Worn Spring Shackles

Nov 18, 2002 Mon0Springs and shackles
A new shackle is on the left. Notice the wear in the top holes of the others.

With the purchase of a new 4x4 Dodge Cummins 2500 truck my Wildcat was too high in the front. While adding metal blocks between the axles and springs to raise the Wildcat I noticed the right spring shackles looked strange.

I removed them to find that they were severely worn. My Wildcat has about 15,000 miles. I don't think the shackles would have survived another 15,000 miles. All four shackles needed replacing on the right side as well as the equalizer. The spring eyes and equalizers have nylon bushings. All but one of these were worn through to the metal. The bottom rear hole in the equalizer did not have a nylon bushing. I think it was missing from the factory.

All the bolts were turning freely in the shackles except for the front spring bolt attached to the spring hanger. It was still locked in the hole and had very little wear. These bolts have splines near the head that should grip the shackle or spring hanger to prevent them from turning. The free turning bolts had severe wear.

The bolts may have been tightened with an air impact wrench at the factory via the bolt head instead of the nut. This would have rounded the splines near the bolt head and allowed them to turn in the shackle. While repairing my Wildcat I actually twisted a bolt, ruining the splines and had to replace it.

It is hard to see in the photos but the equalizer hole was worn in an oval shape also.

The missing nylon bushing in the equalizer may have contributed to the cracked spring hanger I had earlier. I would like to hear from others that had a cracked spring hanger. You should check your spring shackles.

The good news is that I bought 8 shackles, 14 bolts, 14 lock nuts, 8 nylon bushings and 2 equalizers at Agri Supply for about $25.00 so the expense is no big deal. This is another thing I will add to my annual checkup list.

Later I found out just how cheap and flimsy this hardware really is after another failure. The RV industry should be held accountable for this crap.

A new bolt is on the left. Notice the wear on the others just below the bolt head and just before the threads. The spring shackles caused the wear.
The equalizer on the left is the worn one with the oval hole. The one on the right is new.
Old on the left, new on the right.
Exploding Carlisle Tires




TagsElectrical  (18),Generator  (7),Leaks  (3),Lights  (3),Springs and shackles  (7),Tires  (3)