Torsion Axle

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   While rpods aren't made for rough or off road use I found I could get pretty much anywhere I wanted to go as long as I went really slow. 

It's high g forces that will bend things, and high g's come from hitting potholes or bumps hard. So speed is the enemy. Just roll through really slowly, crawling speed, and you should be ok. Might take an hour or more to go the 3 miles but what's the rush? 

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offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Post Options Post Reply Quote offgrid Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Torsion Axle Posted: 09 Aug 2022 at 2:40pm
	While rpods aren't made for rough or off road use I found I could get pretty much anywhere I wanted to go as long as I went really slow. It's high g forces that will bend things, and high g's come from hitting potholes or bumps hard. So speed is the enemy. Just roll through really slowly, crawling speed, and you should be ok. Might take an hour or more to go the 3 miles but what's the rush?
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

JimBinOC Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 26 Jul 2016 Location: Crazyfornia Online Status: Offline Posts: 18	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimBinOC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 09 Aug 2022 at 1:37pm
	Thanks for the informative responses. I will check camber and remeasure the crown. I will also look into reinforcing the axle. We have to tow this trailer over 3 miles of dirt ranch road to get to our vacation spot so like I said before, it's had a hard life and gets used often.

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Post Options Post Reply Quote offgrid Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Aug 2022 at 5:50pm
	Yes, about 3/16 is right, but not the 4 ft distance. Run a string line from end to end of the bottom of the axle tube and measure the gap in the center. As StephenH suggests, the more important measurement is the camber angle of the wheels themselves. If you are concerned about the axle getting bent (and you should be, it's not uncommon) you can reinforce it. I have a series of posts on how to do this (as do several others with various methods) You can use the advanced search and go back a few years to find it.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

GlueGuy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2714	Post Options Post Reply Quote GlueGuy Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Aug 2022 at 10:21am
	The easy way to tell if your axle is un-bent (so to speak) is to check to see if there is any outward cant to the plumb of the wheels & tires. The wheels & tires should be vertical to the ground. If they are inclined inward at the top, then you axle may have lost some of its curve. I don't recall what the amount of bend is there by default. 3/16 or 1/4 inch sounds about what I remember, but I'm sure someone else will chime in.
	bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost

JimBinOC Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 26 Jul 2016 Location: Crazyfornia Online Status: Offline Posts: 18	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimBinOC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 04 Aug 2022 at 4:48pm
	I have a concern about our torsion axle on a 2017 179. I seem to remember that these axle housings are supposed to have a slight arch (crown?) to them. My question is how much? Ours seems to have about 3/16" over the length of a 4 ft. level. I'm concerned ours might be sprung since it's had a hard life.