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I have "inherited" a frame and running gear from a 1948 mobile home. Unlike modern mobile homes, the trailer was 26 feet long and 8 feet wide. The frame is made of 2-1/4" x 4-1/2" rectangular tube, not channel as I expected. The tube might be 16 gauge, but it's definitely not 1/8" wall. The frame rails are about 49-1/4" apart, giving an external frame width of 53-3/4". The crossmembers then extend externally from the frame to make up the rest of the 8' width. The trailer has tandem axles, with electric brakes on the rear axle. The wheels are 15" with a 5 lug pattern on a 5-1/2" bolt circle...BUT they have a 3" center. Original wheels were rusted through, and the original pre-nylon tires were rotted, so right now I have it on 2 rims from a GEO Tracker, just so I can move it when I mow my yard.My original idea--which I haven't yet totally abandoned--was to cut the frame down to something like 15 feet long. The V of the hitch extends 16-1/4" behind the front crossmember, and the angle cut on the V tube [same stuff as the frame] makes the contact between the V and the frame rails 5" long.Obviously, if I cut the frame down to 15 feet overall length, I'll need to follow the 70/30 formula and shorten the frame both in front of and behind the axle...because, since the trailer tracked straight and true before, I really don't want to mess with axle geometry.So would I be silly to take a sawzall and cut the V of the hitch away from the frame...then shorten the frame...then reweld the V to the frame [maybe with Y-shaped reinforcing plates top and bottom]? Since we're already dealing with light-gauge tubular metal, I'm leery of cutting and splicing the frame rails themselves, vs. cutting and relocating the V of the hitch. And yes, the budget is a big concern right now.Basic plan, after shortening frame to 15 feet, is to build a bed similar to a stepside pickup bed, but with storage boxes on the outside...more like a custom utility bed, I suppose. So I'm ready for any comments or suggestions on the best way to do what I want to do...or whether I should just forget about it, and go buy something already built [which I'm reluctant to do; my kids call me "Titus" for a reason!] ??As for my welding experience, I spent 5 years doing mig welds on vehicle frames on an assembly line, but I currently have only a stick welder. [Took a 6-week, 1-night-a-week adult ed course in welding, and did primarily stick and oxyacetylene.] For grins and giggles, I've had some success re-welding some of the light-gauge crossmembers to the frame with 1/8" 6011 rod. So your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Reply:Sounds like your idea is to surgically remove the tongue, cut some off both ends and put the tongue back on to get around having to move the axles, right?? I'd be inclined to leave the tongue alone, cut the tail and move the axle accordingly. Six one way and half a dozen the other I suppose.
Reply:We're talking TANDEM axles, not just one. And that requires cutting and welding the 4 spring brackets, as well as trying to keep 2 axles in alignment. [Not sure I wouldn't have to weld one spring hanger where another had previously been removed that way.] With the thin-gauge sheet-metal tubular frame, I'm not sure that moving the axle position on the frame is gonna be that easy...especially as a ONE-man operation. I figure I can use my two light-duty floor jacks and some blocks to reposition the tongue; not sure I can singlehandedly manhandle either the frame minus axles, OR the axle-and-spring assembly...and I'd like to avoid taking axles and springs apart piece-by-piece to be able to handle them.I have no hoist, no tractor with a 3-point boom to move the frame on the axles....so the "Armstrong"method has a lot less appeal to me than just removing the tongue, cutting the frame, and reattaching the tongue. Just looking for ideas, so thanks for yours...even if they're not exactly what I wanted to hear, I still appreciate 'em.
Reply:Originally Posted by Buzzman72I have no hoist, no tractor with a 3-point boom to move the frame on the axles....so the "Armstrong"method has a lot less appeal to me than just removing the tongue, cutting the frame, and reattaching the tongue. Just looking for ideas, so thanks for yours...even if they're not exactly what I wanted to hear, I still appreciate 'em.
Reply:I would also probably move the axles if it were me. A double axle generally has three hangers per side. Yours may be different, I didn't quite follow that part. Did you say 50 inches or so between frame rails? That is a narrow frame! Might be trouble, got any pics? The narrow frame rails prove difficult in maintaining full axle-weight ratings. But that dimension should not be changing in your situation.Typically, I would lift it onto 4 jackstands, then remove the wheels & tires. Remove the u-bolts and remove the front spring bolts and the rear spring bolts, allowing the axles to be released. The axles can then be put to the side. Remove all the remaining hardware, then cut off all the hangers at a point that saves the integrity of the frame. Cut the frame rails to length, measure twice & cut once! Find the point at 60% to the rear of the front edge of the box, that is the center of the whole axle assemblies. Most current leaf sprung, double axles use a center equalizer that carries the rear bolt of the front spring and the front bolt of the rear spring. This is the center hanger on each side, which is three hangers per side with this set up. Then it comes down to the recommended distance away from the center hanger for the front and rear hangers, depending on which set of hardware you get. You would need new hangers anyway, so get a bit of technical literature to go with your hardware purchase. One thought about thin frame members is this, if a floor jack is capable of bending or kinking the frame, then you may want some heavy angle iron between the spring hangers and the frame, this gives a longer footprint for the springs which adds a lot of support, and makes a good jack point to change flats later on.The big deal about mounting axles is keeping exact measurements in relation to the hitch ball for alignment purposes.Check into a few of these drawings that explain basic layouts real nicely.http://www.championtrailers.com/UTIL...AILER_KITS.HTMBut I am not the one doing this job! Tongue work is all trigonometry and angles, mitercuts and such. Not my cup of joy. Pictures would help.A classmates project...Last edited by tanglediver; 07-06-2009 at 01:55 AM.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny |
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发表于 2021-9-1 00:07:43