# Anyone Put Larger Equalizer On The Tt



## NAturedog2 (Jan 29, 2007)

Anyone heard or done them selfs. I went a trailer shop (one that doesn't sell campers) and asked the guy about raising the trailer, Axle flip and what not. He said I also could put a larger equalizer on to gain an little bit of clearance. Anyone heard of this and what are the pros and cons?

Russ


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

The hitch? I'm drawing a blank how he's going to raise the trailer by changing the hitch.

Maybe - if you don't have big enough tension bars to distribute the weight on the TV properly... then you could maybe get the tongue up a bit with better weight distribution... but raising the trailer overall I can't see.


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## NAturedog2 (Jan 29, 2007)

BoaterDan said:


> The hitch? I'm drawing a blank how he's going to raise the trailer by changing the hitch.
> 
> Maybe - if you don't have big enough tension bars to distribute the weight on the TV properly... then you could maybe get the tongue up a bit with better weight distribution... but raising the trailer overall I can't see.


Not Talking about the hitch. The piece of metal that rocks back and forth between the two axles attached to the springs. Looks like a triangle shaped piece.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

I'm not an expert, but as far as I know and can reason, the Equalizer hitch will do nothing to raise the trailer or gain you any more clearance in the wheel openings. What all WD hitches do, though, is develop torque in the bars by leveraging the bars against the the trailer frame and, as a result, transfers that angular torque (through the hitch head and your hitch receiver) to the TV frame. In so doing, it uses that angular torque as leverage to distribute some of the tongue weight from the rear axles of the TV to the front axles, through the TV frame, to level out the TV.

Maybe someone else can explain this a little better than my "engineer speak."

Just my $.02.

Mike


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

A quick look at the Dexter Axle Online catalog shows that a 2" and 4" height spring equalizer is available. This will raise your ground clearance some but not the full two inch difference due to angles involved. May also need to replace the shackles, too. A call to Dexter or Al Ko maybe a good move before proceeding to make sure you get the desired results.

Map Guy


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## cookie9933 (Feb 26, 2005)

Here's a link that shows the suspension equalizer used on Outbacks: http://www.etrailer.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?S...ategory_Code=Eq

Believe this is the tallest one available.

Bill


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## beachbum (Nov 27, 2006)

That makes sense to me. Once you change out the suspension equalizer, do you think you will get enough clearance for 15"tires and wheels? I would like to make the tire and wheel switch, but don't have enough clearance on the slide side. this mod might give the needed inch or two. Please post your results. Thanks
david


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## Rubrhammer (Nov 27, 2006)

Here is what I would do. find a trailer that has the taller equalizer and measure how long the spring mounts are at the outer ends of the springs. If they are taller than the ones you have I would say that you would probably need to make a change there also and that wouldn't be a backyard project unless you have a welder and are proficient with it. If you only chenge the equalizer your height gain will only be about half the difference in height of the equalizers.
Now that I think about it my trailer has the 4" equalizer. I just went out and measured the distance from the frame to the center of the spring mounting bolt is 3". This is at the outer ends of the springs.
What you may find is that the 4" equalizers may use longer shackles. Mine are 2-1/4 " center to center.
hope this helps you.
Bob


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## Scott and Jamie (Aug 27, 2006)

As far as I could find from talking to Dexter Axels was that the 4" eaqualizer is the largest they make for the axle setup that most of the outbacks use. Most likely you have the 4" equalizer and wouldn't beable to go any bigger.


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

A bigger equalizer or longer actually would push your axles apart and push the front one more toward the front and the rear one to the back leaving a bigger gap in the middle, think about it...may not be what you want to do.


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## NAturedog2 (Jan 29, 2007)

battalionchief3 said:


> That makes sense to me. Once you change out the suspension equalizer, do you think you will get enough clearance for 15"tires and wheels? I would like to make the tire and wheel switch, but don't have enough clearance on the slide side. this mod might give the needed inch or two. Please post your results. Thanks
> david


I think it would be enough. Alls I need is 1" at most I puthte 15" tires on and there is about 1" of clearance already , Think it will rub when I hit a bump though so I want to do something to give me an inch. The four inch axle flip is way more than I need but may be the best option still researching this though I will let you know what I come up with and how it works.

Russ


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## beachbum (Nov 27, 2006)

Rubrhammer said:


> Here is what I would do. find a trailer that has the taller equalizer and measure how long the spring mounts are at the outer ends of the springs. If they are taller than the ones you have I would say that you would probably need to make a change there also and that wouldn't be a backyard project unless you have a welder and are proficient with it. If you only chenge the equalizer your height gain will only be about half the difference in height of the equalizers.
> Now that I think about it my trailer has the 4" equalizer. I just went out and measured the distance from the frame to the center of the spring mounting bolt is 3". This is at the outer ends of the springs.
> What you may find is that the 4" equalizers may use longer shackles. Mine are 2-1/4 " center to center.
> hope this helps you.
> Bob


So if you put a 4" suspension equalizer in place of stock 2", do you gain 1" of clearance between tire and trailer?
david








or is stock 4" and that is as big as you can get with major modification?
david


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## Rubrhammer (Nov 27, 2006)

battalionchief3 said:


> A bigger equalizer or longer actually would push your axles apart and push the front one more toward the front and the rear one to the back leaving a bigger gap in the middle, think about it...may not be what you want to do.


The 4" dimension is the height of the equalizer from its mounting hole to the centerline of the shackle mounting holes. I believe the center to center distance (shackle mounts) is the same on the 2" and 4" equalizer. I say this because the 2" kit on the dexter site is for axle spacing of 33". My spacing with the 4" equalizer is 33" also. 
K71-359-00 Heavy Duty Suspension Kit For 1-3/4" wide, double eye springs - tandem axles (A/P 271). 33" axle spacing.
K71-448-00 Heavy Duty Suspension Kit For 1-3/4" wide, double eye springs - tandem axles with 4" high equalizer. (This doesn't specify Ctr to Ctr distance but this is what I used and it works.)
http://dexteraxle.com/heavy_duty_suspension_kits 
David, to get an idea about the amount of drop you would, get take a stick or board the same length as your spring"s center to center lenght, not the arched length. Lay it on a flat surface (floor) and raise one end 2 inches. Measure the distance from the floor to the board at the board's center. This is how much your axle would move by putting in a 2" taller equalizer. Because the axle is located in the center of the spring it would move the same amount as the example above. Forget about the fact that the spring has an arch in it. It has no effect on the situation.
Hope this clears up any questions. 
Bob

?? Would droping the bracket that the far side of the springs attach to bring the wheels closer? Had anybody done this here??

It would , but the amount would be soooooo small that you wouldn't be adversely affected by it. Think of it this way; the minute hand on your clock is pointed at 3,when it points at 4 how much closer is the tip of the pointer to the 9 than it was at the 3? If you dropped the outer end and added the same amount of drop in the equalizer there would be no change in Ctr to Ctr distance. 
Bob


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## Scott and Jamie (Aug 27, 2006)

You would gain 1/2" if you dropped all outer hangers 1". If you got a larger equalizer, assuming you had a 2" and went to a 4", then you would gain another 1" and a total of 1 1/2". With the amount of time and and cost involved installing longer outer hangers and if you can go to a bigger equalizer...I would say a axel flip would be a much better solution. The best thing I could have done to my TT was the flip. Now I can go to one of my favorite back woods dry campsite that I use to go with my 18' SOB (it sat low and draged..) and backing in the 27 with the axel flip clears no problem







total cost $75 bucks for the axel flip + $240 for Ez-flex + my time....Priceless


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