Tips for How to Identify a Trailer Axle

Question

Question:

How can i find out the brand/make of my trailer axles? I have looked for a id tag and have found nothing.

asked by: Chuck

0

Expert Reply:

Depending on how the trailer was made, there will be a few spots you can check to identify the axle. First, if the trailer was pre-made by a specific company, you may be able to find this information in either the paperwork or on a placard somewhere on the frame.

Sometimes, the axle identity is stamped into the axle itself or into the hub if it was purchased as a complete assembly.

If you cannot find any markings or notation for the axle, you will need to look for replacement parts based on the capacity and dimensions of your existing parts. For example, if your trailer information shows that the maximum capacity of the trailer is 7000lbs, then you probably have two 3500lb axles. The bearings, races, and seals should have an industry standard number on the back edge which can be used to match replacements.

When looking for a wheel to fit your existing hubs, you can find out your existing bolt pattern by taking a simple bolt to bolt measurement. View information on measuring your bolt pattern at the provided link. The # AM20352 wheel you referenced will work for hubs with a 5 on 4-1/2 bolt pattern. With a capacity of 1870lb per wheel, these would be appropriate for a tandem axle trailer with a capacity around 3700lb when matched with similarly rated tires.

expert reply by: Jameson C

0

Dawn O.

9/8/2020

I have a 1998 CNC 6 horse trailer I'm not sure what kind of axles are on it I cannot find any indication are you familiar with it I would like to change the bearings

Reply

Jon G.

9/11/2020

If you can tell me what the axle weight rating is (found on tag at front of trailer or in the middle of each axle) as well as the bolt pattern for your wheels I can narrow it down, but your best bet is to pull the hub and look at the bearing part numbers (stamped on the bearings). If you can't find the numbers or they are damaged then you'll need to take a digital caliper and measure your spindle like what you see in the photo on this attached page.

Helpful Links

question-469140.html

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Tom M.

8/6/2020

can i put electric brakes on my boat trailer if i shrink wrap all the connections

Reply

Jon G.

8/17/2020

Yes! Electric brakes on boat trailers is actually becoming more and more common because electric brakes are just easier to maintain. Use the shrink-wrap style butt connectors for your connections and then remember to disconnect your trailer wiring from your tow vehicle prior to backing it into the water to avoid shorting out your trailer wiring.

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Tom M.

8/17/2020

@JonG ok I would like to purchase what I need for the job. My axles are dexter p21 . The diameter of the axle is 2 3/8 so I’m thinking 3500 lb . I have 10 inch wheels and tires, what do I need

Reply

Jon G.

8/28/2020

@TomM The P21 on your Dexter Axle is actually the site that it was manufactured at as opposed to a part number. If you can pull one of your hubs and confirm what bearings it uses I can see what exact parts you'll need in regards to a hub/drum assembly. In the meantime here is a link to a helpful article that tells you about everything you need to install electric brakes on your trailer.

Helpful Links

faq-adding-electric-drum-brakes.aspx

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Jim

7/11/2020

I have a 2003 24 ft exiss stock trailer alum,trailer 14000 lbs,plate says it has ( 2) 6000 lb axles you would think they should be 7000 lbs,they are dexter torflex and the axle is so rusted and pitted there is no number.I have called every mfg exiss,dexter etc all say just measure and be careful you may get the wrong axles( what a system) any suggestions,ideals,or what axle goes under this stock trailer,exiss says they dont keep files back to 2003 of what was put in trailer thanks

Reply

Chris R.

7/16/2020

Please know I'm not just taking the easy way out when I say your only option here is to measure the existing axle.....I really wish I had some specific info on that trailer but it's just not available. You'll want to measure both the hub length and spring seat length to find a good replacement. It wouldn't hurt to go to higher-rated axles but most likely the current units are 6K because 10 to 15 percent of the total trailer weight technically gets applied to the rear axle of the tow vehicle.

Helpful Links

dept-pg-trailer_axles.aspx

Reply

Travis L.

6/22/2020

I have a boat trailer that the axel hub went bad and messed up the whole axel. Stamped on back of hub is 34231. The axel measuring 74 1/4 center spring hole. The total length from tip to tip is 90 1/4. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Reply

Chris R.

6/25/2020

We do have a few trailer axles available with a 74" spring seat length (linked below) but I wasn't able to find any info on the hub assemblies using the number you found. Is there any way you can tell me what inner and outer bearings are used inside the hub? There should be a number stamped right inside the bearings themselves.

Helpful Links

dept-pg-trailer_axles-hs-74_inch.aspx

Reply

John

5/10/2020

I have a home made trailer. The axle came from a mobile home. I would like to change it over to a 15” wheel with hubs. Is this possible. Thanks

Reply

Chris R.

5/12/2020

You'll likely need to replace the axle altogether but it should certainly be possible. I would need to know some specs on the existing axle though to recommend a good replacement (along with corresponding hubs and rims). Can you tell me its hub length and weight capacity?

Reply

Answer 1

To find the load capacity for your axle you should look on the trailer VIN plate or sticker that lists the VIN number. The weight rating of the axle should be listed on that same plate or sticker. Also, the axle could have a tag or plate on it that…

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Answer 2

We can help but we don't have wheel cylinders for the brake assemblies you have. Best solution would be all new assemblies like the part #AKUBRK-35-D which are 10 inch assemblies for a 3,500 lb axle. If you had a 5k axles the assemblies would…

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Answer 3

I reached out to Dexter and they no longer make that axle. I can confirm based on the bearing sizes you gave that you have a 3,500 lb capacity. If you determine you just want to replace the hub, I recommend the Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly for…

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Answer 4

For a wheel that is 5 inches in width and 15 inches in diameter you would want tires that are size ST205/75-15. For the tire size ST225/75R15 you listed you would want a rim that is from 6-7 inches in width. I attached a department page that has all…

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Answer 5

We don't have a way to look up exactly what axle you need based on what you listed but we can still help. When picking out an axle for a trailer you'll need to know the overall length of it from hub face to hub face as well as the distance…

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Answer 6

Thanks so much for the photo that was super helpful, and what the axle tag shows is that you have a #11 Dexter Torflex axle. We do have the correct lift kit for you, which is the following part: - Torflex Lift Kit - Tandem Axle #K71-724-02 This kit…

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Answer 7

There are many things that can affect the voltage on the brake output wire from your brake controller to your trailer brakes such as the power setting on your brake controller, how you are testing the wire and if you are testing it with the brakes or…

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Answer 8

Pull the hub off on the problem wheel. I bet your brake assembly has a mechanical problem and just needs to be replaced. For a replacement Dexter brake assembly for the right hand side of a 10k Dexter axle you would want the part #23-451.

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Answer 9

We checked with Dexter and P-21 just indicates where the axle was made. With the serial number we could track down more info on your axle. However, in the mean time you could pretty easily get the bearing numbers off of your current bearings and then…

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Answer 10

I reached out to my contact at Dexter Axle who said that your axle is rated for 3,500 lbs and it uses inner bearing #L68149, outer bearing #L44649, and the grease seal #58846. All of these can be found in the kit #BK2-100 if you are needing to…

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Answer 11

I went ahead and attached a diagram that shows the spacing of the hangers on the 6-Leaf Slipper Spring w/ Hook End for 8,000-lb Trailer Axles - 29-1/2" Long #e46SR. This is the spacing you will use with the Tandem-Axle Trailer Hanger Kit for…

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Answer 12

If you are needing the hub and drum assembly then you will want to go with the Dexter Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly #8-201-5UC3-EZ but if you are just looking for an idler hub then you will want part #8-213-5UC1 instead. These come with the correct…

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