Sourcing narrow, lightweight or cheap axles

[mirau]

Leon, what type of pipe, do you have a suggestion? I would like to know more, as one of my options is to use some motorcycle wheels (if I don't use the car wheels).

[Leon]

What I used was 2" shedule 40 pipe but I welded 1/2" plate to the end to drop the axle 4". I welded the spindles to the plate. If you make a straight axle you would need something closer to 1 1/2" pipe (whatever has an inside diameter close to 1 1/4") that would allow the stub to go inside and be welded to it.

I'd be real careful with motorcycle wheels as they are not built to take side loads as a motorcycle leans to keep the load inline with the center of the wheel. I had a sidecar rig years ago and with the stock wheels I started popping spokes when going around corners. I had to change to a heavier aluminum wheel that was built to take the side loads. If you did use M/C wheels, you might have to make stubs to fit the bearings in the wheel in which case you could make the stubs fit into almost any size pipe. You could even use a square tube. The thickness would depend on how much weight you would carry. A 3500# axle from Northern uses schedule 40 pipe.

[glassice]

Be careful check set back on new car wheels are deeper than trailers rims and be sure hole for hub are big enough

[mirau]

That is good advice. Fortunately the motorcycle wheels are mag wheels not spoked wheels. At the moment it's looking like a 5 x 4.5 hub on a standard axle is my best best, and using the emergency spares with small tires. I'll keep y'all posted.

[legend lime]

mirau
I ordered a custom torflex axel from dexter axel to fix the frame i built, the axel weight was 71 lbs with 5-41/2 hubs total cost was $196.00 shipped. It has two tabs to weld or bolt debending on the frame meteral (tube vers c-channel) and I really like the axel.

[Blue_Collar_Kuztoms]

Has anyone tried to use an axle out of a salvage yard? Something like the rear axle out of a front-wheeldrive minivan? ...You'd have a solid axle, bearings and a place to mount either leaf or coil springs. I thought about trying it but haven't made it that far yet.

[brian_bp]

Has anyone tried to use an axle out of a salvage yard? Something like the rear axle out of a front-wheeldrive minivan? ...You'd have a solid axle, bearings and a place to mount either leaf or coil springs. I thought about trying it but haven't made it that far yet.

Yes, but if by "solid axle" you are expecting a rigid beam axle, you probably want specifically the one from under a Chrysler. Some GMs have a twist-beam axle, and the rest are generally independent designs. I believe that all will be better made than a typical trailer axle, and will likely have good sealed bearings, but you need to think seriously about how it will mount.

My Toyota Sienna minivan has a 1290 kg (over 2800 lb) axle rating, and that should be typical of these axles. It also has what is probably the simplest independent suspension to mount.

For smaller teardrops, a rear suspension from a front-wheel-drive car might work as well.

One issue... if the trailer is heavy enough to need an axle of this capacity (from the minivans), then it will need brakes, and the van axle will not likely fit electric brake assemblies designed for trailers. That leaves the obvious option of using the stock hydraulic brakes, but that means either a surge brake coupler (which I think would work fine) or an electric-over-hydraulic actuator (expensive).

[Aaron Coffee]

Not sure on the Chrysler minivans, but the front wheel drive Omni/Horizon/Chargers are a semi-independent axles, with the center section that twists. From working on my 86 Charger race car(dirt circle track) The rear spindles unbolt off of the axle with four bolts, a person would weld a piece of plate to the end of a pipe and bolt the spindles to the plate, but you would have to use the chrysler hub.

I hope no one takes offense at the paint scheme.