back over-center to the right position. You might have to raise the axles a bit as you go to help keep them back in the hanging position.

 

I would not do it by driving as it seems to violent and unpredictable. In the position they are shown in, it should not take much force to over-center them.

[Overland]

I've had good luck by raising it back up and placing blocks under the flipped axle then lowering it back down.

[Townesw]

Did you reverse your bolts so that the grease fittings would be on the inside to keep from having to remove the tires or use a 90 degree head on your grease gun when greasing?

[John E Davies]

I tried jacking one wheel, then when the equalizer reached max travel, I used a bottle jack to push up the other one over center. That worked but I never could get the other one to invert to the correct position.

 

I thought “screw it, I will just lower the trailer...” and they all popped over without a sound. I have to wonder if the geometry is off, I really thought that tandems wouldn’t do this unless under really unusual circumstances.

 

In regards to the zerks, I had the factory install them to the inside. With wheels off, I can reach around with my flex hose and swivel tip and grease them easily. With wheels on, I have to crawl under.....

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[John E Davies]

Reviving an old thread, last week I had all the wheels off to rotate them, and while I was working I heard a double “baaa-baaaang” and both axles dropped down as the shackles flipped. I had to raise the trailer another two inches to get the wheels back on. I lowered the trailer and all the shackles remained in the wrong position. Today I towed it a few miles, and took it on a really bumpy heaving road and one on each axle flipped back where it belongs.

I had to drive each side up onto a concrete curb to get the remaining ones to flip, which was obvious from the inside of the truck because of the “BANG!” each time.

I find it hard to believe that this is normal. It Is pissing me off. Driving around with one shackle up and one down jams the equalizer and it has to be bad for it...... I have had tandem trailers in the past that never did this.

Comments?

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited May 17, 2020 by John E Davies

[AndrewK]

John,

I spoke to Jason when I had this happen and he said it is very common.  His suggestion was to drive the trailer over a bump, like a speed bump and it will correct itself.  That is how they do it at Oliver service.  

I didn't want to hook up the trailer so, I lowered the front of trailer and raised the back, until the front shackles flipped.  I then lowered each rear side with a piece of wood and a jack under the center rear shackles.  As I lowered the rear jacks, the shackles righted themselves.  It took a couple of tries as one would flip but the other wouldn't.

Andrew