What Distance is Needed Between Trailer Axle and Trailer Frame

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Question:

I have a 7000 lb car hauler. With a 2 3/8 diameter Dexter axle there is 1 5 /8 inches clearance between the top of the axle mounting U bolt and the frame when the trailer is loaded with 6600 lbs on the trailer wheels. One of those axles is bent and Dexter courtesy replaced the two axles with 3 inch diameter axles. That means there will be 5/8 less clearance between the trailer frame and the axle when the trailer is loaded. Is a 1 inch axle clearance on a loaded trailer sufficient with the load I am carrying.

asked by: William D

0

Expert Reply:

As long as you have at least 2-1/2" between your axles and the frame of your trailer when it is unloaded you should be good to go.

Altogether your leaf springs should only be deflecting about 1-1/2" when carrying a load.

If you wanted to increase your clearance then there are a few ways to do that. One way would be to cut your current hangers off and have longer ones welded on and another way is to use an over under kit like part # K71-384-00 for a 2-3/8" axle or part # K71-385-00 for a 3" axle. This moves your axle so that it sits under your leaf springs which means it will increase your height equal to the height of your axle plus the height of your leaf spring stack.

expert reply by: Jon G

0

Answer 1

You can upgrade the 1750 lb leaf springs to 2500 lb leaf springs. You do want to keep in mind that the ride may be a bit stiffer since you are upgrading your springs to a higher capacity. Like you mention upgrading the springs will not give you a…

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Answer 2

To determine if you will be able to use the 4-Leaf Double-Eye Spring #e47SR you will need to measure your current leaf springs. Unfortunately, I have no way to lookup what leaf springs your 2022 Dutchmen Coleman Light 1855RB would have come with…

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Answer 3

In order to determine whether or not the Dexter Trailer Axle Beam with 4" Drop part #7685269 will be a good replacement for your Marine Master Boat Trailer Axle we would need to know the distance between the hub faces and spring centers on the…

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Answer 4

The spring seat dimension will depend on the width of the trailer frame that the leaf springs would mount to. So typically from center of frame channel to center of the other side is the leaf spring seat to seat dimension you'd need for the axle.…

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Answer 5

If you are bottoming out with your trailer it can be caused by a weak or broken suspension causing the problem. You want to check for all of the components for any signs of obvious damage. Since leaf springs may flatten out a bit over time you will…

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Answer 6

Technically, a trailer rated for 10,000 lbs can have 5 lug hubs. They are most common on 3,500 lb axles but can be used on the rare 4,000 lb axles as well. You could have a gooseneck or 5th wheel trailer with the 10,000 lb capacity and tandem axle 5…

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Answer 7

You can add a heavier axle to the trailer but the rest of the components of your trailer may not be rated for a higher weight capacity such as the suspension components and wheels. If you go from a 3,500 lb axle to a 7,000 lb axle like part #8327834…

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Answer 8

When it comes to replacing your spring bushings you will first need to remove one from your current double eye leaf spring on your 2000 Pequea 1018 Deckover Trailer and use a Digital Caliper #PTW80157 to find out what the inner and outer diameter of…

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Answer 9

To find the correct replacement axle it is very straight forward. You want to know the Axle weight rating. This is going to be on the sticker found on the cross tube of the axle if this is not present measure the axle tube diameter and that can help…

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Answer 10

The 4-Leaf Double-Eye Spring for 6,000-lb Trailer Axles part #e47SR for all intents and purposes is the same as the SP-221275. They are the same size and capacity, just made by different manufactures but both quality options.

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Answer 11

I have a different option for you, but changing the axle tube diameter will not increase the axle capacity as the new weakest link would be the spindles which would still have a 3500lb capacity. You could start from scratch and use two of the #42 E-Z…

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Answer 12

The recommended clearance with leaf spring suspension on an unloaded trailer is between 2 - 2-1/2 inches. You should have sufficient clearance with your loaded trailer, as leaf springs only tend to deflect 1-1/2 inch when carrying a load.

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What Distance is Needed Between Trailer Axle and Trailer Frame

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