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Trailer mods

RCP Phx

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Phoenix,Az
I'm looking to redo my car trailer and the first thought is to go with "torsional axles". Does anyone have experience with them. I'm trying to get max width to provide the maximum trailer space(width). I will buy new tires and wheels to fit this so any recommendations on that would be good too.
 
It's not quite a disaster but close, it was probably originally built in the late 60's! It was hand built even the axles which are bent along with the fenders. The plan is new axles, tires, wheels, fenders, planking, and winch and a lot of mods to clean up the frame.
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It's not a "project", I've owned it for 20yrs, it just needs some "love". Yesterday I ordered the tires and wheels (5), today I will get my order in on the axles.
 
It's pretty ghetto fabbed (looks like something Evan would make) but I do have a plan. Got the axles ordered yesterday and fenders today. I'm scrapping the planking and plan to use diamond plate and "perf" instead.
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I got all the metal removed that I can for now, my axles will be in tomorrow so I can start mocking things up and go from there.
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My axles won't be here until Monday but I did get the installation kits which includes the brakes for both axles (which I didn't have any before). They are Dexters which will last for my life-time!

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Those are a must but that type doesn't work good with empty vs heavy loads. I will probably do something like a trailer scissor jack that can be "un-loaded" when the suspension gets compressed, but I'm not there yet!
 
Monday I picked up my tires and wheels, yesterday I moved up the equalizer bar for a trial fit-up. Today I finally received my axles as they got delayed do to Covid, so now it's time to get busy!
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Guess I'm a bit late, I have the torsion axles on one of my trailers.

I think you made the right choice though, the torsion does take up some room that a leaf setup does not. Torsion do seem to ride very nice though.

I see you have a hand crank winch, I can't tell you how much I have used my used 2000lb warn winch on my trailer, worth every penny of the $50(?) I spent on it around 8 years ago. Probably used 100s of times, no exaggeration. Hand crank gets old real quick.
 
Is there a reason you didn’t go 5200lb axles, if you were buying all new wheels and tires and axles and brakes?

Well it's a pair of 3500# so a total of 7000# which is more than suitable for my use, like I said I didn't even have brakes before.
 
Guess I'm a bit late, I have the torsion axles on one of my trailers.

I think you made the right choice though, the torsion does take up some room that a leaf setup does not. Torsion do seem to ride very nice though.

I see you have a hand crank winch, I can't tell you how much I have used my used 2000lb warn winch on my trailer, worth every penny of the $50(?) I spent on it around 8 years ago. Probably used 100s of times, no exaggeration. Hand crank gets old real quick.

I had a electric on it but I don't want to carry a battery and as infrequent it gets used a little hand crank(3500#/2 speed) is easy.
 
The u-bolts that came with the axles are to short for my spring packs (8 leaves)so as soon as my spring shop opens I will run down there and have them make me a new set.
 
Those guys are great, been dealing with them for 50yrs and they bent up a new set (1-1/4" longer) in under 15minutes!
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I didn't get as much done as I wanted but I needed the lift for 2 jobs this weekend (clutch on a friends Subaru and a stolen cat on my sisters CRX). I had to modify the spring plates as my leaves are 2" vs the std 1-3/4" but I did get the brakes installed plus a couple of tires to move it and also check my new width so I can determine how much to widen the frame rails.
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This project just took a turn toward "Expensive". I wasn't finding any parts for my old suspension, so after ordering a new kit with all new leaves and hangers I have decided to build from scratch. I have a massive steel order in and will completely abandon the old frame entirely.
 
Ouch!

Steel hasn't exactly been affordable lately.
 
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