Axle length dilemma

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Axle length dilemma

Postby JmsCaverly » Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:12 am

Ok guys it's time I get my tear rolling. I'm having some trouble more so indecisiveness on how long my axle needs to be. My trailer frame is 60" wide, the company I'm ordering my parts from has a few lengths I'm going with just a standard leaf spring and round axle set up I have the options of 69", 71", or 72" hub face lengths. I just don't know how much room I should give the tires? I think the one I want will be the 71" that will give me 5 1/2" from the hub face to my exterior wall. What are your opinions?
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Re: Axle length dilemma

Postby KCStudly » Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:41 am

Get your wheels and tires first (make sure the wheels match the hub and bolt pattern of the axle you will use); measure the back spacing including the tire side wall bulge; add at least an inch; double it and add to your widest point on the trailer (i.e. the frame width plus any wood that will be sticking of/past the frame).

If you have to go a little wider to get to one of the standard sizes offered, be mindful of the width of your fenders and how the lip of the fenders may interfere with the tire.

My frame is 64 wide (walls on top), I have big AT tires on wide rims and the widest flat top fenders I could find in aluminum. I think my HF/HF dim is 72 inches which ended up giving me about 1-3/4 inches of sidewall clearance. I like the extra clearance but it means the fenders I bought would need to be spaced out from the trailer side wall a lot, which I do not like, so I will be making my own custom fenders.

I suspect that you will be using much narrower trailer tires and wheels with a lot less back spacing, so 71 HF/HF inches sounds too wide to me.
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