So, you ask—why would someone need to fix a Sumo Spring installation? Easy answer: I didn’t follow the instructions. But here’s the thing—I did read them. Thoroughly. Or so I thought, here’s our story …
Watch the video here
It all really started in June of 2022. We were on our way to Estes Park Colorado and I had a campsite booked in Utica so I could show Debi Starved Rock State Park in Illinois, my old stomping ground when I was a Chicago boy. A few miles from the exit I noticed our rig was towing crooked. I was all the way on the line and the rear wheels were just over the line for the shoulder. I reduced our speed and we made it to our exit and got into the campground.
We got out and walked around our rig and this is what we saw!
I crawled underneath and found that our sheer pin that holds the leaf spring stack together had sheered, that’s what a sheer pin does I guess. Our leafs were slid apart like a deck of cards hanging on by the hangars and U-bolts. To make this brief, we got a hold of Bill Martin at Alliance RV and he helped us get through this and his team got us hooked up with a mobile repair service and a claim form for Dexter Axle to reimburse us. We only lost about 5 hours on our trip!This past April (2025), during our annual family RV trip, we were at Holiday Hills RV Park in Coalville, Utah. As we were doing our pre-departure checks, Debi noticed our passenger-side rear wheel wasn’t sitting right. When I came around, I saw the gap between the tires was exaggerated compared to the driver’s side.A quick look underneath confirmed a broken leaf spring—snapped about one shackle from the rear hanger and resting on the frame.
With a bit of panic (and a schedule to keep), we hobbled 100 yards to an open parking area. Thanks to a quick Google search and help from Alliance RV Service (Kevin Caudill), we found Revival Trailer Repair out of Sandy, Utah. Within a couple of hours, a tech was on site, got us road-ready, and pointed out some frame damage from the broken spring rubbing the rail.
I shared our experience in the Alliance RV Owners Facebook group and reached out to Alliance Service. They responded within minutes! The two main responses were carry and extra set of leaf springs or install Sumo Springs.
Based on group suggestions and several YouTube reviews, we decided to upgrade our suspension with Sumo Springs. They promised a smoother ride and better protection. Once home, I placed the order for our 7K Dexter axles on our 2021 Alliance Paradigm 310 RL. Four days later, the springs arrived—even with a backlog notice.
I read the instructions—twice—and assembled the parts. On install day, I lifted the rig with my leveling jacks, installed the first unit, and then… made a rookie mistake.
Instead of setting my torque wrench to 10 ft-lbs, I cranked it to 120 ft-lbs. Yep—inch-pounds, not foot-pounds. 🤦♂️
Realizing the error, I contacted SuperSprings International, who were incredibly helpful. We agreed at least one bracket was squished, so I decided to replace all four (eight sets). Costly, but I felt safer.
Lesson Learned:
- Take your time and double-check your tools.
- Read—and re-read—the instructions.
- Use the right torque setting (inch-pounds ≠ foot-pounds!).
Safe travels, friends! 🛻✨
Some helpful links
Supersprings International (TSS-107-47)
3/8 Inch Drive Click Torque Wrench Set (Tagvit)
Milwaukee Packout Socket Set