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Topic ClosedMy version of axle support plan B
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6288 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: My version of axle support plan B
    Posted: 09 May 2019 at 8:18am
Originally posted by offgrid

Either flat or diamond will work but the tube is 40% stronger in bending if you keep it flat rather than turning it to the diamond orientation.
What about a round tube as opposed to either flat or diamond?

If someone (StephenH?) were starting from scratch and wanted to do something more elaborate than just u-bolting an angle under the axle like I did, I'd suggest a continuous full length tube with Marwayne's brackets at each end and flanges welded to bolt it to both the frame and the axle (replacing the existing riser). Basically it would be a bolt up combination riser and axle "doubler".
If a round tube were used, could one drill through the existing riser and then weld the tube to the riser instead of building a new riser?
These would probably sell like hotcakes to a certain segment of rPod owners, but be sure to get one of our resident attorneys to write an ironclad warranty disclaimer for you Tongue

All that aside, I'm still thinking that some of the failures that are being reported are due to bent spindles, torque arms, or compressed rubber cords which reinforcing the axle tube won't help. We'll see.
Since I don't have the skill to do this myself, I would be a customer for such an item. As for other points of failure, in my case it was the loss of camber. Bearing wear might have also had some part but the symptoms (excess wear on the inside edge of the tires and visual tilt of the tires when viewed from the front or back) led me to feel the problem was not in the spindles, rubber cords, or torque arms. If I had a good line-up on a place that could have fixed the axle for less than I had to pay for replacing it, I would have done that instead, but I still would want some sort of reinforcement. to help prevent the problem from happening again.
StephenH
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 May 2019 at 9:38am


[/QUOTE]Since I don't have the skill to do this myself, I would be a customer for such an item. As for other points of failure, in my case it was the loss of camber. Bearing wear might have also had some part but the symptoms (excess wear on the inside edge of the tires and visual tilt of the tires when viewed from the front or back) led me to feel the problem was not in the spindles, rubber cords, or torque arms. If I had a good line-up on a place that could have fixed the axle for less than I had to pay for replacing it, I would have done that instead, but I still would want some sort of reinforcement. to help prevent the problem from happening again.
[/QUOTE]

Neither do I. The u-bolted 3x3 angle is about my limit. It does the same job, just doesn't look as pretty.

Your failure was almost certainly the axle tube. The giveaway is not having any crown left in the tube. That is a bent axle tube. I'm not sure some of the other possible failure scenarios (say a bent torque arm) couldn't also cause negative camber though. And we have a couple of cases floating around where the tube doesn't appear to be bent or decambered but the trailer is sitting much lower on one side than the other. Those sound like maybe damaged rubber cords.  The majority seem to be bent tubes though. 

 
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Posts: 144 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 May 2019 at 4:05pm
Marwayne,  do you remember the size of the tube you used on the out rigger?  Im thinking of getting a 2x4 riser and punching a diamond shape in it  so as "Offgrid said"  to go from  end to end one piece.  Then place all the hardware in the middle and ends.  Input anyone?
Happy Traveling,
Tom
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Posts: 1002 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 May 2019 at 4:13pm
The tubing between the risers is 3x3 1/4" wall, The out riggers are 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 1/4" wall. I needed the extra space to get a washer and a nut in-between the axle and the outrigger.
If you want something done right, do it yourself.
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Posts: 1002 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 May 2019 at 5:27pm

Huskers, your plan is not going to work, you either have to make it in 3 pieces or drop the axle because you never be able to put it together.
If you want something done right, do it yourself.
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Posts: 1002 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 2019 at 12:30pm
Offgrid, here is my ? to you. In the pic you can see that my wheels are just slightly slanted out. So how much torque can 3 nuts take before they strip the bolt.
If you want something done right, do it yourself.
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 2019 at 1:12pm
Marwayne, what dia bolts are they? I’ll look it up but I recommend you take the axle to an axle shop and have them recamber it for you. Putting enough force to straighten it the way it sounds like you’re thinking is highly likely to bend the extensions you made first. It’s going to require around 3-4 thousand pounds to do it.
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Posts: 1002 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 2019 at 1:29pm
1/2"  I went there they told me, ones there bend you have to replace them. 
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 May 2019 at 4:42am
Originally posted by marwayne

1/2"  I went there they told me, ones there bend you have to replace them. 

Should be about 32 fl lb max dry or 24 lubricated assuming a standard low carbon bolt and coarse threads. That ought to  develop around 5000 lbs of force which the bolt can take but I doubt your support assembly can. So be careful not to bend something (like your frame rail Thumbs Down)

If you can apply enough force (needs to be around that 5000 lb range) then that ought to bend the axle end back and remove the negative camber but don't leave that force on it, you wouldn't have any capacity left in the reinforcement assembly to handle any future bumps. 

I never asked my local shop if they could straighten my axle because it wasn't bent, but I know it can be done. toyanvil just had his done. So you might want to try calling around some other places to see if they'd be willing to give it a try. 

Good luck!
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Posts: 157 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 May 2019 at 8:46am
Marwayne, you need to find a good frame shop that works on trailers. If your axle is bent, it needs to be replaced. If your axle has lost it camber (it's now flat across) it needs to be aligned. The shop I used has a 50 ton press to align the axle. I would not use you supports to try and re-camber your axle, it needs to be done in between your frame rails and you will not be able to set the toe in. When the shop was done with mine, the tires are now plumb with the trailer checking with a digital level. I check mine after each trip, if it changes, even one degee I will add a center support like yours.
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