Trailer construction

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L

Liam

Guest
The trailer that me and my mates use for occasionally shifting junk around
has finally rusted away. We are planning on building a new one using the
axles off the old one.
We are planning to construct the chassis in basically the same way as the
old but using 2" square box section (only because we've got loads of the
stuff).
Its a twin axle flat bed trailer aprox 6 foot by 11 foot.
I was wondering if anyone was any advice or tips on the design/construction
of such a trailer.
The old one had the axles across the centre but I've seen other similar
trailers with the axles closer to the back, what differences will the
position of the axles make?

Thanks
Liam
www.sumpoil.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk


 
you want to get the center of gravity over the axles so that you neither push the back of the car down nor pull it up. there is a why to check if you have your trailer weighted correctly but i can't remember it off hand.. try doing a search or go to a caravan forum.
 
Asside to you request.

I believe that any new trailer constructed since about 1985 that is over 750kg gross needs to have all the axles as breaked ones not just one set as it may be.
 
Liam <[email protected]> uttered summat worrerz funny
about:
> The trailer that me and my mates use for occasionally shifting junk
> around has finally rusted away. We are planning on building a new one
> using the axles off the old one.
> We are planning to construct the chassis in basically the same way as
> the old but using 2" square box section (only because we've got loads
> of the stuff).
> Its a twin axle flat bed trailer aprox 6 foot by 11 foot.
> I was wondering if anyone was any advice or tips on the
> design/construction of such a trailer.
> The old one had the axles across the centre but I've seen other
> similar trailers with the axles closer to the back, what differences
> will the position of the axles make?
>
> Thanks
> Liam
> www.sumpoil.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Closer to the back puts more of the load on the tow ball. Fine until you
reach the vehicles limit. Given the varying loads you will be shifting stick
to axles in the centre and load it from the centre outwards porviding a safe
nose weight to make the outfit stable.

Other than that it make a difference to the manouverability... i.e reversing
and taking tight corners will be more difficult with the wheels at the rear
end.

Lee
--
www.lrproject.com



 
Hi Liam,
For a twin axle trailer put the axles equally spaced in the
middle of the bed, any nose weight needed on the towing ball (recomended
50KG) will be taken care of by the weight of the front "A" frame, towing
equipment and jockey wheel etc.
The next question to answer is how far apart do you have the axles
(wheelbase) the closer together the more manouverability you will have,
the further apart the more stable.
I built a car transporter (twin axle) and my axles are just short of 1M
apart, this makes it very stable at speed and i still have no problems
turning into tight spaces with a car on it.

hope this helps?

gary

Liam wrote:
> The trailer that me and my mates use for occasionally shifting junk around
> has finally rusted away. We are planning on building a new one using the
> axles off the old one.
> We are planning to construct the chassis in basically the same way as the
> old but using 2" square box section (only because we've got loads of the
> stuff).
> Its a twin axle flat bed trailer aprox 6 foot by 11 foot.
> I was wondering if anyone was any advice or tips on the design/construction
> of such a trailer.
> The old one had the axles across the centre but I've seen other similar
> trailers with the axles closer to the back, what differences will the
> position of the axles make?
>
> Thanks
> Liam
> www.sumpoil.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
>
>

 

"gary" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi Liam,
> For a twin axle trailer put the axles equally spaced in the middle
> of the bed, any nose weight needed on the towing ball (recomended 50KG)
> will be taken care of by the weight of the front "A" frame, towing
> equipment and jockey wheel etc.
> The next question to answer is how far apart do you have the axles
> (wheelbase) the closer together the more manouverability you will have,
> the further apart the more stable.
> I built a car transporter (twin axle) and my axles are just short of 1M
> apart, this makes it very stable at speed and i still have no problems
> turning into tight spaces with a car on it.
>
> hope this helps?
>
> gary
>

Thanks, I hadn't thought about the spacing between the axles. I think I may
move them further apart on the new trailer.
I've just been taking the brakes apart to check everything is working
properly. When we've been using the trailer we've never had a brake away
cable fitted, I want to fit one on now but am unsure how it's supposed to
work, it's easy enough to fit on to the brake lever to pull the brakes on if
it comes off the hitch but are the brakes supposed to stay on after the
cable has snapped off? if so how?

