We have a 19' Nash TT and I'm looking to get a few more inches of ground clearance to avoid underside damage going into some of our favorite camping spots. I've seen numerous TT's with leaf springs OVER the axles. Has anyone done this? Any special tools or equipment needed? If it's a simple enough job, I'd like to do this myself and avoid the $200-$300 or whatever to have it done. Thanks.

 

New spring perches (2 per axle), new u-bolts (not absolutley required but recommended), and a welder to weld the new perches on the axle tubes 180° from existing perches. I did this to my last trailer to level it out.

 

If they are Dexter axles, Dexter sells a kit that for mounting the springs over the axles. I don't think they are that expensive. You can find it at http://dexteraxle.com/over_under_conversion_kits and you can find the instructions at http://i.b5z.net/i/u/1080235/f/059_551_00.pdf

 

Great info, guys. Thanks!

 

If the bolt pattern on the backing plates is square or six hole, just turn the axles over. I have done this on construction trailers a couple of times (bent axles)

 

I did just what Mechanos did and it worked out great. I don't have to worry about scraping the back end anymore, or scraping the waste valves off. Do it.

 

HID... just turning the axles over inverts the camber on the axles. Instead of positive camber, they'll have negative camber and cause the tires to wear badly.

 

I wouldn't think that a straight trailer axle would have camber, or toe, and of course caster is irrevelent with no steering. Those that do have the axle actually bent in the center. And they wear tires very badly.

 

Every travel trailer I've ever worked on has the axles prebent. Flipping them is not an option. I moved my springs to the top of the axles as described above. Four spring perches was all that was required as the ubolts all came apart fine. It takes about 3 hours to do the job on a tandem axle trailer.

 

I did the perch weld on my last trailer and was a great improvement to clearance and no loss of stability while towing.You can do it yourself with a welder and a few hours.I had a friend do mine.

 

I did it on my 5th wheel also with no problems with handling, etc. However, I had to build a portable step to carry in the 5th wheel since the first step is now too high off the ground.

 

Just one thing here guys . Most all trailers have the brake wireing running through the axles. Welding with the wireing in there could melt the wireing.
Remove the wires and reroute them on the outside of axles at the rear side . These wires just dangle around inside the axles and I have seen them wear threw the insulation and then short out and no trailer brakes. Have seen cases where many hr. spent trying to fix brakes before the bum wireing was found.

 

i know this one too well. the previous owner of my 5er flipped the axles without new mounts. there was a - camber and sure enough the extra pressure wore out the bearing nut washer that holds everything together. as i was getting off the freeway to get gas, i looked to my left at my tire along with the whole brake drum flying down the slow lane doin about 65mph this was thanx giving day in the middle of indio with not a **** thing open. MOUNT THE NEW BRACKETS 180* to keep the axles right. BTW the tire didnt hit anyone but found it about 50yards off the freeway and about 1.5 miles down.

 

i know this one too well. the previous owner of my 5er flipped the axles without new mounts. there was a - camber and sure enough the extra pressure wore out the bearing nut washer that holds everything together. as i was getting off the freeway to get gas, i looked to my left at my tire along with the whole brake drum flying down the slow lane doin about 65mph this was thanx giving day in the middle of indio with not a **** thing open. MOUNT THE NEW BRACKETS 180* to keep the axles right. BTW the tire didnt hit anyone but found it about 50yards off the freeway and about 1.5 miles down.

 

Whatever camber or the lack of it may affect, I will not affect the bearings. You lost a bearing, had nothing to do with camber.