Leaf springs

[Larryheadhunter]

Take your message to Lippert Warranty Thread Please

Geekrus,
Please put this post on my thread. Let Lippert see how upset you are. I refuse to take your cynical position at this time. You may be right but if I don't try my darndest to solve these issues, then I won't feel I have done my best to save a few lives. I say the same to everyone. The more ammo I have when speaking to Lippert the better chance we will have of some resolution.
Thanks.

Larry: I don't believe that either Lippert or Heartland will do anything about this. They've both known about the problems for over a year & they still put the same shoddy components on the units that are barely borderline for the weigh of the coaches. Whenever a customer has a problem they either 'finger-point' at the other party or in Lippert's case, push back via: 'you must be over-weight', "we just follow Heartland's specs, talk to them', 'it is due to your upgraded tires are not the originals that came with your unit', ETC.

I've b*t*h-ed about my incident on this & other forums & in fact even wrote to the CEO of HL, without an answer BTW, & the problems continue on newer unit.

Good luck with your quest.

Eh!

Eh!

 

[geeksrus]

Geekrus,
Please put this post on my thread. Let Lippert see how upset you are. I refuse to take your cynical position at this time. You may be right but if I don't try my darndest to solve these issues, then I won't feel I have done my best to save a few lives. I say the same to everyone. The more ammo I have when speaking to Lippert the better chance we will have of some resolution.
Thanks.

I'll try to put something together for you over the next couple of days.

EH!

 

[Gary Steeves]

Due to the problems the forum members have posted, I thought it was time to check mine out. Sure enough, The main (top) spring leaf of the left rear has a definite bend down. I contacted Lippert and Von asked me to send pictures and he would get back to me. He also said since I took delivery July 2007, the warranty ran out July 2009 - so the repair will be on my dime. I'm wainting for his response and recommended "fix". The other springs look like they are pretty flat with no or very little upward arc. I wonder if I should replace them all - and with what ??

 

[boatdoc]

Since Lippert isn't going to do anything for you or many of us that have their junk, just find a spring shop locally and have them help you out. They are easy to replace and at the same time you can install the wet bolt system also.
Just take a spring set with you to the shop and they will fix you up.

 

[TXBobcat]

The other springs look like they are pretty flat with no or very little upward arc. I wonder if I should replace them all - and with what ??

You probably have 6k axles with 4 leaf springs. If you can go to 7k axles with 5 leaf springs. If you can't afford the axles just increase the springs to 5 leafs.

If you can afford it and you plan to keep your trailer for a long time you might concider Mor/Ryde IS and maybe the Disk Brakes.

Thats what I did..

BC

 

[Larryheadhunter]

I have 6K axles with 3 leaf springs Bob, so you never know till you look down there. Unfortunately with my back, I can't even look myself. Glad I did before so I knew what a crappy spring set Lippert gave me with the exact same parts that broke within the 2 year warranty. I have left messages for 2 senior mgt warranty personnel at Lippert without response. I am beginning to see what Gary talked about when he said I would get nowhere with Lippert. Time to keep on plugging away.

 

[lwmcguir]

I have a complete set of 7K 5 leaf axles for sale. Trail Air equalizers as well. About 500 miles on them. We installed 8K.

 

[StevenJ]

weak springs?

I crawled under our 2008 Bighorn 3600RL, and took some pics of my springs. They are Lippert 7K and they look like they are overloaded, flat and have some reverse bow, but I didn't see any breaks in them. Please take a look at the pics and tell me if this is normal. We purchased the unit in May of 2007.

 

[lwmcguir]

Your rear springs are shot. You need to replace them in pairs and probably move up to the 3500# or change out the axles and springs as well.

 

[Rmcgrath53]

Am I looking at it right. It apears to only be one wheel.

 

[StevenJ]

The fourth pic is the right side and the others are the left side. I was closer to that left side with the camera. Shouldn't these springs already be 3500# with 7000# axles?

 

[2010augusta]

Any time a leaf spring looks like a "W" it is time to replace them. I would look for a non-Lippert replacement and maybe even a 4,000# spring, but then you would have to change all four. You still might because the front look really flat but that could be an effect from the sagging rears. That equalizer in the center should be nearly "level" when parked level.

 

[StevenJ]

I posted a thread at Heartland General Forum about weak springs. I figured it just wasn't a Bighorn problem. I also posted pics of my springs there also. I purchased my Bighorn 3600RL in May of 2007 so it's probably out of warranty. Wouldn't Heartland or Lippert stand behind this?

 

[StevenJ]

The equalizer is what caught my attention becaused they are always tipped towards the front. But this is always after I backed it into the parking spot so I figured that was why. As far a cargo goes, we don't really have anything in the back past the kitchen. The kitchen has your general amount of dishes and food for two.

 

[jnbhobe]

Mine were like that and mostly the front axel. Lippert replaced all 4 and installed a wet kit the day after the Goshen rally in june.It cost me $54.00 for the wet bolt kit. JON

 

[StevenJ]

What is a wet bolt kit?

 

[2010augusta]

The equalizer is what caught my attention becaused they are always tipped towards the front. But this is always after I backed it into the parking spot so I figured that was why.

Remember that when you back the trailer into a spot you need to pull straight forward and back straight in a time or two to get all the stress from turning out of the suspension. if you leave it parked with stress in the suspension it will distort the springs very quickly.

 

[jmgratz]

If I were in your shoes I would call Heartland Customer Service and then email them the photos. Then when they refer you to Lippert, be ready to email Lippert the photos. Have your vin ready.

 

[jnbhobe]

Wet bolts replace the bolts and plastic bushings on the spring eyes and shackles with brass bushings and greaseable bolts for lubrication.Jon

 

[caissiel]

I looked around for a while and all the trailer supplies have 3500# springs in the slipper style and not the double eye setup. The double eye ones I found were 30" long and we need 24.88" long.
Lippert seam to be the only ones with 4000 lbs units that are exact exchange to the 3500# just priced at $3.00 higher.