shackles at different angles

[Aaron Coffee]

Reading soem other threads, made me remeber a question I had. Somehow my shackles(leaf spring) ended up at slightly different angles(will check and figure approximate degrees). The qusetion is, Is this a problem, and possibly causing hopping and wnadering on some road surfaces(or is it just the road surfaces).
Thanks

[bdosborn]

My guess is that you have more weight on one tire than the other. I don't think you have a problem.
Bruce

[Miriam C.]

Two things you might check:
Measure the axle from each side and make sure they are the same from the center point of the tongue.

Second see if the longer spring is sagging. If they are old you might need to spring for some new ones.

And ecco Bruce. Check your weight.

[brian_bp]

I agree that either sagging or uneven weight could be causes (as could mismatched front eye positions), but I think those things are problems in themselves worthy of fixing, because they can cause instability and poor tracking themselves; the shackle angle is only a symptom.

[bdosborn]

I agree that either sagging or uneven weight could be causes (as could mismatched front eye positions), but I think those things are problems in themselves worthy of fixing, because they can cause instability and poor tracking themselves; the shackle angle is only a symptom.

I still don't see how it would cause instability. The axle moves from front to back everytime you hit a bump and that doesn't cause any problems, why would a small difference in shackle angle upset the apple cart?
Bruce

[brian_bp]

I agree that either sagging or uneven weight could be causes (as could mismatched front eye positions), but I think those things are problems in themselves worthy of fixing, because they can cause instability and poor tracking themselves; the shackle angle is only a symptom.

I still don't see how it would cause instability. The axle moves from front to back everytime you hit a bump and that doesn't cause any problems, why would a small difference in shackle angle upset the apple cart?
Bruce

That's my point... it's not the shackle angle which would concern me, it would be the sagging spring or uneven weight.

By the way, I believe that the fore-and-aft movement with bumps does have a detrimental effect, and good leaf-spring suspensions (like a old performance car or modern pickup truck) take this into consideration; however, trailer suspensions are so stiff that it doesn't matter much.

[Denny Unfried]

Arron,

Make sure your shackles are at least perpendicular when at rest and there is no load. If not and the axle will drop down when going over a dip and get into a bind when returning (compression) almost always breaking a leaf.

[Aaron Coffee]

Try to answer what questions I can(haven't had much of a chance to get out and check the TD, overtime at work and weather hasn't been cooperative). Weighed it last summer (can't remember weight exactly)seems side to side was fairly close to each other, trailer sits level side to side. Tracks straight. I think the idiot(that would be me)that built the trailer got the shackle mounts in different spots.