Air shocks today and helper springs tomorrow!

[1942cowdodge]

Picking up my shocks today (80 dollars) and a friend of mine is giving me a set of helper springs (free). So now maybe I can get one with trying out the old trailer and Dodge show!!!!

[YukonJack]

I've been keeping up with up with your problem and all the replies. One thing I noticed is that the trailer appears to be level even though the rear of your car is almost sitting on the ground. I think raising the rear of the car is going to raise the front of the trailer making it higher in front and lower in the rear. Maybe you will need a lower mount (dropped) hitch like some Suv's have to keep the car and trailer both level. Just a thought.

[Niel Hoback]

Yukonjack makes a good point. A nose up trailer doesn't want to go straight.

[1942cowdodge]

Hay you got a point there! I can move the hitch a little but I still want to try those spring overloads for free and see what difference they make in the look in the car. But the trailer still weighs over 300 lbs on the hitch and thats to much. Everyone states here that it should be around 200 lbs or maybe I'm not reading my scales right? Well I'm going out to weigh that toung again and see if that 300 number is correct.

[Reg Evans]

Do you have room for one of those trailer anti swerve stabilizer bars. I remember following one down the freeway once and watched it start swerving back and forth until it jack knifed and flipped over. Saw another one swerve wildly but that driver was able to gain control. Not trying to scare you Jon .....just caution you.

[38plymouth]

I have some experience in towing campers and I think you are going to have a problem when you raise the rear of the car to level it. If the rear bumper of the camper isn't touching the ground it will be so close you will drag and slam onto the pavement over bumps. I had it happen on a 32 footer and it wasn't fun, it tore of the rear jacks. If you can't lower the hitch to level everything you may have to lift the camper by flipping the axle. Make sure you set it up right or you could damage your car or hurt yourself. I almost crashed bad due to trailer sway and I'm here to tell you I would never want to experience that in a 42 dodge.

[1942cowdodge]

Well I got the spring helper in and they really helped out with the dip in the back of my old Dodge. I'm just experimenting with this unit to see if I really do need a set of air shocks. I will replace the old shocks as when I was installing the helper springs I took one down and there is no action at all in them. I bet those shocks have be in place since the car was new. So this afternoon I will tighten up the spring helpers a little bit and see if I can get the car with the trailer attached to level out. I did try one thing and that was to have my neighbor lay back behind the axles and see what difference that would make in the tong weight and it did bring it down 60 lbs but still above two hundred. Most people have said that it should be weighing in at the tongue anywhere from 150 to 200 lbs.

[1942cowdodge]

Seems to work perfect! I can adjust it for the trailer and it all lines up perfect and the car only drops about an inch. I can get a little out of that by rearranging some weight in the back of the trailer. It weighs in now at about 240 lbs on the tong and I should be able to get it to 210 or so with ease. The trailer sits just fine and the old Dodge looks good also. I might suggest to anyone who has an old car with leaf springs that these helper spring really help out worn out springs. Got my car up to the right height now even without the trailer. Can adjust these units with a 3/4 socket and ratchet to what ever ride I want in the back.

[Reg Evans]

Sounds good Jon. Let's see a photo with the new helper springs installed.

[1942cowdodge]

Got to wait till it cools down a little outside! Its in the 90's here and us poor Washingtonian die at about 80 degrees.

[moparbenny]

Got to wait till it cools down a little outside! Its in the 90's here and us poor Washingtonian die at about 80 degrees.

know what you mean, brother and i didnt get out there till 1900..