Re: Leaf spring band-aid?
Re: Leaf spring band-aid?
The block of wood trick don't always work, it often just slips and rubs the tire or something.
You could remove both wheels on that axle and try to make the trip on one axle if the other axle will hold the weight.
I was driving out of upper NY state all the way to southern NJ with a two week flatbed tandem trailer two years ago when the front left spring broke free of the axle and front spring hanger. The whole spring was gone and no where to be seen on a major highway at 2AM, with a trailer loaded with tractors and parts. I was 100 miles from home. I pulled over as far as I could off the highway, far enough so I wouldn't be a road hazard, I took out my bag of 2" tie down ratchet straps and pulled the axle back into position. I put one strap on from the front, and another from the rear both pulling against one another to keep the axle centered. I then drove to the next exit as slowly as traffic would allow and proceeded to come up with a better rig to make it home. I ended up taking a chunk of 6x6 lumber or railroad tie and strapping it in place above the spring and axle, ratchet tying it to both the axle and frame using the deck boards to hold it from moving. I got took lesser roads home at much slower speeds. There was no other option, a tow truck would have cost thousands to move that load and I'd have lost most of it to theft if I left it.
There was no way that axle or anything else could fall off, and the worst case scenario was that it slid back out of alignment and contacted the rear tire again.
It made the whole ride home and never moved. I took the trailer back to the dealer, they replaced both springs on that axle and both tires since they got scuffed up pretty bad when the spring snapped. The trailer was far from overloaded, in fact, it had less than 1/4 of it's capacity on it when the spring broke. It's been fine since.
If I had to have it towed, no doubt the trailer manufacturer would be on the hook for the tow, but I'd be out the value of anything that got taken while it sat. The tow would have no doubt exceeded the value of the trailer as it would have needed to be put on a low boy and pulled with a tractor trailer due to it's length and height.
A broken spring isn't like a bad wheel bearing, the wheel isn't likely to fall off, but you can tear up tires or due other damage is its allowed to move around. Driving without suspension also is hard on the boat and trailer, which is what you are doing by putting wood in there and securing the axle to it.
If your not used to towing things or rigging damaged vehicles for moving, you may be better off just borrowing another trailer to make it to the water, then get that one looked at and fixed. Usually on a boat trailer, if one spring lets loose like that, the others aren't far behind. Since all you have to strap to is a single frame rail on a boat trailer, any spacer you add is likely to slip and contact the tire.
