Hi, I am Aaron from Badger Utility. Today I am going to show you how to do three things, check for suspension bushing wear, check the wear washers on the suspension bushings, and check the shock bushing wear as well. Let’s get started.
We will start with the suspension bushings. To check to see if those are worn or not, we will measure from the bottom of the arm to the bottom of the hanger. I have taken my ruler and put a line on the ¾” mark to make it easier to see. I will put the ruler on the bottom of the suspension arm and I am measuring from the bottom of the arm to the bottom of the hanger. Anything less than ¾” the bushing are ok. Anything more than ¾” the bushings are worn and need to be replaced. These are under ¾”, they can stay in service.
Another thing we are going to check for is the wear washers. Now the wear washers are the plastic circles on the outside of the suspension arm. Those protect the hanger from wear while the suspension arm is moving. Now if you see the washers are cupped, torn or missing, they need to be replaced. Now just because the wear washers may be worn, doesn’t necessarily mean the suspension bushings are worn. Otherwise, these look pretty good. They can stay in service.
Finally we will check the shock bushings. The shock bushings are located right where the shock bolts into. They are just a rubber bushing. If you can twist the shock and notice a quite a bit of play, they need to be replaced. This strap right here helps protect the shock from over extending if you ever lift the trailer up or go into some hilly areas. Another thing you will want to check for is if you have any broken or bent bolts or cracked mounts. The shock also may have a little bit of dirt or oil film on the bottom of the shock right here. Just because there is a little bit of dirt or oil film doesn’t mean it is leaking. If the shock has clear oil runs running down the tube it needs to be replaced. These shocks look pretty good. They can stay in service.
I have shown you three different suspension parts to check. Making sure these parts aren’t worn and are in good operating condition, will keep your trailer riding smooth down the road.