Installing wetbolts and shackles - DUH!

[Maineiacs]

Spent several hours yesterday on the first side of the TT. Naturally the nuts were absolutely frozen in place. After rounding off the flats, I resorted to my trusty sawsall and cut the heads off! That will learn them I said! Then spent an hour or three trying to drive out the bolts. Those of you who have done this before know exactly what I had forgotten.


The nuts are on the INSIDE of the frame not the outside. And that means all the pounding I was doing was just seating the knurled part of the bolt even more firmly! Cut the nuts off and drove the old bolts out, put the wetbolts in place and called it a day!



I keep telling myself the second side will take five minutes.

[Maineiacs]

Well, it took an hour or two, but the job is done and everything is greased. Now no one will hear me coming!

[Javi]

glad you got it done.. I used to do that for a living..

[Maineiacs]

After all was said (mostly quite colorful) and the TT was lowered to the ground, I noticed that one leaf spring was oriented correctly and one wasn't. That is, when you look at the equalizer one spring is attached to the top of its respective side but the other has "flipped" so that the other spring now appears to be attached at the bottom of the shackle on the other side. Doing a little research with my friend Mr. Google, I found out that this is quite common when both axles were off the ground and then lowered.


So to work properly the shackles on the "low side" need to be flipped back into their topmost orientation. YouTube has several videos showing how to place a hydraulic jack under the "good side" axle and then lifting it. Once it goes up 3 or 4 inches, the equalizer has pivoted enough so that the "low side" shifts with a loud bang and it's now oriented correctly.


I did the same thing without a jack by driving the "good side" up on some blocking. Did the trick!


Just posting in case anyone else encounters "flipped shackles".

[chuckster57]

We use the forklift. Fun watching a 40’ fifth wheel bounce.

[Maineiacs]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

We use the forklift. Fun watching a 40’ fifth wheel bounce.

You could probably charge admission for that!

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

We use the forklift. Fun watching a 40’ fifth wheel bounce.

I bet the owner wouldn't be amused.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I bet the owner wouldn't be amused.

The few that have witnessed it didn’t say anything. Then again their jaw was on the ground. We really try NOT to do it with any customers around.