First of many questions from another new guy...Axles

[Glenn Quarles]

Hi friends, my name is Glenn Quarles. I got interested in building a TD a few months ago and am a big fan of this site! I have been going over a ton of information and I think I have a general plan for my build, but I have a bunch of questions.

I have already received my pattern for the Mod from Grant...I am very impressed with the quality! Thanks Grant!

My first questions have to do with ordering the axle:
- I understand the Dexter #9 axle with torsion bar is good?
- Is there a preference for wheel/tire width?
- How much room between the side of the tire and the side of the trailer do I need for the fenders to mount?
- How are the fenders typically mounted...to the side of the body, to the frame or to the axle?
-I think I read something about the "starting angle" that needs to be specified when ordering the axle...can someone explain what I need?

Thanks, I will have lots more questions coming,
Glenn

[Woodbutcher]

Hi Glenn, Welcome to the site. We look forward to following your build. When I built my Teardrop I used a torsion axle. It was important to figure out which tire and wheel I was going to use. I chose 15" tires on a zero backset wheel. I don't know what you are towing with but you may choose wheels that match the TV. My tow vehicle is a lifted Jeep Wrangler so I went with larger tires to set the trailer up a little higher. Because it is a torsion axle the wheel only moves up and down ,no side to side action like a spring axle. So next decide on your fender. Some attach to the body above the wheel so no extra clearance is needed. My fenders went around and attached to the body of the trailer. I believe I have 1 1/2" between the tire and the body. Keep in mind the width of building materials and metal sizes as most do not come larger then 5 feet wide. This helps with cost of materials and fewer seems. Good luck and have fun with your build. You are entering another world. You will understand the first time you take the trailer camping. Instant friends!

[madjack]

My first questions have to do with ordering the axle:
- I understand the Dexter #9 axle with torsion bar is good?
- Is there a preference for wheel/tire width?
- How much room between the side of the tire and the side of the trailer do I need for the fenders to mount?
- How are the fenders typically mounted...to the side of the body, to the frame or to the axle?
-I think I read something about the "starting angle" that needs to be specified when ordering the axle...can someone explain what I need?

Glenn

1)VeryGood...the only one better may be the FLexiRide from SouthWestWheel since it has an adjustable arm for start angle...BUT it is about 100bux higher and the adjustability is really not needed......
2)I prefer a 205x70x15...this tire is 24"s tall, but whatever size you use is really a personal preference........
3)at least 1"...lots of people use the "hand test"...can you push your hand, upto the start of your palm.......
4)to the side of the body is generally better than frame or axle mounting...less vibration...since I use steel fenders and single 3/4ply construction, I use 5/side 1/4" elevator bolts placed from inside out.........
5)once again, a personal preference...an up angle will give you a more low rider look...a down angle will give you more ground clearance for off road use...I use a 0* or flat start angle, along with the 24" tire from above, this gives me an approximate 12"s of ground clearance.......
6)it is your build so build it like you want it and most of all HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!
madjack

[nrody]

I ordered my axle from century wheel & rim Montebello. They just moved to Ontario, California. They are part of www.qtrailer.com. The first axle was the wrong size and they exchanged it no questiones asked. Customer service was top notch. There are lots of ways to measure the size of axle you need so make sure you know what size you need and use the correct measuring technique. Then double check! Best of luck.

[Glenn Quarles]

Thanks guys, this is the exact info I was looking for!

Glenn

[Woodbutcher]

Hey Glenn, Madjack mentioned the Flexride axle. That is what I bought and I do like the ability to change the angle of the torsion arm. It's a great way to level the trailer after its all done and loaded when you finish. Yea ,it's more money. But when I added brakes all I did was undo 1 bolt and remove the entire torsion arms and took it in to the trailer place . Did not have to drag the trailer.

[dh]

Welcome to the board Glen. The first thing I actually purchased for the TD was a set of rims from the junk yard, make sure to get a bolt pattern and center hole that works with the hubs you want. Next, I got some tires for the rims. Any size will work, really its just a matter of the look you are going for. I do like to stay away from odd ball sizes though as trying to find a replacement tire on the road could be a PIA. Now, with tires mounted on rims, you can determine your measurements for your axle. (You do know your trailer width, wall thickness, wall attachment method, etc. right?) If your walls will cover your frame, add your wall thickness (W) multiplied by 2, the distance from the hub seat on the rim to the back sidewall (R) multiplied by 2, your frame width (F), and your desired clearance from tire side wall to trailer wall (C) multiplied by 2, and get your hub face to hub face measurement (H). Or,

2W+2R+2C+F = H

F = bracket spacing

(H-F)/2 = stick out

Now, the fun part, you get to pick a start angle and mounting bracket. These, in conjunction with your tires/rims will determine your ride height. You have three mounting bracket options with the #9, a low profile, high profile, and 3" high profile (which may or may not be listed on the web, but is available). Pick a combo of bracket height and start angle that will give you the height you are looking for, your sales rep will be able to help you with this, and I believe Dexter has a chart for this on the #9 on line spec sheet.

