Weight Capacity of Mobile Home axles?
10-20-2006, 11:53 AM
#1
Weight Capacity of Mobile Home axles?
Anyone know what the weight rating of mobile home axles is???
I see piles of home made trailers using these (owned a few myself too!) hauling some ridiculous loads, but does anyone know what they are actually rated for???
I've been told before 6000#
I see piles of home made trailers using these (owned a few myself too!) hauling some ridiculous loads, but does anyone know what they are actually rated for???
I've been told before 6000#
10-20-2006, 11:59 AM
#2
Just a plain ole guy
No weight rating. Illegal to use for a homemade trailer. Read the sidewall, the 14.5 tires that will fit only them say so. (mobile home use only)
We had 5 trailers with them back in the 70's. It was a nightmare. If you hit the brakes too hard, the rim would spin on the clamps and then fall off. A loaded trailer that drops all four tires at a busy intersection will flat out ruin your day.
Save the headaches. Get a real axle. Try Tractor Supply.
We had 5 trailers with them back in the 70's. It was a nightmare. If you hit the brakes too hard, the rim would spin on the clamps and then fall off. A loaded trailer that drops all four tires at a busy intersection will flat out ruin your day.
Save the headaches. Get a real axle. Try Tractor Supply.
10-20-2006, 12:04 PM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Golden, Colorado
Posts: 2,867
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No weight rating. Illegal to use for a homemade trailer. Read the sidewall, the 14.5 tires that will fit only them say so. (mobile home use only)
We had 5 trailers with them back in the 70's. It was a nightmare. If you hit the brakes too hard, the rim would spin on the clamps and then fall off. A loaded trailer that drops all four tires at a busy intersection will flat out ruin your day.
Save the headaches. Get a real axle. Try Tractor Supply.
We had 5 trailers with them back in the 70's. It was a nightmare. If you hit the brakes too hard, the rim would spin on the clamps and then fall off. A loaded trailer that drops all four tires at a busy intersection will flat out ruin your day.
Save the headaches. Get a real axle. Try Tractor Supply.
I believe that there are different sizes of axles, like 3" and 4". The 3" would be like 3500lbs and the 4" would be 5000lbs. So basically just depends on the diameter of the tubes.
10-20-2006, 12:25 PM
#4
The tires that were on the axles back in the 70's when they were actually under mobile homes said mobile home use only.
But the modern replacement tires don't. They are genearlly rated for around 3500 lbs depending on the manufacturer.
I've towed trailers with those axles thousands and thousands of miles and never had a wheel slip.
The only thing that I can think of that would cause that is not having the clamps tight/ wheel mounted properly.
Hmmm, never noticed the size of the tubes before always thought they were all the same.
There are still thousands of trailers on the road that still have these axles on them. A local trailer warehouse stocks all the parts imaginable for them. You can buy a whole new brake backing plate with all of the brake components allready installed for cheap. The drums are relatively pricey as they come complete with bearings.
But the modern replacement tires don't. They are genearlly rated for around 3500 lbs depending on the manufacturer.
I've towed trailers with those axles thousands and thousands of miles and never had a wheel slip.
The only thing that I can think of that would cause that is not having the clamps tight/ wheel mounted properly.
Hmmm, never noticed the size of the tubes before always thought they were all the same.
There are still thousands of trailers on the road that still have these axles on them. A local trailer warehouse stocks all the parts imaginable for them. You can buy a whole new brake backing plate with all of the brake components allready installed for cheap. The drums are relatively pricey as they come complete with bearings.
10-20-2006, 12:43 PM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 1,007
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've seen a few of home-made trailers out here with mobile home axles. And these guys seem to have no fear towing a lot! I guess I don't blame them, those axles are strong enough to tow a house! My issue with getting one (I was considering one) was I haven't seen one with brakes.
10-20-2006, 12:53 PM
#6
Really???
One trailer I have has brakes on one axle, the other has brakes on both axles....
In fact the trailer that only has brakes on one axle is just missing backing plates on the opther axle.... The drums are there as the drum goes right onto the spindle and holds the bearing races are pressed into the hub/drum assembly.
The studs are also mounted in the drums which clamp the drum to the tire rim.
(similar to some big truck setups)
One trailer I have has brakes on one axle, the other has brakes on both axles....
In fact the trailer that only has brakes on one axle is just missing backing plates on the opther axle.... The drums are there as the drum goes right onto the spindle and holds the bearing races are pressed into the hub/drum assembly.
The studs are also mounted in the drums which clamp the drum to the tire rim.
