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jaybmiller 
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 24631
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 Topic: tandem trailer equalizers
Posted: 27 Mar 2019 at 5:55am |
OK, I'm rebuilding my tractor hauling tandem,cause the guy I loaned it to couldn't change a lightbulb( long story).Anyway with the deck off I see the T-shaped 'equalizer' bar between the springs is NOT level. Checked my tandem dump and it's level, soooo There's an inch difference in the tire height relative to the top of frame rails.All new tires/rims,adjusted jack to get rails level to ground,springs and mounts look OK.
Got 3 days of rain coming so it'd be a good time to fix it before I mount the diamond plate fenders on. Any 'words of wisdom' ??? Thanks
Jay
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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Coke-in-MN
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Afton MN
Points: 41972
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Posted: 27 Mar 2019 at 2:25pm |
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The equlalizer is just that and it wil lchange position as load is applied - I found the bushings in them wore and it seemed a lot of linkage - When I rebuilt my trailer I went from 14.5 tire and rim (open center dayton style) to a 7,000 axle and 8 bolt rims with slipper spring type equalizer - works a lot better and was easire to allign everything .
Then I was using it to move my D6 when I started the job - so a 3 axle unit . got rid of the D6 and got smaller dozer the FD5 but more power and lot less weight to do the work
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Life lesson: If you’re being chased by a lion, you’re on a horse, to the left of you is a giraffe and on the right is a unicorn, what do you do? You stop drinking and get off the carousel.
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PaulB
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Rocky Ridge Md
Points: 5075
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Posted: 27 Mar 2019 at 4:05pm |
I get all my small trailer parts from www.weaverd.com. ; Most orders over $100 get free shipping in the zone close to them.
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If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere.
Real pullers don't have speed limits.
If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 33821
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Posted: 27 Mar 2019 at 7:13pm |
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Know you're in Ontario, I use Etrailer for my pieces here. For me is local, less than 50 miles away and generally have or can get whatever I need.
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 24631
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Posted: 27 Mar 2019 at 7:21pm |
I LOVE the internet !! I checked prices at 2 kinda local trailer shops online. I bought 2 equalizers and 8 new bushings for LESS that ONE equalizer at the other store ! And, the closer store had the deal so I saved an hour of travel time as well. Got the trailer up on 4 stands then the sun set..... Neighbour dropped off the new fenders he fabbed from a sheet of diamond plate I had 'lying around',so if you want me, I'll be in the garage all day tomorrow ! Jay
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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LeonR2013
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Joined: 01 Jan 2013
Location: Fulton, Mo
Points: 3500
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Posted: 28 Mar 2019 at 6:06am |
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What size trailer do you have? If it's over the road size, then it'll probably run into a lot of work for two guys. My buddy and I probably replaced a truck load of them. If you're just going to replace two of them, because they come with bushings installed. The fun part is getting the cinch bolts out of the middle. On most of them we had to use a !" gun and hammer one way and then the other with a Snap-On hammer gun on the other. ( TIME FOR EAR PROTECTION) They can be a real bear but this was the best way to do it we found.
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 24631
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Posted: 28 Mar 2019 at 6:13am |
just a regular 'car hauler' 7x16...that I seldom use, just decided I should fix the suspension while the decks off and before I put new fenders on. guess I better get my butt out there..... Jay
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 24631
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Posted: 28 Mar 2019 at 3:10pm |
OK .. sucess, though my gut is killing me from cranking off 14 stubborn nuts with a 4' bar on the ratchet. While didn't really need new equalizers, they only cost $4 a side. Bought all new nuts,bolts,shackles and sleeves as well. Once on the ground, the top of each tire is now 5 1/2" above the frame rails. Before they were 7 or 8" depending onfront or rear axle. So I've got 40 Canucks and 6 hours and a 'new' trailer. Tomorrow I tackle the fenders..... Jay
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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LeonR2013
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Joined: 01 Jan 2013
Location: Fulton, Mo
Points: 3500
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Posted: 30 Mar 2019 at 6:55am |
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Anybody that has ever fooled with equalizers never said it would be easy. LOL Good going. Leon
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Dakota Dave
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: ND
Points: 3971
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Posted: 30 Mar 2019 at 6:21pm |
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You know they started making wonderfull things called air impacts. I did all the springs on the 30' farm trailer and replaced the bad deck boards before lunch.
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 24631
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Posted: 30 Mar 2019 at 6:35pm |
Well I wasn't in a hurry, though I did try my 1/2" impact...would budge any of them. 'Funny' thing is both front tires are 1/4" off the ground !I'm thinking they'll touch down after a roadtrip ? Got the fenders figured out and will weld them on .1/8" diamond plate.should last couple of days I hope... Nuts and bolts will wiggle loose anyway...Dang enamel paint is 50 Canucks per US Gallon !! Jay
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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Dakota Dave
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: ND
Points: 3971
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Posted: 31 Mar 2019 at 8:07pm |
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Is your trailer sitting level. To get my front tires off the ground I'd have to hitch it to the bumper hitch instead of the 6" drop in the reciever that's below the bumper.when the trailer deck is level and the tires and springs are the same the equalizer should be level with the ground.
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DaveKamp
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Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Location: LeClaire, Ia
Points: 6066
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Posted: 05 Apr 2019 at 10:23am |
 jaybmiller wrote:
Well I wasn't in a hurry, though I did try my 1/2" impact...would budge any of them. 'Funny' thing is both front tires are 1/4" off the ground !I'm thinking they'll touch down after a roadtrip ? ... ... ..Dang enamel paint is 50 Canucks per US Gallon !! Jay |
Impacts have high ratings, but they rarely actually 'attain' the torque advertisements on account that there's enough elasticity in the arrangement (the fastener end, and the operator end) to absorb the shock, effectively reducing the 'impact' to less than that of a long breaker bar. If you buy one of those 'torque limiter' extensions, you're buying elasticity- it's a torsion bar, with enough absorption to limit torque from impact.
The equalizer toggles do what you're talking about, for several reasons, and frequently you'll find that more than one condition exists. the simplest one, is tire pressure and sidewall stiffness. If you've got different tire pressures or different tire types 'tween front and rear, the one with stiffer sidewalls and/or more pressure, or a larger OD tire size (tread vs aspect ratio) will lift the toggle, and the other side will flip down. If an axle has a tweaked spindle, or if there's a cracked or saggy spring leaf, it'll cause the toggle to lean. IF you see that the toggles are not parallel, and you're sitting on a fairly flat road, chances are high that you have one axle trying to pull to one side as a result of a tire or suspension geometry problem.
Being a half inch off the ground means your toggle pivot, bushings, or spring perch bolts and bushings are too tight... they need to be loose enough to move. Being new, they may be just a little snug, and wearing-in will allow them to articulate properly.
Yeah, see... you get a discount if you buy a US Gallon with US Dollars... but it's a complicated scam- If you buy an Imperial gallon with Canadian Dollars, they sting you even more!!!  |
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Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest.
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