Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I'm restoring a circa 1940's KIT and it has independent torsion axles. One axle is mounted forward of the other. This trailer has one working axle and the other was frozen solid. After much heat and levering with a pry bar, I was able to free the other axle, but it appears to have lost its spring.

Is anyone familar with this style of axle? Does it have rubber dampners like a modern design, or is there a coiled spring inside that rusty tube? In any case, it just squats and is moveable with no resistance. I'm hoping to find out more info on this design and whether or not it is repairable.

Any help would be appreciated.

A picture would help, but.. http://www.teardropparts.com/ Sells origional parts for Vintage Teardrops. They may be able to help you with some technical advice. And if you need a new one, there a good source.

Happy Trails

Len

I have found my answer. The axle is an annealed torsion bar, within an outer axle tube. My guess is that is has broken, therefore losing it's spring quality. I will be replacing it with a solid axle and leaf spring set-up.

I don't have a picture of the original, but if you look at Jerome Guffey's photo album of his tear restoration, you will see the identical set-up.

Morgan

I had a 49 Kit with the same axle set up in it. Mine didn't have a frozen up torsion axle, they were both beat and were mushy. I pulled the axle off it and mounted it to the motorcycle trailer, I did save all the parts however. Now it has a home behind a buddy of mines 40 Ford. It's a great combination. I would make sure that you get a drop axle for it as they were made to sit lower. Does yours have a drop on the front tongue also. Mine was round tube with a couple of inch drop and the tongue just bolted into the frame of the body. Good luck on your restoration. I didn't have any money when I did mine 25 years ago, but I did what I could. It has a good home now though. Doug Hodder

It's the same set-up. Probably a 1947 or later. It had a propane tank, and the brass tag had a '47 mfg. date.