frame is finaly done with adjustable axle

[Gerdo]

I don't like to say anything negative but there a few things that I don't like. I liked your design better whan the angle iron was that, angle. It would be alot stronger with the angle leg that you cut off. As built there will be a tendency for a few things to happen. As weight is added, either static or dynamic, the slotted flat legs are going to have a tendency to turn into "S"s. Also the slots are going to want to work themselves open as the bolts want to work their way thru. As already stated there is a big possibility that when you hit a bump/hole when towing the whole axle will want to rotate and slide on the slots.

Please seriously consider welding the axle on solid after you find the proper placement.

[Gerdo]

My bad. I didn't notice that the full angle was still there. From one picture to the next, the axle was flipped over. I thought that the angle was cut off.

Something that will help keep the bolts from pulling thru would be a square of plate under the bolt, over the slot. (big square washer). Once you find that "magic spot" you could use a long plate of angle, with one hole, under the bolt that reaches to the axle on both sides. This would help keep it from sliding.

[halfdome, Danny]

Danny,

Sorry, I haven't seen you Blazer so I assumed. My bad, it just looked lighter than that. GM must have been getting liberal with the water and fertilizer! It takes a pretty good sized vehicle to have an unladen curb weight in the 5's and 6's. I just looked at your photo with the aftermarket shocks...they gave you some brakes on that rear axle!

Your trailer is one fine piece of craftsmanship.

Bruce

Thanks Bruce. Danny

[joe43952]

Thanks for all your tips and tricks guys. And thanks for the info on breaks , weight and axle placement Danny. I know what you guys are saying about breaks. I have a 12,000 lb gvw trailer. I tow a 10,000 lb bobcat on it ,and it has marginal breaks. With the empty trailer I never know its back there. But loaded it will make you pucker when you need to stop! I also have a 20,000 lb GVW duel tandem trailer that has great breaks. It weighs 5,000 lb , and even empty you are glad they are there.

Thanks for the advice Arne, next time I'll do just that. But you got to remember that I'm a green horn at this and I tend to over think things. I am going to cut some 1/4” thick flat stock and make washers for the slotted bolts. I just didn't get to it before I took the pictures. I intend to weld them to the angles after the axle is in its proper place.

I will probably put breaks on next year, just to make it more marketable. Also if I decide that a smaller tow vehicle is in order when the fuel prices begin to soar again.

Thanks again for all your input
Joe

[brian_bp]

Tell me, do I have to buy another axle or can I retrofit this one for my brakes? The big flatbed trailers I have are all axle and spring type with a plate welded on the axle for the brake assembly...

That plate is the brake mounting flange. The flange is optional on small trailer axles, and very few trailer manufacturers pay the few extra dollars for the flanges unless they are putting in the whole brake system. If they did, then hubs can be swapped and components added as mentioned earlier.

Since the flanges cannot be added to the arms of a Torflex after it is built, and everything but the hub and brakes of a Torflex must be replaced together (once assembled, the rubber bits don't come out again), the only way to retrofit brakes to a Torflex (and most other rubber torsion suspensions) without the brake flanges is to buy an entirely new axle.

[joe43952]

Thanks for the info brian. I checked with the dealer that I purchased the axle from, and he told me the same thing. Oh well, guess this one will never see brakes.