Myred,
You sure have been having the luck, lately (and not all of it good). Hope your bearing work turns out better.
I have shocks on my old rig, the first I've owned that had them. They really keep everything tamed when out on the road. I can see the reasoning to add them.
I learned to keep my lips still when welding is discussed. I opened my mouth once and "I can weld" came out. Within 6 months I had my own little area with crane and welders set up, fabbing all of the rudders needed for our small river towboat fleet.
For your situation, I would guess the task of the shock mounts fell into the lap of someone unaccustomed to the work and not familiar with the forces involved. There is a lot that can be done to make sure that plate never moves. I'd suggest to put your engineering hat back on and make a design that insures longevity.
Good luck with your trailer!
