How to Determine Capacity of a Trailer

Question:

the trailer im looking at, springs are 2 leaf, on 4x8 ft trailer, what would the load rate be on trailer

asked by: Mike

Expert Reply:

Unfortunately, the number of leaves in the leaf springs doesn't always indicate the capacity of the spring.

In many instances, the trailer axle will have a plate on it somewhere listing its capacity, or the trailer itself will have an identification plate that lists the VIN and the GVWR, which should include the axle capacity.

If you can't find the capacity in any of those two places, certain attributes of the trailer can give a pretty good hint as to the axle capacity. Knowing the wheel bolt pattern (see linked FAQ article), the inside and outside wheel bearing reference numbers and the diameter of the axle would allow me to make an educated guess as to the axle capacity. If you can provide all three of those elements, I can do a pretty good job of accurately zeroing in on the axle capacity of your trailer.

expert reply by: Mike L