mini van axel

[scruffy]

found a dodge mini van axel . is there a easy way to put regular trailer springs on it?

[Chuck Craven]

Well Yes and NO! The original springs are 3” wide. Most trailer springs are 1 ¾ to 2” wide. You can make a spacer out of angle iron. Looks like this, spring is next to the U-bolts and the angle iron is cut down to the thickness of the spring and holes are drilled for the other side of the U-bolts. The problem is there is a hole for the bolt that hold the spring stack together that needs to be oblong, for it to fit close to the U-bolts. That is in the cast-iron drop axel assembly. It can be oblonged with a carbide rasp bit in a drill but it will take a wile to do it.

Chuck

[WarPony]

I think the minivan axles are coil spring suspensions. You can buy spring pads and weld them onto the top of the axle to mount the leaf springs to. I don't think you should have any trouble with the bearings...... have you seen all the crap people pack into those things and travel across the country?

[Chuck Craven]

No Dodge uses leaf spring.
May be the newer vans are coil. But the ones I get from the junkyards are leaf. They are rated for 1500 lbs per spring.
One can take out a leaf and then they are 1000 lbs. The spring hangers are also bolted in to the unabody. That makes grate trailers out of them.
Chuck

[roar]

I got a dodge axel from junk yard they said it come from a minivan the only problem i found is the space between the 2 whell is 50 inch it doesnt give to much space for side mouvement. I had to put the axle up side down so il give me more clearance but the trailer is about 6inch higher.

Roar

[Chuck Craven]

The Dodge minivans from the 70’s up to the 2000 all had leaf springs.
I have not seen any of the new vans in the junkyards so I can’t say if they changed the suspension on the new ones. The standard vans weight is 4500 lbs and is rated for ¼ ton load. The van has 2/3 of the weight on the front axel and 1/3 on the rear axel. If the van is an extended or set up for towing the springs are rated for 2500 lbs each. A spring shop can build springs for this axel for what ever weight you want. The van axes are very poplar for building utility trailers. The longer springs will give a better ride to a trailer with less bounce and you can use the standard shocks.
The spinals bolts to the axel assembly and spacers can be made to extend the wheels out farther. You can also cut the axel tube and make the distance between the wheels any size you want.

Chuck.

[WarPony]

I'm using a rear axle from a Chevy Citation it was a coil spring car and I welded spring perches on top and used leaf springs. There is only about 49"-50" between the tires so I am standing 2x6's on the sides to build a floor over the tires. I'm going to use the space under the floor as storage areas for blankets, clothes, extra beer, blah blah blah.

[Chuck Craven]

I like the Dodge van axels because the junkyard sells them for $100 with springs, hangers and wheels. The extra wheel for a spare is $15 more. But I am not using a van axel for my tear. I bought an axel from the farm and barn place. The axel is rated for 3000 lbs and I am using 1000 lbs springs. It takes the 14” Ford wheels that I already have. The spring hangers will end up with 58” outside to outside of the frame after a little modification to the axel. The axel is set for a 60” frame. 58” gives me a little moor wheel to body space and some working edge for the tin roof work. The van axel is a drop axel and it lowers the trailer more than what I wanted. I wanted the tear to have a higher ground clearance just in case I want to go 4 wheeling in to some rough terrain.
Chuck

[doug hodder]

I think my only concern would be not having it too stiff. You don't want the tear to ride like a pogo stick behind the car. It'll beat itself apart. Just my opinion....Doug Hodder

[Chuck Craven]

Yes that is way I use them for utility trailers! Utility trailers are running ether empty or over loaded. Where a tear is with in a couple hundred pounds from the start of the trip to the end of the trip. Which makes the tear easer to select a suspension for. Utility trailers you have to select the suspension for worst case and put up with some bouncing when empty.

Chuck