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08-15-2011, 04:26 PM
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#1
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Wappingers Falls
Posts: 1,303
M.O.C. #6263
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Leaf spring failure...
Well, travel from a rainy weekend in Watkins Glen Nascar event, pulled into parking spot at home and found this...
Someone must have been watching over us...
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08-15-2011, 04:29 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: South Shore
Posts: 6,009
M.O.C. #7110
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Wow, glad everything was ok while traveling. It looks like it could have gotten kind of scary on you. Someone must have been watching over you guys!
__________________
2011 GMC 4X4 dually CC, 6.6 Duramax with Allison Transmission. Formally 2001 Montana,2007 3400RL Montana, presently 2018 3401RS Alpine.
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08-15-2011, 04:40 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: silver creek
Posts: 1,507
M.O.C. #7770
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OUCH!!! you were lucky
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08-15-2011, 06:30 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Sunshine
Posts: 1,445
M.O.C. #538
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Over the years I have seen a few break in the middle due to the center plate flexing. I saw a couple break like yours but the people said they hit a pothole. FWIW
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08-15-2011, 08:10 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Murrieta
Posts: 5,816
M.O.C. #9257
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And if you are within weight ratings, just think if you were overweight... This could have happened a long time ago and who knows under what conditions? Those springs look like a clean break through all of them and some of those pieces are completely gone. Those shocks look pretty old too and maybe this contributed to the weakness and failure. The shocks are supposed to soften the ride and the rougher ride could provoke things. Could be so many things with a nine year old trailer.
Glad things are okay. Now to get it fixed.
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08-16-2011, 04:00 AM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Bum F Egypt
Posts: 979
M.O.C. #2733
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Same as others WOW glade you made it home safe! As Art has said it looks like there is space between the rubber and the plate the rod on the shock passes through? The shock also looks bent at that point? I replaced your with Monroe recently. Time to give both side a good look. When I welded we would use a spray to reveal cracks called Dye Check. Its a two part check, clean area spray dye Penetrant (red), then wait and spray the developer (white) will show cracks.
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08-16-2011, 04:35 AM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Ardrossan
Posts: 729
M.O.C. #9261
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Wow, glad you made it home safely!!! That could make a mess at 60 miles per hour.
We go on and on about how under rated those RV suspensions are and they continue to build these big rigs with only 7000 lb axles, 5 and 6 narrow spring leafs, borderline tubes for axles, shackles and under rated brake drums and spindles?? We continue to see and hear of failures of suspension components, many under warranty and the manufactures continue to install these same components and oh yes we keep modifying to keep these rigs rolling down the road??
I am actually getting tired of crawling under there to: install another spring leaf to each pack, installation of wet bolts, installation of grade 8 u-bolts and nuts, installation of the three cross members (X-Factor), checking wheels for cracks, bearings, brakes, removing original "made in C" tires and installing quality rubber! Why can't we just order the rig without a suspension and install our own with a rating that allows for 20 to 50 % of its normal carrying capacity?? Oh but then again the frame will likely fail!! LOL
We would like to buy a new 5th wheel again, but I refuse to go through this all again. I can't really identify any changes on suspensions and frames!! Was looking at new units in the last few days, oh they do put wet bolts in now. Ah, but they are priced right; that's the reason! I forgot. Had to vent after many scrapes and bruises on my head and back!!! We love our Monty!!!
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08-16-2011, 07:26 AM
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#8
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Established Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Katy
Posts: 25
M.O.C. #9772
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As I put our Monty back in the shop this morning to repair damage from yet another blown tire (our third), I had to ask myself how long I can afford this thing. We love the lifestyle but it is just getting too expensive and, as 8e3k0 said, I'm tired of the unending hassles. Considered building my own rig from the ground up but I'm too old for that. I'm sure this feeling will go away as soon as I wake up from a nap.
Glad the broken spring didn't result in injuries.
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08-16-2011, 03:14 PM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: South
Posts: 2,499
M.O.C. #5140
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Noneck,
Glad you were not hurt, but wish we had known you were at WGI - we are just about 30 minutes south of the race track and would have liked meeting you.
Michael & Kat
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08-16-2011, 03:58 PM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Wappingers Falls
Posts: 1,303
M.O.C. #6263
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Thanks everyone...Michael & Kate darn it, we could have driven down your way for a visit!
I'm now in-search-of (4) leaf springs to replace them all, will be looking into the shocks as well.
On edit, I just can't understand how this break happened as I do not recall any severe impacts on highway. What would cause 3 of the 4 leaves to snap other than an upward over flex?
Chuck
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08-21-2011, 09:26 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Wappingers Falls
Posts: 1,303
M.O.C. #6263
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Well, placed my orders (my trailer has 5200-lb Al-Ko axles) previously installed Dexter wet bolt kit;
4 PR5 5-Leaf Double-Eye spring for 5,800-lb Trailer axles
2 APUBR-9 U-Bolt Kit for mounting 5,500 to 7000 lb Round Trailer Axles 7 1/4" long U-Bolts
4 Monroe 555001 Shock Absorbers
2 Dexter (4 pack) K71-291-00 Bronze spring bushings (I tried driving out the bronze bushing on one and decided to just get new ones).
Pocket book is $345.00 lighter but once we get these installed under-carriage should be good to go...
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08-22-2011, 08:32 AM
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#12
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Littleton
Posts: 183
M.O.C. #9998
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I had this happen to me many years ago on SOB and the cause was the brake wire had come loose at the splice and one of the two tires was doing the braking and caused the other tire to shift up into the wheel well abruptly and broke the spring. We were on a road repair section in the mountains in Montana and a highway patrolman noticed it for us. Fortunately we found a retired Great Northern blacksmith who made us an exact duplicate spring to continue our trip.
__________________
2010 Mountaineer 285 RLD, 330 watts solar, 600 watts sine inverter, 3 type 31 agm batteries, Traveler antenna
2010 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW, 18k Reese slider, Honda 2000i, Firestone airbags
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08-25-2011, 02:04 PM
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#13
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Wappingers Falls
Posts: 1,303
M.O.C. #6263
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Springs & Ubolt kits delivered, installed new bronze bushings in eyelets and got the broken one installed...
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08-25-2011, 03:51 PM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Bakersfield
Posts: 5,316
M.O.C. #15
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Noneck,
Thanks for the picture. Good to see the new stuff installed. Good to see those HD shackles too. Is it just me or is that Ubolt hold down plate really rusted? The springs look great. Good luck, Dennis.
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08-25-2011, 03:57 PM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Wappingers Falls
Posts: 1,303
M.O.C. #6263
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Hi Dennis, Its sort of rusted but not as bad in person...I need to reuse them as these have the shock mount offset and holes. Its not torqued yet so you might have talked me into wire wheeling and spray painting. It used up my daylight and I wanted to see how it fit as these are 5800lb springs and ubolts had to drill out the holes. I'm also flipping the zerks toward the inboard side during this rework project.
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08-25-2011, 04:27 PM
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#16
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: South
Posts: 2,499
M.O.C. #5140
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Nicely done.
We were up to WG the other day when the lake was white capping and thought of you. Glad to see that you have her back on the road.
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08-29-2011, 04:56 PM
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#17
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Wappingers Falls
Posts: 1,303
M.O.C. #6263
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Here's the broken side all done due to Irene making me rush to get it off those 6x6's and back on tires.
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