Spring Hanger Separation

[Carl n Susan]

We have been home now for over six weeks. Despite saying we would take off, we never did. Lucky us! I was out working on my task list in preparation for our upcoming trip. I had pulled my box of spray cans out of the basement and noticed a can of spray lube. Hey, I haven't sprizted the slides lately, now is a good time. So I crawled under the slide and was spraying the track when I noticed the driver's side rear spring hanger. It isn't connected to the frame any more. It has split along the weld on both sides. Holy cow! I have to believe it wasn't like that when the new axles, shackles and bushings were installed in May. The separation must have occurred during the Progressive Rally. Given there isn't any real damage, I am thinking it fully separated very recently. I have to look at my records but I don't think there is more than 1,000 miles on the trailer since the axle change. Scary!!!

I am very happy I found this at home and not some where on the road!
So add a visual check of the spring hangers to the list.

[Crossthread]

Good catch Butch. Thru my years of truck driving, I've learned that you can't look the equiptment over ,or under too much. I'm glad that it worked out well for you. Bill

[sreigle]

Butch, we had the same problem and I believe we towed from Santa Fe, NM to Colorado Springs, CO to Kansas City before noticing it. I say that because we noticed we always had to have boards under the driver side wheels to get level. That was previously a rare occurence. We had a new one fabricated and welded on by a welding shop but I don't think they paid much attention to level because we still have to use the boards. We're currently in a site we've been in before and it was always level. No need for boards. But now we have to use the boards. I've measured and find nothing that would clue me to why we're low on one side. I notice we're lower on that side at the truck bedrails, too, by about an inch.

[hookman]

Hopefully you can get it repaired and back on the road soon. We got the wet bolts installed on our Montana this week. Hope to see you at Quartzite.

[HamRad]

Carl and Susan,
Wow! That is scary. I think the whole springs, spring hangers, shackles stuff is just way too critical to have anything go wrong with them. I guess the lesson is that we MUST check and re-check often. You certainly do not want to have any failures on the road with these things.

I'm so glad you checked and saw the problem. Thanks for sharing.

Dennis and Mary K

[DHenry]

You need to start packing a welder with you. Hope all gets repaired soon.

[firetrucker]

Whew, if you'd done that as a last minute check, you might have never seen it, Butch. It's amazing what we don't see when we're looking right at it sometimes. Bill caught several things on my Volvo that I might never have recognized.

The checklist is getting longer and longer, and I'd better start a month before we leave.

Bob

[Carl n Susan]

Thanks for the sympathy, encouragement, and condolences. Of course, real $$$ to fix the problem would be appreciated also

Steve: I took some pictures but when I looked at them on the computer they weren't very good. I will take more tomorrow and post them. My separation is no where as dramatic as yours. It re-emphasizes my belief it happened recently. I had the trailer in and out of the side yard a couple of times recently. I make a 90 degree turn off the street to back in and that may have been the final straw.

Don: I have an appointment with my repair place to get this fixed next Thursday. You can count on us being at Quartzsite. We never have a snow problem.

Dennis: You can not believe how sensitive I have become to the suspension system since that shackle broke. And I had checked them a short time before!

Doug; I have a really nice selection of welders here at the house including a fairly new MIG unit. I just don't trust my welding skills enough to repair the suspension system. I will let the experts take care of this one.

Bob: You are correct about starting early. I started last week preparing for our upcoming trip departing on the 25th. Between the heat here (near 100 again today), getting old (o.k. lazy), and a long list of things to check, fix, move, pack, etc. I may not be ready when the 25th arrives.

[wswebster]

Bill found this same problem on our pre-Florida inspection last Feb. We hauled it to the dealer and the extended warranty took care of the repairs and we had it home by the next day. Now he does an extensive pre-trip look at all suspension parts.

[8.1al]

Oh Geez, now I have to crawl under the trailer again. I kinda took a look at the hangers recently but I guess I'll have to look closer. Carl are you going to have the hangers reinforced while the welder is under there?

[Carl n Susan]

quote:Originally posted by 8.1al

....Carl are you going to have the hangers reinforced while the welder is under there?

I am going to talk to them about what makes sense. Both "ears" are broken off where they were welded to the frame. "Boxing" the ends doesn't look like it addresses the problem. I am curious what they think will help.

[HamRad]

Carl,
The 'boxing' should probably do the job. I remember seeing the 'fix' for this and that is what they did. It is amazing at how much more strength this gives that connection. The "higher end" trailers have it done that way. But the experts there will know how best to do it. Good luck.

Dennis

[noneck]

My observation of these pictures is that it "appears" there has been a change?
My 2002 3255RL has what I consider typical suspension hanger which is a "U" shape bracket that is welded upside down...see my image below.
These other pics seems to appear as flat plates...hmmm, so is that an improvement?

[HamRad]

Noneck,
It is really hard to tell if there is a difference or not. But you may be correct that there is a difference. But either way they still are not as strong as they would be if there was a plate on the end.

By the way great picture.

HamRad

On Edit: It is obvious from Carl's most recent picture that the upside down U is one piece of material. It is welded to the frame.
Thanks for picture Carl.

[Carl n Susan]

noneck:
My RV is a 2005 and it has the upside down U shaped bracket also. The break is along the weld and makes it appear as though it was a flat plate welded to the frame. But if you look close, the bottom of the "U" is visible. This isn't the best picture, but it is what I have.

P.S. Does anyone have a reference where "boxing" is a recommended fix?

[Searchers]

Carl, I have a copy of the service advisory that came out on the earlier Montanas in Oct. 2000. I've scanned it and will send it to you via e-mail because I don't think I can add it as an attachment here. It addresses your problem exactly. It was done to my 1999 unit before I had trouble and when Dave Anderson still had his 1998 rig, he had it added to his even with the Mor/Ryde IS suspension upgrade after seeing mine. I also had an axle alingment check two years ago at a shop in Redding and the owner told me they do a lot of this re-enforcing work on all brands of RV's. It doesn't cover your particular model as I don't think they were introduced yet, but you'll get the idea.

Any questions, holler & good luck!
Don

[Phil P]

Hi

Our 2009 had the same failure many others have had the same failure search the forum and you will find post showing how to repair the failure area and how to modify the rest of you spring hangars so they don’t do the same thing.

This one is an over kill.
Repaired 8/16/10 - Spring Hanger Bracket 8/12/10

Here are pictures of our frame and repair. The gap at the top of the last pictures 2 and 3 is to allow for the installation of the X bracing.

Phil P

[timandsusan]

Carl, Great observation. As I have found, it is usually after a series of events--using leveling on only 1 side, etc. that the main trouble issue is found. Again, if cars were made like RV's, virtually none of them would make more than 1000 miles before major structural issues would show up. My experience in the early years of my 2006 Monty, I crawled under the rig and found major issues--resulting in wet-bolts with better shackles and the shop welded cross beams to strengthen the frame -- this is just before the X braces were offered by Mor-Ryde. So, keep a sharp eyes reviewing everything and keep getting good repairs done!

[ranch560]

Originally Posted by DHenry

You need to start packing a welder with you. Hope all gets repaired soon.

Kristi likes that idea! Any chance you will carry a cutting torch also?

[Carl n Susan]

Golly, you do realize this was 9 years and another Montana ago? But boxing shackles is still a good idea.