Torsion axles: Full vs. Half?

[shoeman]

Since we had so much fun with my angle vs. box section frame material question, I figure I might as well ask my next question:
I'm really leaning towards a torsion axle set up. What's good or bad about full versus half axle set ups?
Would full be easier to install "squared up" to the rest of the frame? Half's must be lighter, and are less $.
Any other important details? Or should I scrounge up an old FWD cars rear axle and go with that?
Inquiring minds want to know! (and they wake up in the middle of the night pondering such arcane subjects too).

[madjack]

shoe, I am in the torsion axle camp and prefer the full axle since it acts like a crossmember and make alignment/mounting easier...there is nothing wrong with the stubbies and they are cheaper but require a bit more thought on alignment and some additional framing to mount, so there is not a lot of weight savings....some folks have used a rear axle from a FWD car but I don't think I want to deal with the extra weight and engineering involved to fabricate/mods needed to mount them
madjack

[mikeschn]

What MJ said.

I would use half torsion only if I had a dropped floor or something that gets in the way of a full torsion axle.

Mike...

[shoeman]

Thanks guys. You both verified what I had thought to be the case.
Related question: How do you determine what size (length) axle to get to provide clearance from the trailer body? Wheel offset must be factored in?

[asianflava]

Related question: How do you determine what size (length) axle to get to provide clearance from the trailer body? Wheel offset must be factored in?

I bought the wheels and tires first so that I could measure the exact hub to tire distance. The wheel offset will give you most of the info you need but the tire is wider than the wheel in most cases.

First I put the wheel (with tire mounted) flat on the ground and measures the floor to hub face distance to get the wheel spacing. Found the overall body width, and decided on the tire to body clearance (I used 2in)

Add them up: (Wheel spacing X 2) + (Tire to body distance X 2) + overall outside body width = axle hub to hub width.

I used 2in body to tire clearance but a torsion axle does not have much lateral movement. 1in is probably good enough. For my 5ft wide tear, I used a 74in axle.

[shoeman]

Bingo! That's what I was looking for. So it must pay to have your wheels on hand before you order your axle. Thanks!

[Alphacarina]

So it must pay to have your wheels on hand before you order your axle

Unless you're using the stubby axles . . . . then you can design the width to be anything you want

I would also want the axles with removable arms which can be used to adjust the ride height of the trailer

To answer your original question, with a torsion axle, you want the axle rated as close to your finished trailer weight as you can get it because a trailer which only weighs half what the axle is rated for will have a terrible ride - Conventional springs would be better in that case

Don

[Esteban]

If you will be using a Dexter axle you can call them and they'll do a free "Prospect" for you to customize an axle to your specs. For instance you can choose the down angle to get the ground clearance you want. You can choose the weight capacity of a torsion axle. You can choose the hub to hub distance and the frame width.

[shoeman]

Other than that kind of help, is Dexter better to use than Flexirides?

[asianflava]

So it must pay to have your wheels on hand before you order your axle.

It helps, but not totally necessary. I just wanted to be absolutely positive I had all my measurements before ordering the axle. The space between the rim and sidewall of the tire was the only unknown.

Because my trailer has a "skirt" I had to notch the walls of the trailer to provide clearance for the axle swingarms.

[brian_bp]

I think Madjack and Mike covered the half-versus-full issue well. In addition...

Half's must be lighter...

Not likely. The tiny bit of missing cross-tube is likely to be at least compensated by the extra framing a bracketing to properly locate two half-axles and keep them aligned to each other.

[brian_bp]

I would also want the axles with removable arms which can be used to adjust the ride height of the trailer

That would be the Flexiride product... nice system.

[madjack]

I have used both Dexter and Flexiride...both the same basic axles, rated at 1500#s...the Dexter is possibly, slightly better constructed...just not much difference in them...the Flexiride has adjustable arms so you can set your start angle wherever you wish...however, they are about 100 bucks more expensive to get one on your doorstep...the Flexi is 230 bucks plus around 50 dollars shipping, the Dexter was 170 bucks on my doorstep.......
madjack

[Alphacarina]

If anyone is looking for a set of the Flexiride 1400 pound half axles, I have a brand new pair complete with 5 bolt hubs that I'm not going to be using (since I bought my Little Guy) and I can save you some money . . . . .

Don

[angib]

So it must pay to have your wheels on hand before you order your axle.

But watch out - you can buy car/truck wheels that are unsuitable for use on a trailer with a torsion axle.

Virtually all trailer wheels have zero offset - the mounting flange is in the middle of the wheel - and trailer axles are designed around that. If you buy a wheel with a heavy inset (for example, most Jeeps and most fwd cars), you might get a foul between the wheel rim and part of the axle, as shown here:



Stick with wheels with little offset and you won't have a problem.

Andrew