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teotwaki

Excelsior!
I've finally located a good deal on 4 Toyota 17" rims matching what I have on the 2018 4Runner. (Bling Points!)

The rims on the trailer are 16" and can barely fit over the brake rotors on the rear axle of the 4Runner. The 4Runner's front brake rotor diameter is too big for the 16" rims and I'd like to have the trailer's tires available as emergency spares for the 4Runner.
 

teotwaki

Excelsior!
00M0M_g21qlqAuHnf_1200x900.jpg


Tires have been ordered
 

teotwaki

Excelsior!
The trailer is about 9 years old and the red poly bushings on the leaf springs were faded and cracked where they were exposed. I bought a new set bushings (ProComp 69261) and will install them today. The leaf springs are from Pro Comp and were made for 95' Jeep YJ's rear suspension, number 51323. It also looks as if the shackles should be replaced and I'll look them over when I take things apart.

The kit looks like this.

81fv%2BADBYYL._SL1500_.jpg
 

teotwaki

Excelsior!
Suspension Refresh

The trailer has served me well for almost ten years and it deserves a little love now and then. The red polyurethane bushings on the leaf springs looked faded and cracked, the shackle plates had never been satisfactory and the shackle hanger mounted on the frame was a bit of a mystery as to origins.




Another issue was how the lowest spring in the pack could rotate slightly and damage the outer tube of the nearby shock absorber. I felt the worn bushings and swaying movement of the hangers might have been the root cause of the spring movement.

The leaf springs are ProComp Jeep YJ springs #51323 and the red poly bushings are 69261. So it was easy to order new bushings which are 1.5" in diameter.

New versus old bushing:


I also ordered some steel U-clamps to help with the spring leaf movement.


The bushing for the shackle mount on the frame may well be based on one for a Jeep CJ or early YJ as the bushing diameter is 1". The worn bushings are polyurethane but I have not yet been able to find a source. For now I have installed some stock Jeep CJ rubber bushings.

Here is the frame mount


Note the two bolt holes that likely match those on a Jeep's frame


I ordered a shackle kit that was meant to add some lift and shortened the plates to match the bolt spacing of the trailer's original plates. A stock Jeep rear shackle was 3" and mine was just shy of 4" for bolt spacing.







Final results are a great improvement


The spring clamps were easy to install and if they prove to be overly restrictive I can easily remove them .



I'll be taking the trailer out to Death Valley soon and will closely watch the changes that I have made to the suspension.

All of my trailer and vehicle mods are chronicled here: https://suntothenorth.blogspot.com/2014/02/my-expedition-vehicle-trailer.html
 

teotwaki

Excelsior!
I took the trailer out twice in a row for some softroading and nothing shook loose. Next will be some harder trails
 

flatwerx

New member
I'm replacing the 75 year old suspension this weekend on mine. Love reading all these threads. Lots of info and ideas!
 

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