Bent Axle on newer Harbor Freight Trailer?

[Brumasterm01]

Has else experienced a bent HF axle out the box?

I ask this because I recently built a my little square drop on a 1720 HF trailer. I then took it for a 2000 mile trip to Idaho and noticed that one of my tires was starting to show excessive wear. I haven't hit any noticeable bumps or curbs and haven't yet taken it off road. Just 3 trips all highway. Maybe 2,100 miles total.

The total weight of the fully loaded trailer(w/solar panels, AC, refrigerator, 3 LIFEPO4 batteries, inverter, microwave, TV and satellite dish) only weighs 1105 lb. with 155 pounds on the tongue.

It has the soft ride springs from Compact Camping Concepts and 2"x 2" backbone. Other than that, the trailer is fairly stock. Pulls like a dream. I don't even know its back there.

I checked the distance from the spring perches to the tongue and the hub faces to the tongue with only 1/4" difference between both sides.

I then checked the wheel alignment. That's where it gets interesting. My manual wheel alignment fixture shows that I have 1.28 degrees(1/2"difference) of tow in the front. That seems to be a lot. At least for a car or truck.

Anybody else have this problem out of the box? Most people likely wouldn't notice for several months or years depending on milage. Also, most people would have no need to check camber, caster and toe since there are no adjustments.

Good news is that a new HF axle is $29 shipped. New hub assemblies with bearings installed are only $26. Bad news is that the axle is out of stock.

So, now I wait and contemplate :

Drop $52 new hubs and wait for axle to be back in stock?​

Wait to buy hubs and risk the hubs to be out of stock when the axle are back?​

Drop hundreds on a new upgraded axle and hubs because I'm impatient?​

​

Here are some pictures of my alignment measurement tool.

 

[Pmullen503]

Just for fun you might want to check the run out of your bad tire's rim. If that looks suspect then check the hub for run out.

 

[Brumasterm01]

Just for fun you might want to check the run out of your bad tire's rim. If that looks suspect then check the hub for run out.

Thanks for the reply. How do I check for run out? Just spin it and look for wobble?

I did however check the alignment by numbering the studs on side and lettering the other. I then checked the fixture placed 1&2 studs against fixture on A&B, then 3&4 A&B, then 3&4 against C&D, etc... I always saw about 1/2" difference between the back and front. With the front towed inward. My thought at the time was that if the hub wasn't machined properly, then I would see changes in the measurements as I rotated the hub. Hope that makes sense.

Anyways. I'm certainly no mechanic and appreciate any advice. I just so happened the alignment fixture from a jeep lift a did a year or so ago.

 

[Pmullen503]

Thanks for the reply. How do I check for run out? Just spin it and look for wobble?

I did however check the alignment by numbering the studs on side and lettering the other. I then checked the fixture placed 1&2 studs against fixture on A&B, then 3&4 A&B, then 3&4 against C&D, etc... I always saw about 1/2" difference between the back and front. With the front towed inward. My thought at the time was that if the hub wasn't machined properly, then I would see changes in the measurements as I rotated the hub. Hope that makes sense.

Anyways. I'm certainly no mechanic and appreciate any advice. I just so happened the alignment fixture from a jeep lift a did a year or so ago.

I'm assuming your bearings are properly adjusted and you were checking your tire pressures. Now just checking to rule out a bent rim.

If it's really bad then just spinning the rim and looking at it will do. You just need a fixed reference point. It could be as simple as placing a drill on the ground so the tip of the chuck is almost touching the rim or tire and rotating the wheel while watching the gap.

If the run out is the same on both sides then the last thing to check is if the axle is squarely mounted. Measure the distance between the edge of the hub to a center point near the hitch. If you have a laser, attach it to the rim and measure how far the spot of light is parallel to the hitch.

If the rims are ok, it looks like you may have a bad axle. I doubt they intentionally built in toe in because there's no way to guarantee which side faces the front. Rotate it 180 degrees and toe in becomes tow out!

 

[Brumasterm01]

I like the laser level idea. I give it a try once I have some time to get it up off the ground again.

I agree with your statement regarding intentional tow. No way to control this unless there is a left or right(which there is not). I will check the axle when I replace it for unintended camber by setting the axle on it's side atop jack stands and measuring the alignment again. It seems to reason that if axle or spindle is bent it will likely be bent up or down some degree as well.

 

[GTS225-TNT]

Maybe the axle isn't bent.......maybe one of the spindles was welded in out-of-parallel with the axle centerline.

Just a guess, but should be looked at. After all, they are from C.H. Ina and company.

Roger

 

[working on it]

Maybe the axle isn't bent.......maybe one of the spindles was welded in out-of-parallel with the axle centerline.

Just a guess, but should be looked at. After all, they are from C.H. Ina and company.

Roger

I agree with the above, having seen some trailer axles that weren't plumb. If I wwas getting a replacement axle, I'd buy one at a tractor Supply, Northern Tool, or a local trailer parts supplier. That way you could check straightness before you buy.

