How to Determine Where to Put Trailer Axles on 18 Foot Dovetail Trailer

Question

Question:

I understand the 60/40 rule axles placement but if my trailer is 18foot with 2foot dovetail 16X2. Do I do the calculation for the axles only on the 16foot or the whole 18? TIA

asked by: Thomas N

0

Expert Reply:

There is a way for you to find out exactly where to place the center hanger of your 18 foot tandem axle trailer. If you take a look at the diagram I added, which is part of a help article I also linked on how to determine where to put your trailer's suspension components, you can see that there is not a set distance.

Instead you will need to use the formulas you see in the diagram to ensure the axle placement will allow 10 to 15 percent of the total trailer weight on the tongue.

I highly recommend checking out both help articles on trailer suspension I linked for you.

expert reply by: Jameson C

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Answer 1

It is tough to get a correct eye-to-eye measurement on a double-eye leaf spring when the spring is still installed in the suspension. It is much better to measure for a replacement leaf spring by removing it first. Also, if a spring is very old and…

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Answer 2

The galvanized wheels from Americana are always hot-dipped. Some of the Taskmaster wheels use a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating that is a black finish and those wheels are not hot-dipped. We do specify the wheels that use the PVD and they are…

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Answer 3

To determine the location for the front and rear hangers on your tandem axle trailer you will first need to make sure that you have the correct center point for your equalizer hanger. The center point of your equalizer hanger needs to be located…

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Answer 4

If you are replacing the leaf springs on your triple axle trailer with new springs the bushings will be included in the new leaf springs. If you are just replacing the bushings in the double-eye springs for a 7,000-lb axle you will need the TruRyde…

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Answer 5

The 60/40 axle placement formula is a great starting point and does take into account the tongue of the trailer from where the trailer sits on the hitch ball. Please keep in mind that this is a very basic formula or estimate for axle placement. For a…

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Answer 6

Using a 60/40 ratio is a great place to start when deciding where to place your axle, placing 60 percent of the weight in front of the axle. However, there are a couple other factors that come into play. I have attached a photo that outlines that…

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Answer 7

If you look at the backs of the brake assemblies there should be a hole where the magnet wires come out and a little opaque plastic strap. So if you are looking at the back of the assembly and those items are on the left then it is the left side…

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Answer 8

The general rule when building a trailer is there should be a 60/40 percent split in weight when centering the axle. Sixty percent of the trailer weight should be placed forward of the axle for proper tongue weight. I can break this down for you. To…

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Answer 9

There are a couple things to consider when placing your axle or axles for trailer tongue weight. You want to make sure your axle is not going to be overloaded by the weight and that your trailer will still be balanced when loaded but not connected to…

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Answer 10

Your tandem axle trailer's equalizers handle the task of evening out the load across the two axles. I noted that in your photo the axles appear to have different tires installed on each. It is best to use identical tires on both axles, meaning…

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How to Determine Where to Put Trailer Axles on 18 Foot Dovetail Trailer

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