how to select replacement leaf springs for a trailer

Buying replacement parts for your trailer isn’t always the easiest thing to do. More often than not, you don’t know what to call a particular part & you certainly don’t know which type or size you need. Our goal is to make buying replacement parts easier for our customers. In this article, we are going to tackle how to select the correct replacement leaf spring for your trailer.

First things first, you need to determine which type of leaf spring you need. There are 5 different types of leaf springs that fall under two main categories – double eye leaf springs & slipper springs.

Notice that all of the springs shown have a bolt “eye” on the front end of the spring. That is how the spring attaches to the trailer frame. The other end of the leaf spring is more interesting. Notice that all of the springs are arched. When your trailer is loaded & you are driving along, the spring moves up & down vertically as your tires hit bumps & variations in the road. This up & down movement “flattens” out the spring causing it to grow in length. The spring is attached in a fixed position on the front end, so the back end moves back & forth. The slipper springs slide (or slip) back & forth against a stationary surface to easily compensate for the changes in length. The stationary surface can be a specific bracket attached to the trailer frame, or sometimes the trailer frame itself is used as the contact surface of a slipper spring. Here is an example of a slipper spring attachment on the movable back end:

Double Eye leaf springs get their name because they have a bolt eye on both the front & back of the spring. This type of spring deals with the changing length by adding pivoting shackle links to the rear of the spring. Here is an example:

Now that you know the different types of leaf springs, you can select the appropriate style & move on to measuring for the correct replacement. The number of leaves & the weight capacity of the spring is also very helpful to know.

Here are some terms that are important to know regarding leaf spring measurements:

Overall Length – The complete overall length from one end to the other

Length – Depending on the type of spring the length is determined slightly differently. Double eye leaf springs are measured from center of eye to center of eye. Open eye slipper springs are measured from center of eye to center of open eye. The remaining types of slipper springs (flat end, radius end & hook down) are measured from center of eye to contact point. (See below for the 3 different length measurement diagrams)

Axle Location – The axle location is measured from center of eye straight across to the point where the leaves are all bolted together.

Stack Height – The thickness of the springs where all leaves are stacked.

Width – The width of the leaf spring.

 Use the charts below to find the correct leaf spring for your trailer. Just click on the part number & you will be taken directly to that leaf spring on our online trailer parts store. If the part number does not have a clickable link, that means that the part is no longer available.

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