I've seen a trailer that seems to have had the axles lengthened. Safe?

[rcx132]

There's a trailer with rubber torsion suspension I was looking at today. But it looks like the axles have had their track width increased. Someone has cut the axle bar in the middle and used a sleeve to extend the width of the axles to suit the wider track of this particular trailer.

Is this safe?

How far into the axle does the rubber extend? Does it go all the way through or just a short length at each end?

 

[KemppiFrog]

Can't see extending the width by a bit in the middle being a structural prob, as the suspension is in the outer 30/40cm for a small trailer.
Question is, why was it done?
If just extending the width for two bikes, but within the axle limits, fine.

 

[rcx132]

Question is, why was it done?

My immediate guess was that the axles came from a different donor trailer and needed width adjusted to fit.

 

[rtbcomp]

Confused.

Are they Indespension-type units and do you mean each individual axle unit has been lengthened by welding a piece onto the stub axle?


Or are they a pole going from one side of the trailer to the other and a piece welded into the centre of the pole under the trailer bed?

 

[colnerov]

Hi, I'm guessing one of these.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Usually indispension axles are square box section, Seems quite common to extend/shorten the length by sleeving with a larger box section,

 

[wookie]

I've stretched an trailer axle, it was too narrow for my needs and it was made of tractor pto shaft material so it was easy to sleeve and widen.

 

[gt6s]

I did it MANY years ago on Sherpa axles on a builders trailer with total success. There is Very little load on the middle of the axles.

Laurence

 

[gaz_moose]

I changed some 1300kg axles a few weeks ago and the rubber came nearly to the middle of the axle. I would be concerned what the heat has done to the rubbers. and what rust was going on inside. my old ones were seized solid.

if I ever bought a rubber suspension trailer secondhand I would mark the swing arm against the axle and place a load on the bed to see if the suspension was seized.

if any of you guys ever need avonride parts let me know as ive got quite a stash now.

 

[brightspark]

I built a car trailer using 2 beam axles of a mk3 ford van just cut the middle of axle welded a piece in then sleeved it

 

[thinfourth]

I've shortened one.

Do you want the middle bit?

 

[rcx132]

Can't you just bounce on the trailer to check if seized?