(similar to some big truck setups)
10-20-2006, 01:00 PM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 1,007
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I looked at two and neither one had brakes (according to the owner). I wonder if they didn't know how to use them? Or they were boken? It would only make sense for a heavy trailer (mobile home) to have brakes. Well, I'll consider one of those again. They seem to be less expensive. Do you know how to test the brakes? Or how to know if they do have them? I'm clueless to mobile home axles...or any trailers!
Trending Topics
10-20-2006, 01:11 PM
#8
Just a plain ole guy
"Do you know how to test the brakes?"
1. Drive real fast.
2. Press brakes
If you stop, you have brakes
If you crash, you have no brakes.
Really, one way, assuming they are electric and you have them wired up and you have a controller, have someone step on the brake pedal. Hold a compass near the wheel. You can ususlly hear the magnets buzz, but they should also make the needle on the compass move.
You adjust them about like normal drum brakes. Turn the star wheel till you have just a tiny bit of drag.
1. Drive real fast.
2. Press brakes
If you stop, you have brakes
If you crash, you have no brakes.
Really, one way, assuming they are electric and you have them wired up and you have a controller, have someone step on the brake pedal. Hold a compass near the wheel. You can ususlly hear the magnets buzz, but they should also make the needle on the compass move.
You adjust them about like normal drum brakes. Turn the star wheel till you have just a tiny bit of drag.
10-20-2006, 02:40 PM
#9
The best way to test your trailer brakes be they electric, air, hydraulic/vacuum etc. is to hook up, activate the hand controll and then drive forward.... you should be able to lock the trailer wheels with full brake power, you will either be dragging the trailer wheels or digging a hole with the truck depending on the size and weight of the trailer. The magnet buzz etc definitely will tell you that your brakes or connected but won't tell you that they actually work. Same as the compass trick. That's why you should always apply the trailer brakes seperately each time you hook up to make sure they are actually working and BRAKING.
It's pretty easy to tell if a trailer has brakes, look on the inside of the hub assembly under the trailer and you will see the drums/ back plate assembly with wires running to them.
Like Charliez said you adjust them like any other drum brake, with the star wheel. Electric brake setups on most axles do not have automatic adjusters.
It's pretty easy to tell if a trailer has brakes, look on the inside of the hub assembly under the trailer and you will see the drums/ back plate assembly with wires running to them.
Like Charliez said you adjust them like any other drum brake, with the star wheel. Electric brake setups on most axles do not have automatic adjusters.
10-21-2006, 04:32 PM
#11
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Maineville, Ohio
Posts: 688
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
10-21-2006, 07:46 PM
#12
Registered User
Most mobile-home axles around these parts are genuine Dexter 5200 pound axles with the low-boy/mobile-home style hub/drum.
The hub and backing plate for a standard Dexter 5200 axle is a direct bolt on swap.
D.O.T. rated tires in ply-rating up to sixteen-ply/LR-H are readily available in sizes 7-14.5, 8-14.5, and 9-14.5.
I have seen several wheels that have spun on the hub.
This is usually due to improper alignment and tightening sequence.
Once a wheel has spun on the hub, the wheel should be discarded, and the hub inspected closely for wear.
I am not a big fan of the low-boy/mobile-home style of wheel/hub, but don't short-change them; with the proper tires and brakes, they will last as long as any other store-bought axles.
10-21-2006, 08:36 PM
#13
Registered User
I've always heard they were too hard to balance, and that was a reason not to use?
figured it was due to the clamps distance from the center the tire & weight
figured it was due to the clamps distance from the center the tire & weight
10-23-2006, 09:52 AM
#14
While I have never had the rim slip on the hub on one of these axles (like I have said in previous posts, you must be careful to properly install the rim on the hub and clamp it properly!, as others mentioned you can check the alignment with a block next to the wheel by spinning the hub and watching for "wobble")
I have seen the rim slip on a similar setup on a school bus converted to a camper!! :O
I have seen the rim slip on a similar setup on a school bus converted to a camper!! :O
10-23-2006, 09:26 PM
#15
Registered User
Those are notorious "DAYTON" rims.
I have seen more than I can count slip on the hub enough to shear off the valve-stem.
Once this happens, usually the hub is compromised; but, stingy tight-wad owners will attempt to cure the slipping by over-tightening the nuts/wedges, only to have the wheel slip again, in a few days, shearing off yet another valve-stem.
They always try to blame this on the tire shop that they insisted to tighten the wheels, instead of replacing the hub like they should have.