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car hauler design questions

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by DanStew, Jun 11, 2006.

  1. Jun 11, 2006
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2002
    Messages:
    4,585
    i got my new trailer axles for my trailer. one of the current ones is bent. The axles are 5000 lb units. What i need is to make my traielr a bit wider. The new axles are 2 inch wider than the old ones. They are the same 4 inch drop, low rider axle sin 5000 lb rating. I want to make the bed of the traielr go over the wheels. So for me to do that, i will make a frame for the flatbed, and then have another 2x4 tubing or 4 inch channel to go under it, this channel or tubing will also go forward and become the toungue of the trailer. I might have to go taller than 4 inch, and i am worried about leverage and how it will affect the handling of the trailer if the platform is a bit taller than the spring mounts. What is the max i can lift the platform over the springs and tires and it remain stable? I am also going to lengthen the trailer to about 16 feet to give me more room. Since i have new axles and wheels and such it will be easier and cheaper for me to just get the steel and rebuild the trailer. what do you guys thing, and what have you done?
     
    DanStew, Jun 11, 2006
    #1
  2. Jun 12, 2006
    Daryl

    Daryl Sponsor

    Bonney Lake, WA
    Joined:
    May 25, 2006
    Messages:
    2,882
    If you have dropped axles and want your deck over the tires you are working against yourself. Dropped axles just put the frame lower than the axle centerline, if you want the deck over the tires, you want either straight axles or raised axles. You can't just turn dropped ones upside down either, because they have a arch in them that flattens when they are put under a load. You would also want to get as low profile of a tire as you can to keep the overall deck height loadable. A trailer can be
    102" wide, and with giving yourself 10" fenders you can still have a deck between the tires that is 82" wide. Hope something here helps.
     
    Daryl, Jun 12, 2006
    #2
  3. Jun 12, 2006
    neptco19

    neptco19 That guy....

    Athens, GA
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2003
    Messages:
    1,381
    Have you thought about making it so you can just drive over the fenders and still keep the trailer deck low?? Like said above it seems like you kinda defeating the purpose of the lowered axles. Not sure on the height but mine trailer sits about level 2/3 the way up the tire and it has a 205/75/15 on it.
     
    neptco19, Jun 12, 2006
    #3
  4. Jun 12, 2006
    DanStew

    DanStew Preowned Merkin salesman Staff Member

    Lexington, South...
    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2002
    Messages:
    4,585
    i got to remeasureing the axles. I am going to stick to regular way of like it is. i have 77 inch platform between backing paltes. with the trailer tires i have, i have the backing plates exposed so it will be OK. I just needed a bit more platform but after re looknig at it, i can get away with it. So i will be making the trailer 77" wide x 16' long. Right now it is 13 1/2 feet long x 67 inches wide.

    The new traielr will be built better with clsoed sides, the wiid deck will be even with th sides. I will do it so much better. So i just need to get the steel and spring mounts, i will reuse a bunch of the old trailer since i have stuff i can cannibalize from the old one. Only kind of issue i have is the measurment from spring to spring on the new trailer axles, is 69 1/4 inches and the platform will be 77 inches wide, so i have to add someting on the bottom for the springs to mount too. I will figure it out. Then i can finally add fenders and be legal :)
     
    DanStew, Jun 12, 2006
    #4
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