Broken Spring Hanger

[Loboclone]

My problem is that by Boxing just on end doesn't provide as must support for frame attachment. The gussets increase attachment to frame with more surface area and support. We used High strength steel vs Lippert old steel. keep in mind the failure was tearing away from frame thus this fix.

[charcuterie]

The rear spring hangers broke on my 2019 Whitehawk. It doesn't look like the welds broke but the metal failed. The left side broke and the right side folded in. We are now in a motel waiting for word on the trailer in the morning.

[Wilsonbryk]

Wow by the looks of that you are lucky the entire axle did not come out.
Did this happen on the highway?
What model is your Whitehawk?

[charcuterie]

We have a 2019 Whitehawk 29 FLS. This happened just after we fueled up so we weren't on the road at the time.

[Wilsonbryk]

Good thing as I am sure that would have been ugly!
Hope these repairs will be covered and in a timely manner so you are not stuck in a hotel somewhere!
Would be interested to see what the repairs look like once completed.

[charcuterie]

They are going to overnight the brackets but we may not be ready to go till Friday as it looks right now. It sounds like Jayco is aware of this as many others are having the same problem.

[Wilsonbryk]

I would hope you don't end up with the same brackets but if you do I would suggest adding support like others have to strengthen that area.
As I did not have the time to do that with ours yet I just added the Moryde cross bracing as I got it on sale for a really good price.
It essentially helps stop either side from bending by joining them together with an adjustable brace.
Good luck and let us know how you make out. I hope your not stuck there too long!

[cyclone2009]

I recently noticed my spring hanger broken. Called Lippert and they sent out a mobile tech that was in the area. Technician was outstanding. The reinforcement he performed was approved by Lippert Engineers. He replaced the broken hanger and added additional bracing for the six hangers. All six tires replaced due to hanger mishap. Sent in invoice to lippert to hopefully get reimbursement.

Tech added a "V" piece of metal in between the hangers. Welded to the frame and welding a bead inside attaching it to the hanger. Only two welds inside the hanger opposite of each other to allow for flex.

[Turtle Tim]

Originally Posted by cyclone2009

I recently noticed my spring hanger broken. Called Lippert and they sent out a mobile tech that was in the area. Technician was outstanding. The reinforcement he performed was approved by Lippert Engineers. He replaced the broken hanger and added additional bracing for the six hangers. All six tires replaced due to hanger mishap. Sent in invoice to lippert to hopefully get reimbursement.

Tech added a "V" piece of metal in between the hangers. Welded to the frame and welding a bead inside attaching it to the hanger. Only two welds inside the hanger opposite of each other to allow for flex.

Attachment 58763

Attachment 58764

Was yours still under warranty?
I had reinforcement welded on mine too, similar to yours but not angled. The fabricator said what he did would allow for some flex but enough support to keep it from breaking again.
If it is built too rigid, it would transferr all the stress to the frame and could cause even more major issues down the road.

[Marcm157]

Just added this to my to do list. I haven't used my welder in a while so this is a nice project to tackle...

[cyclone2009]

The unit was under warranty. I use to only glance at the hangers during pre-trip inspection now I will be inspecting at every stop with an inspection mirror and flashlight.

[Wilsonbryk]

Seeing this post only serves to remind me why we traded our 355W. After seeing the issues you have had along with others including some ourselves was the biggest reason. From suspension, tires & brakes to issues with slides and levelling systems made our decision easier. In some ways sad to do it but wanted to trade before we had to sink too many dollars into repairs that in mind mind should not be coming up for several years and not 4!

This was our third Jayco (now on #4) and I could foresee many problems on the horizon due to our rigs weight. Many systems were not designed for the task of supporting that weight. Brakes for example should not have been electric as stopping distance was always poor even when brakes we adjusted as tight as possible. Landing gear should have been hydraulic again due to the rigs weight. Many issues with poor levelling and collapsed front landing gear which is a scary situation and should never happen. Schwintek slide was fine for the bedroom but not for slides with large couch or fridge. Again too much weight. We also had roof issues that were covered under warranty at the time however I did notice that the same sagging issue was beginning in the rear garage area and that was the final straw.

We did have lots of good times and memories with our rig as we did like the layout but sadly this was not one of Jayco’s better models. We did away with the toy hauler and shaved off 4 feet and 4000 lbs or so by moving to a 30.5 MLOK. Stuck with Jayco for the added year of warranty as every manufacturer certainly have their issues. In the end just wish it was engineered better.

Hopefully you don’t have further issues beyond what you have experienced here and I for one certainly don’t think this is an area that any owner should have to be worried about while on the road. I don’t worry that a spring on my truck is going to fall out while I’m driving that’s for sure!

Good luck going forward!
Cheers.

[P25ct]

My 2016 is clearly out of warranty, however I was considering calling Lippert to ask if they could recommend a mobile repair suspension welder near my home here in CT and see if I could have the hangers reinforced.

