How should I mount a Dexter axle?

[Krusty]

Here's the documentation on the axle:
http://dexteraxle.com/i/u/6149609/f/600 ... 00_Lbs.pdf

Page 8 has the bracket dimensions

Here's the harbor freight folding trailer manual:
http://manuals.harborfreight.com/manual ... /90154.pdf

Page 8 has an image that best shows the current suspension.

The harbor freight trailer has an inverted U shaped channel for mounting the springs. Because of this, the area where I'd be mounting the new axle (once I actually order it) has no bottom surface to bolt to without some kind of modification. The Dexter manual says that it has brackets for side mounting but I am having trouble visualizing any possible way that doesn't involve welding a new bottom onto the trailer frame, or cutting out a notch in order to mount the axle inside that inverted U channel.

Any advice? I'm sure someone here has done this and already knows exactly how to order the axle and what needs to be done to the trailer.

[Krusty]

Hmm...I think I may have found the remainder of my answer here:

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=54644

Looks like the easiest way to mount onto the HF trailer would be to notch the already existing U channel to run the axle through.

[Nobody]

I'm a little puzzled by your dilemma. Do you intend to use the trailer as a 'folding' trailer, or will you dispense with the hinge arrangement & utilize it only as a chassis for your TD. If you don't intend to utilize the 'folding' feature you can dispense with the entire factory axle/suspension mechanism. The spring mounting bracket/"U" channel things are 2 separate assemblies that merely bolt to the 'C' channel side rails in front the hinge. If you dispense with them & use the side mounting kit that Dexter sells with their torsion axles you can bolt the mounting kit to the bottom of your side rails & then bolt the torsion axle to the mounting kit at whatever location you choose for best balance of your TD. If you use the 1720# HF trailer instead of the 1195#, & want to use the torsion type axle you can use the middle cross members that are bolted together to join the 2 halves of the chassis, inside the side rails to strengthen the trailer longitudinally (not sure if the cross members of the 1195# chassis can be used similarly as I don't know what the channel dimensions are??). I don't believe you'll need to 'notch' the 'U' channel spring 'hangers' as you probably won't even be using them anyway, unless you're using the 'folding' mechanism, & in that case why would you need the Dexter axle?

This is a pic of my HF 1720# (1800??) chassis before I mounted the factory axle/springs (but after I used the 2 cross members as 'stiffeners' to increase the strength of the side rails)


Same trailer with the factory axle/springs (moved toward rear for better balance) bolted on

[Krusty]

The U channel that is used for mounting the leaf springs is welded to the bracket that is used to basically hold the two trailer halves together. If I removed that section entirely then the trailer would flop around with two hinged halves. Regardless of whether I plan to fold the trailer later or not, I think I ultimately need that piece to remain installed. I could, however, just notch that U channel enough to mount the new axle in it. As long as I bolted the axle onto the sides of the U channel I could continue to fold the trailer if desired. If I mounted directly through all those layers and into the frame, however, I would need to remove the axle entirely if I wanted to fold it.