lowering 2013 3950?

[steiny93]

when attached to our hdt the cyclone sits a bit front low

three options
1) drop the pin box (i believe this would add torque to the 5er and would mess up the pin box cover; so thinking this is a bad option)
2) raise the 5th wheel hitch on the hdt (totally viable option)
3) lower the cyclone via moving the spring attach points 1 bolt hole lower where they attach to the frame (appears to be an option) (moves the rig about 3 inches closer to the ground)

i like the lowering of the cyclone option as it would get the 5er closer to the ground when parked (I have a young daughter and both her and her puppy have issues crawling up to the bottom step) are there any negatives to lowering the 5er? i don't believe it will rub on anything; additionally having the springs in the lowest total height setting would lesson the stress which the spring shackles put on the frame.

thoughts?
anyone lower their cyclone?

 

[danemayer]

Hi Steiny93,

Seems safer (and more routine) to adjust the height of the hitch. If you make changes to the suspension and later have a suspension problem, you could end up having difficult discussions about warranty coverage.

 

[steiny93]

thx for the input danemayer,
i'm definately not considering changing the suspension; rather moving the shackles from the middle bolt hole to the lower bolt hole (on the 2013's there are 3 settings)
the 5er was in for warranty work yesterday so I ran it by the dealer; they said "yup; we've done a few, not an issue just takes a couple hours"

i think i'll probably run it by heartland before I have the dealer make the swap just to be sure

 

[MOTORCYCLECOMMANDER]

steiny93,

This is very interesting please let me know how this works out for you and what Heartland has to say about it. I have a Father the camps with us and he has trouble with stairs so I was considering making custom stairs for the ramp entry so he could get in through the rear sliding doors (into the Garage). Of course this would take up valuable space when going on long trips but is definitely something to look into. Really interested to here your reply on the lowering of the camper itself and any before and after pics you may post in regards to this thread.

Thank you,
Tim Eberly
SW Iowa
Prospective Heartland Owner

 

[danemayer]

Heartland may have an opinion, but keep in mind that the suspension is warranted by either Dexter or Lippert. They may also have opinions and their opinions might affect warranty. The change would alter the geometry of the suspension components affecting how they work - but only the engineers would have a good idea of whether it would be significant.

If you have Dexter suspension, keep in mind that the hanger brackets are part of the Lippert frame. So 3 mounting positions might reflect Lippert's engineering, but not necessarily Dexter's.

 

[GOTTOYS]

Heartland may have an opinion, but keep in mind that the suspension is warranted by either Dexter or Lippert. They may also have opinions and their opinions might affect warranty. The change would alter the geometry of the suspension components affecting how they work - but only the engineers would have a good idea of whether it would be significant.

If you have Dexter suspension, keep in mind that the hanger brackets are part of the Lippert frame. So 3 mounting positions might reflect Lippert's engineering, but not necessarily Dexter's.

I can't see what geometry there is to change. It has no critical drive shaft angles. There are no leading or trailing arms, there is no pinion angle. All it will do is is tip the center of the axle where it is cambered a VERY slight amount. I can't see how it will affect anything. My only concern might be the amount of suspension travel might be restricted, but that is doubtful. After working on my trailer brakes I have found that Dexter and Lippert parts are interchangeable for the most part. Trailer suspension is about as basic as it gets. They wouldn't have installed this type of adjustable spring hanger if it wasn't meant to be used. JMHO...Don

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

thx for the input danemayer,
i'm definately not considering changing the suspension; rather moving the shackles from the middle bolt hole to the lower bolt hole (on the 2013's there are 3 settings)
the 5er was in for warranty work yesterday so I ran it by the dealer; they said "yup; we've done a few, not an issue just takes a couple hours"

i think i'll probably run it by heartland before I have the dealer make the swap just to be sure

steiny, wouldn't you move the spring attachment to the upper hole to lower the trailer? Moving to a lower hole should raise the trailer. Unless my thinking as bassackwards.

 

[steiny93]

so... after measuring and remeasuring several times i decided to raise the hitch on the truck
I went this route as i ended up needing 6 inches of height at the hitch and i could only get 3 inches if i dropped the suspension. Additionally if i dropped it the full 3 inches i would be getting very close to the fenders when the trailer was being cranked around in a tight turn.

As such I decided to skip the worry and just raise the hitch.

Thx for all the input

 

[dbhutchins]

And while you're tinkering - you may as well change out your spring hangers NOW, before the self-destruct on you. Don't ask me how I know this. There are any number of improved syspension components out there. Not only will they pre-empt catastrophic failure, they improve the trailer's ride by an amazing amount. Trust me - do it now!

 

[jbeletti]

The 2013 Cyclone would have Dexter axles and springs.