Thanks
Liam
www.sumpoil.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk


 
Liam <[email protected]> uttered summat worrerz funny
about:
> "gary" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Hi Liam,
>> For a twin axle trailer put the axles equally spaced in the
>> middle of the bed, any nose weight needed on the towing ball
>> (recomended 50KG) will be taken care of by the weight of the front
>> "A" frame, towing equipment and jockey wheel etc.
>> The next question to answer is how far apart do you have the axles
>> (wheelbase) the closer together the more manouverability you will
>> have, the further apart the more stable.
>> I built a car transporter (twin axle) and my axles are just short of
>> 1M apart, this makes it very stable at speed and i still have no
>> problems turning into tight spaces with a car on it.
>>
>> hope this helps?
>>
>> gary
>>
>
> Thanks, I hadn't thought about the spacing between the axles. I think
> I may move them further apart on the new trailer.
> I've just been taking the brakes apart to check everything is working
> properly. When we've been using the trailer we've never had a brake
> away cable fitted, I want to fit one on now but am unsure how it's
> supposed to work, it's easy enough to fit on to the brake lever to
> pull the brakes on if it comes off the hitch but are the brakes
> supposed to stay on after the cable has snapped off? if so how?
>
> Thanks
> Liam
> www.sumpoil.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

They pull the other end of the handvbake lever... so you should either have
a ratchet on the lever or a hydraulic ram (as on our caravan) to help the
lever stay in the up and on position once you've tugged it up / the
breakaway cable has pulled it up from the opposite end.

So simple it hurts ;-)

Lee
--
www.lrproject.com
Reaching the parts other Landrover restorers can't reach - JLo makes new
home in the USA.
Percy IIa - two Engines to the mile, awaits a new chassis.
Morph - He's "living the dream".


 
Liam wrote:

> Thanks, I hadn't thought about the spacing between the axles. I think I may
> move them further apart on the new trailer.
> I've just been taking the brakes apart to check everything is working
> properly. When we've been using the trailer we've never had a brake away
> cable fitted, I want to fit one on now but am unsure how it's supposed to
> work, it's easy enough to fit on to the brake lever to pull the brakes on if
> it comes off the hitch but are the brakes supposed to stay on after the
> cable has snapped off? if so how?
>

My catering trailers have a gas strut installed which keeps the
handbrake on when it is even slightly released. The breakaway cable
pulls the handbrake and the strut keeps it there. Have a look at
Al-Ko trailers or websites to see how it's done. Or any AJC catering
trailer.


--
Regards,
Danny

http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
http://www.dannyscoffee.com (UK advert for my mobile espresso service)
http://www.malabargold.co.uk (UK/European online ordering for Malabar
Gold blend)
swap Z for above characters in email address to reply

 

"Danny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Liam wrote:
>
>> Thanks, I hadn't thought about the spacing between the axles. I think I
>> may move them further apart on the new trailer.
>> I've just been taking the brakes apart to check everything is working
>> properly. When we've been using the trailer we've never had a brake away
>> cable fitted, I want to fit one on now but am unsure how it's supposed to
>> work, it's easy enough to fit on to the brake lever to pull the brakes on
>> if it comes off the hitch but are the brakes supposed to stay on after
>> the cable has snapped off? if so how?
>>
>
> My catering trailers have a gas strut installed which keeps the handbrake
> on when it is even slightly released. The breakaway cable pulls the
> handbrake and the strut keeps it there. Have a look at Al-Ko trailers or
> websites to see how it's done. Or any AJC catering trailer.
>

Thanks I think I've got the brakes worked out now.
The next thing is I cannot find on the internet anyone that sells bearing
kits for the hubs that I have.
They are Lockhead 10" x 1 3/4" (4566-674/5) the bearings are 48548 and
44649 oil seal 275:175:0.37.
The closest kits I've found so far have the correct bearings but with the
wrong oil seal, anyone got any suggestions where I should try.

Thanks
Liam
www.sumpoil.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk


 
Liam wrote:

> Thanks I think I've got the brakes worked out now.
> The next thing is I cannot find on the internet anyone that sells bearing
> kits for the hubs that I have.
> They are Lockhead 10" x 1 3/4" (4566-674/5) the bearings are 48548 and
> 44649 oil seal 275:175:0.37.
> The closest kits I've found so far have the correct bearings but with the
> wrong oil seal, anyone got any suggestions where I should try.
>
> Thanks
> Liam
> www.sumpoil.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Try trailer specialists. Or Bearing specialists. Not all local
businesses are on the 'net - try yell.com. I have two local trailer
places that seem to stock a wide range of parts - Blendworth trailers
(Rowlands Castle) and Indespension at Park gate. I also have a local
bearing company that had Landrover size bearings in stock at better
prices than elsewhere when I needed them.



--
Regards,
Danny

http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
http://www.dannyscoffee.com (UK advert for my mobile espresso service)
http://www.malabargold.co.uk (UK/European online ordering for Malabar
Gold blend)
swap Z for above characters in email address to reply

 
just buy/collect an old caravan and rip the body off. simple.
you can even get them for free. peeps give them away to the collector.
i got a free 4 wheel one. made it into a car transporter. one days work.
 
forgot to mention that it only ever carried average weight cars. (mainly rally cars).
it wasnt designed for carrying landys and transits etc...
(re the other thread).
 
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