Do you guys believe that the MorRyde X Factor stiffener bars that go hanger to hanger across the width of the unit would add lateral stability to the hangers bending left to right (perpendicular to direction of travel lengthwise) when backing and putting side loads on them? I’m thinking these are not compression breaks from vertical forces from the suspension rather sideload fractures.

[Turtle Tim]

Originally Posted by P25ct

My 2016 is clearly out of warranty, however I was considering calling Lippert to ask if they could recommend a mobile repair suspension welder near my home here in CT and see if I could have the hangers reinforced.

Do you guys believe that the MorRyde X Factor stiffener bars that go hanger to hanger across the width of the unit would add lateral stability to the hangers bending left to right (perpendicular to direction of travel lengthwise) when backing and putting side loads on them? I’m thinking these are not compression breaks from vertical forces from the suspension rather sideload fractures.

I agree that it's the side load that is stressing the hangers right where they are welded to the frame.
Mine broke while going down the road, but I think the damage came from tight turns and the bumpy California roads was just the straw that broke the camel's back. I just had mine boxed in (welded support) since I was 1k miles from home. I would have used the X Factors if I was doing it at home, I'm sure they will help with side load forces.

[Wilsonbryk]

Yes I agreed that it’s the side loading that’s the issue. Whenever you need to get into tight places and as such make a tight turn the hangers flex and eventually break off during routine travel. I once was backing into a spot with a bit of a hill. I needed to look under the rear of the trailer when part way through that turn for underside clearance and in doing so I noticed the hangers were bending due to the twisting action of the tires & axles. It was after that I decided to add the Morryde supports. I never had a hanger break but was always conscious of trying to avoid sharp turns because of the side loading I observed. I would say they are a good investment to help with this issue for sure.

[AZMarine]

Has anyone had this issue with the Octaine's? I have a 2018 T30-F we picked up a few months ago. So since used, will not have warranty from Jayco. I see the 5th wheels listed so not sure if it is a 5th wheel issue or a general issue & something I need to proactively address before an issue on the road. I do have the Moryde suspension so if this does affect my model thinking of the Moryde cross bracing as a solution, thoughts?

[Turtle Tim]

Originally Posted by AZMarine

Has anyone had this issue with the Octaine's? I have a 2018 T30-F we picked up a few months ago. So since used, will not have warranty from Jayco. I see the 5th wheels listed so not sure if it is a 5th wheel issue or a general issue & something I need to proactively address before an issue on the road. I do have the Moryde suspension so if this does affect my model thinking of the Moryde cross bracing as a solution, thoughts?

5'ers probably have the issue more than BP's due to much more wieght. But I would say there is risk with any trailer, especially toyhaulers because they are heavier than TT's.

[P25ct]

It’s really the triple axle. When you pivot a tandem, the two will easily counter rotate, when you pivot the triple, they will more so drag and put ALOT of perpendicular force on the suspension. Especially the rear axle.

[Turtle Tim]

Originally Posted by P25ct

It’s really the triple axle. When you pivot a tandem, the two will easily counter rotate, when you pivot the triple, they will more so drag and put ALOT of perpendicular force on the suspension. Especially the rear axle.

Actually, mine is a tandem axle as was at least 1 other on this thread. I also had a friend with a tandem axle Fusion 5'er that had the same problem. It was the rear hanger as you mentioned.

[P25ct]

Originally Posted by Turtle Tim

Actually, mine is a tandem axle as was at least 1 other on this thread. I also had a friend with a tandem axle Fusion 5'er that had the same problem. It was the rear hanger as you mentioned.

That’s interesting. I guess the rear carriage still experiences a lot of drag. I may for giggles put the GoPro under the rig pointed at the rear hangar and tire and see what a pivot looks like. Gravel is most forgiving, dirt and grass next and last is the pavement.

I actually considered taking the rig to Indiana and having Moryde put the independent system on it with the disc brakes, I’m gonna have perf braking do the discs, XFactor and full wet bolt kit.

Anyone see the Any other device other than the CRE3000 as being a worthwhile upgrade? Lippert makes an airbag kit which looks and sounds great except if a bag goes. The SRE4000 comes with the X Factor braces for those hangers they attach to. It gives 4-5” of travel which is nice. It also comes with the wet bolt and shackle kit as well if optioned. So the SRE4000 kit with options, plus two additional X Factor braces for the forward and aft hangers and you’ve got yourself a pretty nice upgrade. Add to that disc brakes and I think you’ve got a pretty solid undercarriage. I’ve already got the H rated Goodyear’s on 17s installed. Back in 2016 they were putting on Chinese bombs.

I’m also upgrading the leveling system. Yes folks I’ve been battling the Lippert Ground Control since my first Seismic in 2013. I’m going to post a full thread with all the upgrades.