Leaf spring hangers

bigwhite · 03-05-2011, 09:08 PM

Anyone know if there is a fix as to why all my spring hangers broke? The welds have all cracked. I have pictures of a fix I did, but is there an official one?
Thx

2004 lx33ts

RSPENCE · 04-07-2011, 02:23 PM

We have a 2004 33TS and have broken springs twice! The last time broke both sides on front axel. Repair was done in El Centro, CA at an excellent repair shop. The spring repair person told me that the spring hangers were welded on too close together and needed to be stretched out because when the load on the springs came done evenly they could not expand. The stress caused by this is probabley the reason my springs snaped. I would think maybe it would also stress the hangers.
I have weighed the unit and must admit I am about 1500 over for the whole unit but don't think that should cause the problems I had as I was driving on a paved hyway!! The 5th wheel tows better then it ever did, much smoother with less bounce, after this repair.
Hope this helps you,
Ron

LadyWindrider · 04-07-2011, 09:34 PM

1500 over for the whole unit...... What did you have weighed and how. Truck and trailer, and over for trailer gvwr, truck gvwr? Was the trailer filly loaded with water and gear? Was the truck?

RSPENCE · 04-08-2011, 11:48 AM

Weighed the front axel, whole pickup, back axel with 5th wheel, back axel minus 5th wheel then the 5th wheel both axels. The unit was fully loaded at that time, a little more then we normaly travle with!
Ron

caleb · 04-08-2011, 01:30 PM

Since I'm not familiar with your model, does it have an aluminum frame?

RSPENCE · 04-08-2011, 04:14 PM

The frame is steel, the the frameing for the RV itself is alum. It is a 2004 Cardinal 33TS.
As to my first post, I should have said I was 1500 lbs over for the liscense on my truck which is 20,000 lbs. I will look up the weight slip and post the numbers. As I remember the weight was less then the rated wieght for the axels.
Ron

TheLazyC · 09-09-2011, 08:52 AM

Mine broke yesterday. This should not be happening. My frame has stress cracks and the swaying of the frame weakened the leaf spring brackets causing them to fail, ruin a tire and cancel our weekend plans plus cost well over $2000 to repair. Just luck someone was not hurt or killed sitting on the side of the interstate for 7 hours...

jimh · 09-09-2011, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLazyC

Mine broke yesterday. This should not be happening. My frame has stress cracks and the swaying of the frame weakened the leaf spring brackets causing them to fail, ruin a tire and cancel our weekend plans plus cost well over $2000 to repair. Just luck someone was not hurt or killed sitting on the side of the interstate for 7 hours...

out of curiosity, how did u find it? was there a change in the feel while towing? i've been making visual inspections several times/yr but haven't seen anything yet. would like to know what u saw or felt that made u pull over.

TheLazyC · 09-09-2011, 09:35 AM

It was easy,i just followed the smoke. I was traveling on the interstate when it broke.

jimh · 09-09-2011, 01:48 PM

wow. i didn't know it would be that obvious...ur lucky.

jimh · 09-09-2011, 03:43 PM

Is it just the picture or orthose cracks rusty? If so it may have been breaking for awile. The final strew may have just happened.
It may be in one of the previeos threads but there is a detailed repair procedure by lippit on the cardinal club forum.

jimh · 09-09-2011, 10:52 PM

on the cardnal rv club the repair is located under "less than two weeks before we leave frame cracks" if u read thru there, there is one sheet with suggested repairs from Lippert and several other suggested ways to make the repair.
they refer to a post on rv.net but i can't find it.
hope this helps u out.

74bronco · 09-10-2011, 01:52 AM

I've seen gussets on the I-beam at every spring hanger to stiffen the bottom web of the I-beam flange. This would be a critical part of your repair. Curious what the weld repair consisted of. Did they add gussets? I'm surprised a trailer this large doesn't already have them. I have heard that early toy haulers had this same problem.
Sorry to hear about the ruined trip, but at least everyone is safe.

Glenn5995 · 09-10-2011, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLazyC

Mine broke yesterday. This should not be happening. My frame has stress cracks and the swaying of the frame weakened the leaf spring brackets causing them to fail, ruin a tire and cancel our weekend plans plus cost well over $2000 to repair. Just luck someone was not hurt or killed sitting on the side of the interstate for 7 hours...

