Torsion half axle?

[Cliffmeister2000]

I found this torsion half axle on eBay

http://tinyurl.com/yeyuq8y

At $205.38 a pair (including shipping) this seems reasonable for a 2000lb total capacity axle set up. It would have the advantage of accomodating any frame width I end up with.

What are the drawbacks?

Edit: When looking at regular axles, if advertised as a 5' axle, does that mean it accomodates a 5' frame, or that it is 5' face to face?

[synaps3]

I think 5' axle generally means for a 5' trailer...

[Trackstriper]

Cliff,

Don't mean to sound negative but I can't think of any good reason to use these axles over a standard torsion axle for a conventional teardrop. If you were building a wide trailer and wanted to have a dropped floor between the axles then they might be worth looking at. They have a fairly large mounting footprint, which is good in some ways.

In order to use half-axles like this you'd have to have some structure to pick up the inboard mounts. That would almost surely weigh more than a standard single-beam torsion axle, then you'd have to keep an eye on the alignment, both toe and camber. I don't know if they built camber into the mounts so that you could mount them to a "flat" bottom structure of your frame.

With these axles you have two things that are fixed. The weight rating is for 2000# per pair. That may be a little stiff for a conventional teardrop, it seems like many folks will use an axle in the 1500# range. This depends on how heavy a trailer you will be building. For a torsion axle the best ride will be obtained with the axle rated for the max weight to be placed on it. That weight is in a fairly narrow range with a teardrop trailer, unlike a cargo trailer that is carrying who knows what load at any given time. The second item is that these appear to have about a 20 degree down start angle, which is good in most cases for best ride...it's just not something that can either be adjusted to suit your needs or custom specified as when you order a new axle from a dealer.

Who makes these axles? You can call Paul at R&P Carriages and he would probably fill you in, I've talked with him several times when ordering parts and he has usually been available, very nice folks to deal with. They may be made by a name brand outfit....but maybe not.

If you were to shop around you could probably get your hands on a new custom spec Dexter Torflex axle for the same or less money that would meet your needs. Maybe I don't understand what you are trying to do, but it would seem that you need to settle on a trailer width first, then get an axle that meets your needs and is simpler to work with. See this recent thread for some price discussions.

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=34779&highlight=axle+price

Bruce

[mikeschn]

Robin and Paul have a web site here: http://needatrailer.com/

I'm thinking about going to visit them when I need parts for my next trailer!

Mike...

[Cliffmeister2000]

Thanks, Bruce, I asked for opinions, and didn't take yours as negative at all. I talked to a friend of mine, and his thought was aligning them so the trailer tracked straight would be a nightmare. That was enough to scare me off these.

Shipping is so high, I'll look locally. We have a Century Wheel and Tire in Phoenix, and they carry axles.

Eddie Miller (I saw his new TD tonight) is using a 3500lb axle with a 4" drop, with 2000 lb springs on it. His trailer is just the shell and insulation and he says it tracks like a dream! I'm thinking that drop axle helps a lot!

[john]

I solved the alignment problem by clamping the stubs to a length of 4"x4" as I mounted them.

Unless you intend to have a drop floor, I would avoid using these type of axles, though. The only savings is in shipping which is offset by the extra engineering and metal required.

I used Flexiride axles from UCF America Inc. They are height adjustable which I found attractive as I had a difficult time anticipating my final ride height. They cost $183 total for both and shipping was another $32.

If I were building my trailer frame again I would not have extended the drop floor as far back as I did. This would have made for a much less complex and lighter weight frame as I would have been able to use a straight axle torsion axle setup.



Please be nice...This is the first welding I have ever done.

[Cliffmeister2000]

Please be nice...This is the first welding I have ever done.

Looks like fine welding to me!

Eddie (building his 5th) also said torsion axles have rubber that wears out and so he likes springs. I know virtually everything is debatable, but I am a KISS kind of guy, heavy on the final S.

[Cliffmeister2000]

John, I just read your entire build journal!

I'll bet the entire experience was worth it on that 12,000 mile journey!

[eamarquardt]

A word to the wise: Always use "standard" or name brand components. Should you ever need to replace something that you have "built around", it can be considerably more difficult if the components you originally used did not adhere to some "standard" dimensions and are no longer available. Using name brands or components that are somewhat standardized will minimize the likelyhood of having to make major modifications to fit the replacement gear.

Also when drilling holes, fabricating, etc always try and make the dimensions "standard" (full inch, 1/4 inch, etc) as random distances are harder to measure and duplicate (after all it's easier to remember 1 inch than 15/16ths, at least for me).

Cheers,

Gus

[john]

John, I just read your entire build journal!

I'll bet the entire experience was worth it on that 12,000 mile journey!

I totally enjoyed the build with or without the trip. There is nothing I would trade the trip for. I highly recommend driving a National Park circuit.

[Cliffmeister2000]

A word to the wise: Always use "standard" or name brand components. Should you ever need to replace something that you have "built around", it can be considerably more difficult if the components you originally used did not adhere to some "standard" dimensions and are no longer available. Using name brands or components that are somewhat standardized will minimize the likelyhood of having to make major modifications to fit the replacement gear.

Also when drilling holes, fabricating, etc always try and make the dimensions "standard" (full inch, 1/4 inch, etc) as random distances are harder to measure and duplicate (after all it's easier to remember 1 inch than 15/16ths, at least for me).

Cheers,

Gus

Good advice! Thanks, Gus.