Leveling springs

New spring is installed. We stretched out spring added some shims and used the pry bar and hooked it in. Thanks for input guys.

New spring is installed. We stretched out spring added some shims and used the pry bar and hooked it in. Thanks for input guys.

GTMADNS wrote:
Well new springs will be here on Wednesday. Will be trying the bottle jack first then adding washers if needed. I will let you all know results soon.

if your spring ends were the same as mine, be sure to loop the semicircle one thru the bracket hole first, then raise it up with the jack.
bumpy

Well new springs will be here on Wednesday. Will be trying the bottle jack first then adding washers if needed. I will let you all know results soon.

I didn't have any of those issue myself. very quick, very easy, very stable. did have to let the bottle jack lower itself once so I could reverse the spring, but that was operator error. nothing budged during this operation twice up and down.

bumpy

I stretched the spring by hooking one end to a heavy bolt in my work bench. Hooked the end of a ratcheting tie down strap to the other end and secured the free end of the strap to my vice. Ratchet it and opened up the spring slightly (just enough to force a washer in).

When away from home I also used the front bumper of my Jeep and trailer hitch on my m/h with the tie down strap in between the two.

Even with a bottle jack the springs had to be stretched on my m/h. The jack made the whole plate unstable and since I had to stretch it anyway I just put a few more washers in to make it long enough to simply hook into each hole.

I checked my rV parts catalog and note that the HWH system has/had two 9,000 lb jacks for the rear and 2- 7,000 lb. ones on the front. since that 7,000 lb. jack has to stretch two springs, plus lift 1/4 of the motorhome, it shouldn't take much of a bottle jack to stretch one spring.
bumpy

oldchief7155 wrote:
You stretch the spring and put the washers in. That makes the spring longer. Simply hook each end in appropriate hole and extend the leveler and the washers fall out. Just make sure washers are big so they fon'T fall down inside spring. NO need for bottle jack. I'be done mine several times.

The hardest part for me is getting up off the ground!!!

how exactly do you stretch the spring? I did it as previously posted and had no need for a vise grip or anything. the spring needs stretching. I did it as stated a fulcrum on the jack cylinder. no washer to fall out, no sweat. the only issue I had was that my springs had different types of ends/hooks on them. one was a semicircle and the other more or less just a J. to hook the semicircle one I had to hook it on first so it could be rotated, and after raising that side the J just easily snapped into the bracket.
bumpy

You stretch the spring and put the washers in. That makes the spring longer. Simply hook each end in appropriate hole and extend the leveler and the washers fall out. Just make sure washers are big so they fon'T fall down inside spring. NO need for bottle jack. I'be done mine several times.

The hardest part for me is getting up off the ground!!!

Bumpyroad wrote:

oldchief7155 wrote:
Won'the work on a DP. Springs too short and way to strong.

if a mega ton bottle jack won't stretch them how on earth can you do it. a hydraulic cylinder stretches them when in use, why won't it stretch one of them to install it. and if the makeshift shims etc. will stretch the spring????

bumpy

I get it now, maybe. Use the bottle jack to pivot the pad up enough against the opposing spring to install the replacement. Might need a vice grip on the pad incase the angle gets to much the jack slips. A vice grip might be enough of a block to keep that from happening.