Bighorn 3010 suspension Mod and Reciever hitch install

As we just got or Bighorn, I needed a hitch installed so I can pull my swivel wheel trailer and travel with my Yamaha grizzly. Also had the brakes inspected and the bearings repacked. During inspection of suspension, cracks in the welds on the spring hangers were decovered. Very sloppy welding done by Lippert. Some welds were so out of line where they only covered the hanger, but barely caught the frame. Kind of an important detail to overlook don’t you Think? I had the shocks replaced and the spring hangers cross braced. Also, I added a support from the bumper to that fits up against the bottom step on the ladder.
 

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Chrisandsama

Well-known member
As we just got or Bighorn, I needed a hitch installed so I can pull my swivel wheel trailer and travel with my Yamaha grizzly. Also had the brakes inspected and the bearings repacked. During inspection of suspension, cracks in the welds on the spring hangers were decovered. Very sloppy welding done by Lippert. Some welds were so out of line where they only covered the hanger, but barely caught the frame. Kind of an important detail to overlook don’t you Think? I had the shocks replaced and the spring hangers cross braced. Also, I added a support from the bumper to that fits up against the bottom step on the ladder.
That's a nice clean job on the suspension! I agree lippert should do a better job of reinforcement considering all the weight on the frame/suspension.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
You have added a LOT of lifetime to your Bighorn. I only got my hangars fixed and cross-braced AFTER the 2 main I beams were twisted laterally. My welder's fix (short of junking the trailer) was to straighten the I beams as much as possible, cut out the bottom portion of the I beams that were beyond repair, and bridge those cut-out portions with 3/8 inch thick wall rectangular steel tubing - stronger than the thinner original I beam material. Cross-braces between the spring hangars were also added. This cost me $5500 in 2014, and the work was done behind the welder's shop while I lived there in the Bighorn for a week. The welder had done pretty much the same procedure to a SOB 5th wheel in the weeks preceding my repair, although his business is primarily doing custom fabrication for the wineries in the area.

The RV industry has known about this problem for a while, but has not opted to change their basic design. MorRyde sells an "X-Factor" telescoping cross-brace solution that you bolt onto the spring hangars, but I believe that the welded steel tubing and re-enforcement of the spring hangars is a stronger fix. Lippert has a service note that says to add the welded crossbeam tubing and triangular gussets in case of I beam cracking.

MorRyde in installing their Independent Suspension upgrade welds a tubular steel box between the I beams in the axles area. They also remove all of the leaf spring suspension components including spring hangars, equalizers, bushings, hangar bolts, and springs, and tubular axles to be replaced with the IS components (swing arm axle, rubber spring, shock absorber) mounted in the steel tubing box. I was at MorRyde in 2013, bought the disk brakes upgrade, and declined on the IS upgrade. The next year I spent almost twice as much as the IS upgrade in I beam repairs.
 

i4110peter

Active Member
As we just got or Bighorn, I needed a hitch installed so I can pull my swivel wheel trailer and travel with my Yamaha grizzly. Also had the brakes inspected and the bearings repacked. During inspection of suspension, cracks in the welds on the spring hangers were decovered. Very sloppy welding done by Lippert. Some welds were so out of line where they only covered the hanger, but barely caught the frame. Kind of an important detail to overlook don’t you Think? I had the shocks replaced and the spring hangers cross braced. Also, I added a support from the bumper to that fits up against the bottom step on the ladder.

Thanks for the hanger information. I will be looking closely at our 2018 BH3160EL.
 

Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn

Well-known member
As we just got or Bighorn, I needed a hitch installed so I can pull my swivel wheel trailer and travel with my Yamaha grizzly. Also had the brakes inspected and the bearings repacked. During inspection of suspension, cracks in the welds on the spring hangers were decovered. Very sloppy welding done by Lippert. Some welds were so out of line where they only covered the hanger, but barely caught the frame. Kind of an important detail to overlook don’t you Think? I had the shocks replaced and the spring hangers cross braced. Also, I added a support from the bumper to that fits up against the bottom step on the ladder.

Very nice job !!!
 
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