Check the hitch height before blaming the springs
A tow vehicle that squats at the back with a boat on is often assumed to have tired rear springs. Sometimes it does. Often the first thing worth checking costs nothing: whether the trailer is sitting level.
A trailer is designed to ride roughly level when hitched. If the hitch ball sits too low for that trailer, the trailer tips nose-down and pushes extra weight onto the back of the vehicle. If it sits too high, the trailer tips the other way and takes weight off the front axle, which lightens the steering.
Either one can feel like a suspension fault: the rear sags, the front feels floaty, the headlights point wrong, and the steering wanders on a curve.
Park on level ground, hitched and loaded. Look at the trailer from the side. It should sit close to level.
If it tips noticeably, the hitch height is the first thing to correct, usually with a different drop or rise on the ball mount.
If it sits level and the vehicle still sags hard, or bottoms out over dips, the suspension is worth an inspection.
What the inspection looks at
Springs and shocks at the rear, bushings and ball joints at the front, and whether the vehicle's payload is being exceeded once the boat, the gear and the passengers are all aboard. The national suspension repair page covers the clunks, pulls and wander that point to worn parts.
Worn suspension wears tires and moves the alignment, and a vehicle working hard at the back leans on its brakes too. Both are here.
Other stores nearby
Springfield and Washington also offer suspension repair in Missouri.
About this store
The Osage Beach store runs thirteen services and is managed by Brett Turner.
See the national suspension repair page for all 34 locations.