WOW! Sorry for your mishap. Looking at your photos, there is an obvious sub-frame between the spring hangers and the main frame, but I see no cross brace! Without the cross brace, it allows the sub-frame to act as torque arm against the main frame and you have the obvious results. Is that the way Cardinals are being manufactured or was a sub-frame installed later to lift the ride height of the Cardinal?

jimh · 09-10-2011, 12:47 PM

well my 2002 didn't escape the cracks either.
the suggested repair is to grind out the cracks and fill. then weld a pad over. they also add a cross brace at each spring hanger w/gussets.
on mine the cracks weren't there 3 mos ago.

TheLazyC, sorry abt ur misfortune but it did make me take a closer look.

So far, i'm only seeing the cracks on the rear. if i read some other post correctly, there are cross supports welded just behind the cracks.

jimh · 09-11-2011, 12:09 AM

try this

TexasBBQ · 11-09-2011, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSPENCE

We have a 2004 33TS and have broken springs twice! The last time broke both sides on front axel. Repair was done in El Centro, CA at an excellent repair shop. The spring repair person told me that the spring hangers were welded on too close together and needed to be stretched out because when the load on the springs came done evenly they could not expand. The stress caused by this is probabley the reason my springs snaped. I would think maybe it would also stress the hangers.
I have weighed the unit and must admit I am about 1500 over for the whole unit but don't think that should cause the problems I had as I was driving on a paved hyway!! The 5th wheel tows better then it ever did, much smoother with less bounce, after this repair.
Hope this helps you,
Ron

Ron - What is the distance of the leaf hangers now? Specifically the ID. I'm curious how far they spaced them out verses spec. Can you add pictures?

Bill

TexasBBQ · 01-08-2012, 07:06 PM

Jim - LazyC - Bigwhite, I'm curious what the crack occured. Was it b before the 1st axle, between the axles, or after the last axle?

I would think most of the stresses to the frame would be before the 1st and after the last due to turning and backing up.

jimh · 01-08-2012, 08:38 PM

they are behind the vertical part of the tire on each side abt 1.5 to 2" above the lower part of the I (of the frame). they occurs in 2 places on each side of a single tire.
that really isn't too clear to me...just behind the balloon part of the tire as it crosses the lower part of the frame. there are two angle iron braces that go across between the right frame and left frame. (2 braces per axle). there is a possibility of 8 cracks occruing; each occures where the angle iron is welded to the frame.
from underneath, u can push up on the underbelly between the wheels and feel the angle iron brace. my supprise was that it was just a 1 to 1.5" angle iron brace. i expected to see a much larger piece of tubing.
i believe what is happening is that, when u turn sharp (back) the flex of the frame puts lots of stress at that angle iron brace. if u haven't cracked yet, i would suggest putting the braces between the spring supports as suggested by lippert.
i am showing cracks along one axle so for. i going to talk to a certified frame welder tomorrow and go ahead and see if he can repair mine. i intend to have the pads welded to the outside of the frame even on the areas that haven't shown cracks yet. it's probably overkill. the braces between the spring bolts will also be done.
i have read conflicting opinions on welding: lippert has one way of continuous welding the pad and another says that will create a crack. sense i have zero knowledge in this area, i am going to turn it over to someone that does along with the repair procedure recommended by lippert.

there are some that have found the cracks above and behind the tire. it depends of where they put the brace on the back side of the frame.

if u notice, my trailer is a 2002 and i am the origional owner. the problems seem to be occurring in the cardinal up to 2006. my crack just showed up last summer. i started inspecting for them abt a year earlier.

it looks like the ones with the sub frame (the 2x2 strip welded to the fame) that the spring supports were welded to. apparently, the extra height adds extra stress to the frame.

TexasBBQ · 01-09-2012, 01:32 PM

I bought two braces from MorRyde. Per their recommendation I'm placing one on the leaf hanger that's between the axles. But for the 2nd brace I'm debating on whether to add it to the read leaf hanger for the front. I think the stress on the front hanger is more than the rear.

Looking at the photos from LazyC appear the his cracks were above the front axle.

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