When I upgraded the axle on my 4x8 trailer, I had Dexter axle build it to my specs (which were initially wrong, but Dexter called me to re-measure, and corrected the error). Sure, it was a bit more expensive than an in-stock axle, but I upgraded a lot, from
a 1000 lb axle, un-braked, to a 3500 lb unit, with brakes and Easy-Lube hubs (to which I added upgraded springs & new hangers, bought at Northern Tool and TSC, locally).

 

[Brumasterm01]

I agree with the above, having seen some trailer axles that weren't plumb. If I wwas getting a replacement axle, I'd buy one at a tractor Supply, Northern Tool, or a local trailer parts supplier. That way you could check straightness before you buy.

When I upgraded the axle on my 4x8 trailer, I had Dexter axle build it to my specs (which were initially wrong, but Dexter called me to re-measure, and corrected the error). Sure, it was a bit more expensive than an in-stock axle, but I upgraded a lot, from
a 1000 lb axle, un-braked, to a 3500 lb unit, with brakes and Easy-Lube hubs (to which I added upgraded springs & new hangers, bought at Northern Tool and TSC, locally).

Your not wrong about getting a new custom built axle. I just wasn't ready for that. At some point, I was planning on upsizing to 15" rims and tires for better clearance. Having just purchased 13" rims and tires, I thought that I would be set for a year or so, while I focused on other aspects of my build. Not to mention giving my wallet a brake.

Also, without a solid plan for exact 15" wheels and tires I don't how what the backspacing and hub face requirements.

Here is may current plan:
- Keep an eye on the HF website for about a week.
- If the $29 HF Axle doesn't show up in stock, then I'll purchase a new Dexter Axle and hubs from R and P Carriages Trailer Sales off eBay. They have a stock axle with #2200 axle for $229(56.5" hub face).

Either way, I will do a post mortem on my current "Bent" Axle/spindle once i pull it off the trailer. I'll check the spindles, look at the runout and report back for posterity.
Thanks everyone.

 

[GTS225-TNT]

I'll add this as food-for-thought. Like a house, the build is only as good and solid as the foundation, and that axle and spring set is part of that foundation. The better you have supporting the rest of the build, the better the build.

Buy once.....cry once.....Roger

 

[Brumasterm01]

My patience with HF and the $29 replacement axle ran out after a week.

So, I ordered a new Ebay 2000lb axle w/hubs from R&P Carriages. No problems with the fit, but I was a little annoyed that the posting advertised a "USA Made Axles From Dexter Axle". Instead, I received a Lippert axle with a Chinese hubs. Well, at least the hubs were cast in China. Who knows maybe they were machined in the US.

I would have bought Lippert axle anyway had I known. Lippert is a reputable manufacturer. Definitely wasn't worth the hassle of haggling with the seller over a $200 axle that I've already installed. I had heard good things about R&P Carriages. I just won't buy or recommend buying from them again.

I also performed a post mortem on the HF axle. With the axle off the trailer I was able to verify that indeed there was 1.25 degrees of tow. Not sure if the axle or spindle were bent/misaligned. Or perhaps some sort of concentricity issue with one hub.

 

[Len-XRD]

Has else experienced a bent HF axle out the box?

I ask this because I recently built a my little square drop on a 1720 HF trailer. I then took it for a 2000 mile trip to Idaho and noticed that one of my tires was starting to show excessive wear. I haven't hit any noticeable bumps or curbs and haven't yet taken it off road. Just 3 trips all highway. Maybe 2,100 miles total.

The total weight of the fully loaded trailer(w/solar panels, AC, refrigerator, 3 LIFEPO4 batteries, inverter, microwave, TV and satellite dish) only weighs 1105 lb. with 155 pounds on the tongue.

It has the soft ride springs from Compact Camping Concepts and 2"x 2" backbone. Other than that, the trailer is fairly stock. Pulls like a dream. I don't even know its back there.

I checked the distance from the spring perches to the tongue and the hub faces to the tongue with only 1/4" difference between both sides.

I then checked the wheel alignment. That's where it gets interesting. My manual wheel alignment fixture shows that I have 1.28 degrees(1/2"difference) of tow in the front. That seems to be a lot. At least for a car or truck.

Anybody else have this problem out of the box? Most people likely wouldn't notice for several months or years depending on milage. Also, most people would have no need to check camber, caster and toe since there are no adjustments.

Good news is that a new HF axle is $29 shipped. New hub assemblies with bearings installed are only $26. Bad news is that the axle is out of stock.

So, now I wait and contemplate :

Drop $52 new hubs and wait for axle to be back in stock?​

Wait to buy hubs and risk the hubs to be out of stock when the axle are back?​

Drop hundreds on a new upgraded axle and hubs because I'm impatient?​

​

Here are some pictures of my alignment measurement tool. View attachment 1943582View attachment 1943583View attachment 1943584View attachment 1943585View attachment 1943586View attachment 1943587View attachment 1943588

I had that problem with my 2014 North trail TT 26 foot. wore both inside and outside of my tandem trailer tires. You might measure from the center of your trailer ball to the center your tire tread front of tire on one side then do the same on the other side. If they are not exactly the same distance you may find the axle was mounted incorrectly not square to your trailer. I wore out a set of four tires before I aligned the wheels (axle) to the trailer ball.