NHTSA Complaint #11078683 — 2017 LARK CARGO TRAILER

FROM THE PICTURE YOU WILL SEE THE SHACKLES OF THE TRAILER. THE SHACKLES HOLD ON THE LEAF SPRINGS WHICH HOLD THE AXLE IN PLACE. NOTICE THAT THE EYELETS ARE OVAL; THEY SHOULD BE CIRCULAR. PER MY MECHANIC, THE GRADE OF STEAL USED FOR THE SHACKLES WAS BELOW GRADE AND NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THE RATED WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER. IN ADDITION IS APPEARS THE BOLTS WERE NOT PROPERTY TORQUE AT THE FACTORING CAUSING EXCESS MOVEMENT. I HAVE TWO LARK TRAILERS. THIS WEAR OF THE SHACKLES HAPPENED ON BOTH TRAILERS. ON MY 2014 LARK TRAILER, THE SHACKLES BROKE CAUSING THE AXLE TO FLY OFF THE TRAILER WHILE IT WAS IN MOTION, DESTROYING THE TRAILER. WHEN WE DETERMINED THE CAUSE, WE REMOVED THE SHACKLES ON MY 2017 LARK TRAILER AND FOUND THOSE TOO WERE ABOUT TO BREAK. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURE BY EMAIL TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE SAFETY ISSUE AS IT HAPPENED ON TWO TRAILERS. THEY WERE HOSTEL AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE EVEN THOUGH I GAVE THEM CLEAR PROOF THAT THE SHACKLES HAD FAILED ON TWO SEPARATE TRAILERS. *TT