by Lucky J » Wed Feb 21, 2018 3:26 pm
Personal experience with torflex /flexride type axle.
I like the simplicity of it. Hardly no moving suspension parts.
But, unless you load them at the spring rate that they are tune to, they will be way too stif. I have purchase a flexiride axle for my utility / off road trailer about 8 years ago with 3500 pbs capacity. I went 3500, cause I wanted the biggeer axle / bearing and a bit of the load capacity. What I also like about flexiride are the independante parts. Shaft and arms are seperated piece that can be easily change even in the field. I actualy carrie a complete set of trailing arm with hub pre mounted wth full bearing.
With the Nucamp T@G outback tear drop we got last june, came a torflex 2200 pds axle. Trailer is about 1200 pnd loaded. Again, to stiff, but 2200 pds is the minimum I would go for bearing, axle size. Every thing is bouncing in the trailer. And on top of that, the system I have can not be fixe in the field, no removable component, complet assembly need to be swap.
An other draw back to those system, and that was mentioned to me by one of the tech guy at the trailer parts store, is that when flexiride is heavely used washboard dirt road at capacity, the rubber spring insert tend to warm and can get hot enough to jump a notch, making the suspension useless and it can not be fixe in the field. Maybe the arms could be rotated for a temporary fix. But this can not be done with the torflex with also broke down, this was mention by a couple of traveler that were stuck out west until they got a replacement system. They were using a regular T@B on the road.
In my case, I am looking to fab an air suspension on the T@G, but I am looking for a long travel leaf spring for an other project. Leaf would be coming from a 4.5" YJ spring.
Luc Levesque
TD : 2017 Silver T@G Max Outback with upgrade project
TV 1 2005 Unlimited 2005 TJL
TV2 2005 Nissan X-Trail