Now just one more decision. Do you want brakes? I'm not advocating either way, but if you want them get them now, it's less than $100 to get them installed at the factory.

[dh]

I almost forgot about your fender question. I'll assume you are talking about metal fenders. You can mount them either way, I prefer to mount them to the trailer frame, however, I like to fabricate a bracket that sticks out from under the trailer both in front of and behind the fender, the fender bolts to the brackets. This gives a rock solid fender, and when the fender takes a hit, it can be easily removed. Look at how they mount fenders on a tandem axle flat bed trailer, thats pretty much how I like to do it.



This pic kinda gives an idea, but I typically use C-channel or square tubing, and mount under the frame.

[Pizzaguy]

I got my axle from Dexter for $130 with shipping. Heres a sketch I got somewhere to fiqure out my measurement of axle length. I used a 2" space between tire & body because I added a 3/4" trim piece for my kit fenders.

[Glenn Quarles]

Welcome to the board Glen. The first thing I actually purchased for the TD was a set of rims from the junk yard, make sure to get a bolt pattern and center hole that works with the hubs you want. Next, I got some tires for the rims. Any size will work, really its just a matter of the look you are going for. I do like to stay away from odd ball sizes though as trying to find a replacement tire on the road could be a PIA. Now, with tires mounted on rims, you can determine your measurements for your axle. (You do know your trailer width, wall thickness, wall attachment method, etc. right?) If your walls will cover your frame, add your wall thickness (W) multiplied by 2, the distance from the hub seat on the rim to the back sidewall (R) multiplied by 2, your frame width (F), and your desired clearance from tire side wall to trailer wall (C) multiplied by 2, and get your hub face to hub face measurement (H). Or,

2W+2R+2C+F = H

F = bracket spacing

(H-F)/2 = stick out

Now, the fun part, you get to pick a start angle and mounting bracket. These, in conjunction with your tires/rims will determine your ride height. You have three mounting bracket options with the #9, a low profile, high profile, and 3" high profile (which may or may not be listed on the web, but is available). Pick a combo of bracket height and start angle that will give you the height you are looking for, your sales rep will be able to help you with this, and I believe Dexter has a chart for this on the #9 on line spec sheet.

Now just one more decision. Do you want brakes? I'm not advocating either way, but if you want them get them now, it's less than $100 to get them installed at the factory.

Thanks DH! Yeah that is the plan in my head. I am looking for the right wheels/tires right now so I can get the measurements you mention to order the axle. My plan is to use Grant's fiberglass fenders and I'm not sure how thick the mounting flange is and how much room to leave between the body and tire.

New question...does the axle normally mount so the torsion arm is outside the body walls or under it? How much room above it is required for suspension travel? Same question for the Flexiride axle.

Thanks!
GQ

[aggie79]

Hi Glenn,

On my build, I used a #9 Dexter axle (10-degree up start angle), Grant's fenders, 15"x7" wheels (4-1/2" backspace) and 225/75R-15 tires. I wanted the teardrop to be low to the ground - the clearance from the ground to the bottom of the frame is 12" - and for the tires to visually fill the wheelwells.



The fenders are mounted 3" above the top of the tire. The internal mounting flange of the fender is just shy of 1/4" thick. The lip around the wheelwell opening is about 3/4" wide. With this combination, I have about 3/4" clearance between the widest part of the tire and the sidewall, and about 3/4" between the widest part of the tire and the inside fender lip.

I used stainless steel carriage bolts through the sidewall to fasten the fenders.



Here is something to think about. As you can see in the picture, my sidewalls extend over the frame. I had to "notch" the sidewall for clearance for the torsion arms. I believe the torsion arms will rotate up to about 3" in suspension travel. On my teardrop, the weight of the teardrop alone, rotated the torsion arms about 1".

Hope this helps. I know my head was spinning when I was trying to figure out my axle specs.

Take care, Tom

[Glenn Quarles]

Thanks Tom! Great pictures! You guys are giving me the exact stuff I was looking for.

You need to bring your TD down to beautiful Lake Amistad and we'll do some fishing.

I'm sure I will be talking to you later,
Glenn

[dh]

Glen, Sorry for the late reply. The #9 axle requires 3" of vertical movement. I have the same isue as aggie, just less dramatic as I have a downward start angle, so I'll just have to trim a hair off the wall. Also, Dexter can de-rate the axle for you, the closer you are to maxing out the load rating of the rubber the better it rides.

[Glenn Quarles]

Glen, Sorry for the late reply. The #9 axle requires 3" of vertical movement. I have the same isue as aggie, just less dramatic as I have a downward start angle, so I'll just have to trim a hair off the wall. Also, Dexter can de-rate the axle for you, the closer you are to maxing out the load rating of the rubber the better it rides.

Thanks! Any idea what a reasonable weight estimate is for a 5 x 10 Modernaire/Modernistic/Cub? 1200 lbs close for an axle order?

Glenn

[dh]

Depends on how its built and how you pack.