Trailer Spring Brace?

[Jeff NWOH]

So I bought a new old brush chipper a few weeks back. Been working through some issues on it, one of which was to replace the leaf springs. It has an 8000lb axle on it, but the chipper weighs 9500lbs or so. I guess they figure the tounge carries a fair amount of weight too.

Anyways, I had less than 3/4 clearance between the tires and fender and it is quite obvious from the looks of the fenders that that isnt enough so I decided to replace the springs. The old ones had these brackets or braces on the eye of the spring. My only guess is that they are to help keep the eye from opening up. I'd guess Vermeer maybe had issues pushing that spring/axle combo to its limit and this was their solution. A friend of mine has a newer version of the same chipper. His is a torsion axle, but still 8000lbs.

Anybody ever seen these or know their purpose? I just thought they were kind of interesting.

By the way, the new springs really didn't gain me too much. I still can't get my hand in flat between the tire and fender...

 

[Steve@Advance]

Never seen that before.

What's on the other end?

 

[Jeff NWOH]

It's a slipper spring, so nothing.

 

[RESLLS]

Can you make it a spring over instead of under?

 

[used red MN]

Can you weld a 1 or 1 1-2 inch thick bar on the perch of the slipper end of the spring? Maybe even that clamp doo-dad could be moved to that other end and clamped in there for the spring to rest on to raise the height.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

It's hard to tell from the picture, but the axle does not look square with the frame. Is something missing from the slipper end? I agree with used red MN, maybe something should be added to the slipper end. It used to be cast iron, but now that super dense plastic is used in some spots like that.

 

[Blackhole49]

X2

 

[Jeff NWOH]

I could maybe get 3/4 or so in on the rear spring perch without modifying anything else. The thought crossed my mind. I may run it a bit and see how it goes. Nice thing with this chipper as opposed to a trailer is the weight is what it is. It really won't change much like loading a trailer.

 

[DoubleO7]

How much space is between top of ubolts and the frame?

A little bit more than that is all that is needed between fender and tire.

Move fenders up as needed.

 

[Jeff NWOH]

Moving the fenders really isn't an option,
but maybe a rubber stop above the axle....

 

[Jeff NWOH]

I guess it could be done, but it would be a project...