UPDATE: Decided to make the time to work on the trailer springs this weekend. For those contemplating the same thing on a LoadRite trailer, here is what I did and some pieces of advice:
1. Bought a good, but not expensive, electric
corded impact wrench
2. Bought a can of "Buster" and covered all of the nuts and bolts the weekend prior
3. Chocked wheels on opposite side.
4. Loosened lug bolts.
5. Jacked up side in front of wheel and put on jackstand.
6. Duplicated process on the opposite side of the wheel.
7. Placed jack under axle to prevent it from falling after the bolts were loosened.
8.
PUT ON HEARING PROTECTION9. Placed 3/4-inch wrench on first nut holding the spring on the frame (front bolt).
10. Using the impact wrench, unscrewed the bolt as far as it would go. When I met too much resistance, i.e. the wrench was no longer turning the bolt at all, I would go back and forth tightening and untightening the nut until it finally came off.
11. Repeated process forthe other(rear) bolt.
12. Loosened the U-bolts holding the axle to the springs using the same method as #10. NOTE: Be careful when the springs are ready to fall off -- your hand can be in the way and that can hurt
13. Tapped new bushings into the new spring. CAUTION: These are a hard plastic and can crack if you inadvertantly apply too much tapping (yes, this is the voice of experience and why only 1/2 the trailer is done today).
14. Attached new spring using new bolts and nuts.
15. Placed new U-bolts in place over the axle and into the plate. Put washers and nuts in place by hand.
16. Started tightening nuts on U-bolts. NOTE: The hole in the axle and the bolt on the spring should line up with the bolt head entering the axle. This didn't seem to line up. I finally tightened up the nuts on the U-bolts and to my amazement, the bolt slipped into the correct place.
17. Before I put the wheel back on, I cleaned up the major rust on the hub with a hammer to knock off the big stuff and a wire brush to get the smaller stuff. I then used a high-temp, rust prohibiting primer on the hub.
18. Replaced the wheel and lugs and lowered the trailer following the opposite procedure as jacking it up.
I am pleased with the results. I'll be more pleased when i get a replacement for the bushing I broke so I can finish the other side. Now that I have the method down, I hope I can do it in about an hour.
Davie
