Does anyone have Oxy/Ace..........Oxy/??????....Oxy/Propane near Chesterifeld????

[zzr1200]

I have a goods/plant trailer with indespension axles one of the stub axle arms is slightly distorted around the stub axle (it appears to have been reversed and twisted a bit, before I purchased it), I want to try and straighten it out.

I reckon the heating and straightening will take about half an hour max (probably more like 10 mins), anyone in the area willing to come over to my place for an hour with their gear, set up a cutting torch/rosebud heat a bit of 40mm x 60mm x 4mm box max (sort of...) and help me straight this axle out...

The axle arm is only every slightly bent/deformed/twisted, which scrubs the tyres out on one edge, a new axle appears to be best part of £400.00 +VAT. I'd prefer to repair it if possible...

My plan is to remove the mesh frames and turn the trailer over so heating/straightening/alignment is as easy as possible.

Free tea, cake, biscuits,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, beer tokens to cover fuel and gas costs.......offered.

Anyone willing to help me out?

Photos of the axles problem...

 

[Beanwood]

I'm not able to help, but I am interested - won't there be rubber bushes/bearings that will be adversely affected by the heat required to do that job? Quite how you'd get it to bend accurately would be my other concern.

 

[zzr1200]

I'm not able to help, but I am interested - won't there be rubber bushes/bearings that will be adversely affected by the heat required to do that job? Quite how you'd get it to bend accurately would be my other concern.

Yes, there's plastic bushes/rubber suspension squishy bits but by turning the trailer over these can but flooded with running water while heating which should limit any damage, the arm is probably only 4mm material max so a quick heat around the stub axle with a cutting torch/rosebud nozzle should do the job with the help of a 3ft scaffold tube, hopefully....

If not its new axle time...

 

[8ob]

It was bent cold, might be worth trying to portapower it straight while cold.


Bob

 

[zzr1200]

It was bent cold, might be worth trying to portapower it straight while cold.


Bob

I have looked at a cold repair, but there's no way to apply pressure in the right direction....

The rear o/s wheel has be pushed in at the bottom and inwards as though the trailer was forced/reversed up a kerb (possibly while overloaded?) the arm appears straight but the metal on the inside of the arm just in front of the stub axle is slightly wrinkled and the same wrinkling is at the lower back of the stub axle.

The area just by the weld holding the axle to the arm needs to be heated and a forwards/upwards force (possibly a scaffold tube over the stub axle?) is needed just to tweak the stub axle into position, the nut end of the axle only needs to move a couple of mm at most, I did consider partly slotting the arm and rewelding around the axle stub......

I'd prefer to try heating/straightening first, then cut n weld and lastly a new axle....

 

[KemppiFrog]

Take off the hub brake plate etc and fabricate something with a long lever (your scaf pole?) to do it.

 

[zzr1200]

Take off the hub brake plate etc and fabricate something with a long lever (your scaf pole?) to do it.

I've tried that, needs a bit of heat to assist, quick enough to heat area around the stub but not to damage the suspension rubbers.....

Oh and the backplates welded to the stub as well....

 

[stuvy]

Ratchet strap and pull it?

 

[zzr1200]

Ratchet strap and pull it?

I tried a lever chain block on the pole but couldn't get the required angle of dangle on the chain/pole plus the stub axle moves a bit with the flex in the suspension bushes.

Needs a bit of heat to relax/flex the surrounding material and a push on a tube in the correct direction.

Or cut a slot around the back of the stub axle straighten, and then reweld, which I'd prefer not to do if possible.