How hard can this be I thought. I was about to find out. My cutting torch made quick work of the old rusty nuts and bolts. The new springs slid right into place. I quickly began bolting… oh boo! The new heavier springs were just a half inch thicker than the old ones which meant the u-bolts which hold the entire assembly to the trailer were a half inch too short. The joke is “but only on one end.” I managed to attach the trailer to the axle well enough to get back to the trailer supply store a half hour from my house. Surely they would have what I needed and I would make high tide with minutes to spare. Not so much… The u-bolts they gave me were the longest made. I just sat down on the trailer and cried for a minute. The manager suggested wrapping some pre-threaded rod around the axle and making my own u-bolts. And that is just what I did. I had gone this far through the day without throwing a tool. Why start now?
I was like a man possessed. The hardware store had just what I needed. I drove the trailer down to the park and lay in the driveway and bent steel like Superman. Old bolts off…new bolts on…nutted… torqued…etc. Ready to roll. Working together Jen and I managed to get Chadwick hauled on the top of the tide. A run through the pressure washer on the way home and under cover by dark. Sometimes it does all click. Sometimes. Thank goodness.
Have a great day. Be well. Do good.