Axel help

[eric wolf]

I am hoping to get some help getting my axel ordered correctly, I have built my TD box and am now working on figuring out the frame and axle.

My Trailer box is 57" outside and 54" inside with the walls over hanging the underside of the floor by 2", I want the undersdie of the walls and the frame at about 12" above the ground, my tow vehicle (Chevy SSR) has a ball heght of 17" so I think will have to ofset the coupler 3" from the top of the frame.

The weight of trailer will be about 1,200 lbs and I was going to use 2 X 2 for the frame side rails.

I do not have wheels yet but i think i would prefer 15" and 5 bolts sooince the selection may be better.

I have Lil Bears Fibergalss fenders that are 11" wide outside and 10" clear inside.
Can someone give me somne advice on what to order for an axel?

Thanks, Eric.[/img]

[Woodbutcher]

Best I can tell you now is to select a wheel and see what the backspacing is. Most people try to use zero back spacing. If you are getting a torsion axle you need to allow at least 1" of clearance from the tire to the body of the teardrop. Assume the tire sticks out past the wheel some. If you buy the tires and wheels before the axle put a straight edge across the tire and measure down to the inside of the wheel. Add your 1 " and then double that to give you the outside width of your axle plates. Hope this makes sense.

[aggie79]

Eric,

Woodbutcher is correct. I'd purchase wheels and tires first. As in most of my build, I did things backwards - ordered my torsion axle, then decided what type of fenders, ordered fenders (from Grant), and then decided my wheel/tire combination. This really "boxed me in a corner" and I ended up having to get custom steel wheels - in other words "expensive" - since a standard wheel offset would not work.

I'm at work and don't have the info handy, but I can look to see what specs I used on my axle. I do know it is a Dexter #9 with a 10-degree up start angle. With my 15" wheels and relatively tall and large tires, I ended up with 12" clearance between the ground and the bottom of the frame rails and sidewalls.

This pictures below show my fenders mocked up in place and a cardboard template I made with two wheel/tire widths. (I ended going with the larger of the two - 15" x 7" wheel.)







Take care,
Tom

[dh]

Yep, get your wheels/tires first. I lost count of how many times I've seen posts to the tune of 'cant fint wheels to fit'. Also, I'd be more concerned about placement of the wheel in that fender. Lets just say you get a skinny wheel and tire combo, and only put 1'' between wheel and wall, it could look like its 'hiding' in the fender.