Maintenance & Restoration

Bobbie Mayer · 02-13-2008, 03:37 PM

I'm going to take my Campster down to a company here that makes and installs leaf springs (and also carries axles) and have them tell me if they can replace the springs (which are sticking badly.) I also will have them look at the axle as I think it is probably the original.

http://www.bettsspring.com/products.php

My question is what would be a reasonable price for these things? (Ball-park.) I would have them install- I don't do that kind of thing myself.

Bobbie

Pete Dumbleton · 02-13-2008, 04:41 PM

Bobbie, if you have a leaf spring axle, all that needs replacement are the springs and all the hardware (presuming your spindles are in good shape).

The reason we read so much about total axle replacements on these groups is that most of our trailers use torsion axles, where the "spring" is irreplaceable rubber rods inside the axle beam. In your case the springs are outside the beam and replaceable.

That said, you might ask them about replacement simply because there's a faint possibility that a new bolted-on axle might be less expensive than the replacement parts plus the labor (that wouldn't be as possible if you have brakes because there would be more labor to move the brake stuf...).

Actually, replacing the springs and hardware is quite simple, just jacks, jack stands, nuts and bolts and Liquid Wrench and no welding. I have done it on the side of the road.... Just be sure to replace all the hardware because some of the stuf has locking threads that are destroyed when removed.

Bobbie Mayer · 02-13-2008, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Bobbie, if you have a leaf spring axle, all that needs replacement are the springs and all the hardware (presuming your spindles are in good shape).

I don't know what a spindle is so no idea what shape it is in.

Quote:

Actually, replacing the springs and hardware is quite simple, just jacks, jack stands, nuts and bolts and Liquid Wrench and no welding. I have done it on the side of the road.... Just be sure to replace all the hardware because some of the stuf has locking threads that are destroyed when removed.

I don't do repairs that render the vehicle unusable if I stop in the middle... if it could roll to the repair shop when I give up on the repair, okay, I'll do it. I'd be worried I could not get the parts off as everything is pretty well rusted, or wouldn't be able to do something. I'd rather pay someone to do something like this.

Bobbie

John Perry · 02-13-2008, 07:12 PM

Quote:

I don't know what a spindle is so no idea what shape it is in.
I don't do repairs that render the vehicle unusable if I stop in the middle... if it could roll to the repair shop when I give up on the repair, okay, I'll do it. I'd be worried I could not get the parts off as everything is pretty well rusted, or wouldn't be able to do something. I'd rather pay someone to do something like this.
Bobbie

The spindles are the ends of the axel that is inside the wheels and with the wheel bearings on them. If you have had the wheel bearings packed and the tech did not tell you you had a problem your axel is probably OK. A spindle is ruined when a bearing goes bad.
All you need to do is replace the springs if you have never had bearing problems.

John

**Frederick L. Simson** · 02-13-2008, 08:38 PM

Quote:

I'm going to take my Campster down to a company here that makes and installs leaf springs (and also carries axles) and have them tell me if they can replace the springs (which are sticking badly.) I also will have them look at the axle as I think it is probably the original.

My Spring Replacement Parts List (with prices) totaled [b]$214. Since you only have one axle, you'd spend half that for parts. As I kept up with the bearing lubrication, my spindles were fine. My axles themselves (original) had a little surface rust, but were sound. It took the help of a co-worker on a Saturday morning to get the old hardware removed; it required brute strength from both of us since we did not have air-impact tools.

I suspect that the labor will cost you more than the parts will.

Bobbie Mayer · 02-13-2008, 08:43 PM

Thanks, everyone. The bearings were repacked and nobody mentioned spindles, so it sounds like I will just need the springs (unless the axle plus springs is in fact cheaper than springs plus labor.) I'm hoping to have time to swing by the DMV to get verification number three tomorrow and then over to the spring place to get the trailer looked at.

Bobbie

Donna D. · 02-14-2008, 06:40 AM

You keep mentioning needing new springs. Why? Are they broken or have they lost their arch? It's probably just the bushings. You can take the leaf springs apart, clean them up and even put a teflon pad between the springs if you wish.

Bobbie Mayer · 02-14-2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

You keep mentioning needing new springs. Why? Are they broken or have they lost their arch? It's probably just the bushings. You can take the leaf springs apart, clean them up and even put a teflon pad between the springs if you wish.

It's really the things they hang from that stick, I don't know how good the springs themselves are. But I'm not doing the work myself, and if I have to have someone remove the springs and replace the other part, I'm probably going to have the springs replaced- they can't be as good as new and they aren't very expensive.

Bobbie

Bobbie Mayer · 02-20-2008, 09:35 PM

Update: the springs themselves were fine; the shop put on new hanging brackets and some other part. It cost $109 including parts and labor (under the estimate as it took less than they initially expected.) I was a bit concerned when I got home as the trailer rides about an inch or so higher now, and I had to stop, unhitch, and raise the front to get it into the garage (slight upslope so attached to the car it was tilted up in back.) No big deal, though it worried me for few minutes until I was sure it was going to fit. There is about an inch of trim on the garage door so I had a plan if it didn't but I'm glad I didn't have to use it.

The trailer rides level now and I can see it spring up and down when we hit bumps.

Bobbie