How to set camber on trailer axle...

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I'm new here...great sight w/ tons of info!  My uncle recently gave me an old trailer made out of a mobile home axle...6k lbs I think.  I've replaced hubs w/ lug-nut style, new wheels, tires, jack stand, bulldog coupler, etc.  I cut the width down from 6' to 5' for trailering behind my Tacoma.  If anyone needs to know how many cutting discs for an angle grinder you will need for a project like this...it's abou 50!  Almost rented a cutting torch, but then I'd just have to grind down the edges.Anyway, the main frame is 3" angle iron, the tounge is "a frame" style, but has 4" square tubing running halfway down the middle for I-beam support. I've done all my work w/ a small 80 amp mig, going as slow as possible and grinding a bevel where needed.  Welds are fine, burned thru some metal, other's I've welded both sides.  Question is how can I put a bit of a camber back in the axle?  I probably won't ever haul more than 3k on this trailer.  The axle has been cut before and re-welded w/ an angle in it.  I've read on this site something about the metal bending when heated, but do I weld on the side I want to bend towards, or away from? Should I even mess w/ a camber at all? How thick will the wall of a 3" diameter axle designed for 6k lb hubs be? Will I be ok grinding an angle, welding, grinding, and rewelding? Should it be reinforced w/ a sleeve? Any help would be great.  I'll be gone til sunday, but try to post some pics then.  Oh yeah, other than a string and a square, is there an easy way to ensure the axle is square when I move the spring mounts forward a bit?
Reply:Originally Posted by 12gunsI'm new here...great sight w/ tons of info!  My uncle recently gave me an old trailer made out of a mobile home axle...6k lbs I think.  I've replaced hubs w/ lug-nut style, new wheels, tires, jack stand, bulldog coupler, etc.  I cut the width down from 6' to 5' for trailering behind my Tacoma.  If anyone needs to know how many cutting discs for an angle grinder you will need for a project like this...it's abou 50!  Almost rented a cutting torch, but then I'd just have to grind down the edges.Anyway, the main frame is 3" angle iron, the tounge is "a frame" style, but has 4" square tubing running halfway down the middle for I-beam support. I've done all my work w/ a small 80 amp mig, going as slow as possible and grinding a bevel where needed.  Welds are fine, burned thru some metal, other's I've welded both sides.  Question is how can I put a bit of a camber back in the axle?  I probably won't ever haul more than 3k on this trailer.  The axle has been cut before and re-welded w/ an angle in it.  I've read on this site something about the metal bending when heated, but do I weld on the side I want to bend towards, or away from? Should I even mess w/ a camber at all? How thick will the wall of a 3" diameter axle designed for 6k lb hubs be? Will I be ok grinding an angle, welding, grinding, and rewelding? Should it be reinforced w/ a sleeve? Any help would be great.  I'll be gone til sunday, but try to post some pics then.  Oh yeah, other than a string and a square, is there an easy way to ensure the axle is square when I move the spring mounts forward a bit?
Reply:Originally Posted by 12gunsI'm new here...great sight w/ tons of info!  .....Oh yeah, other than a string and a square, is there an easy way to ensure the axle is square when I move the spring mounts forward a bit?
Reply:tanglediver; trailerhouse axles are meant to make 3 trips. From manufacturer to dealer, dealer to customer, customer back to dealer if repoed. Thats what my trailer parts supplier says.
Reply:While I dislike the use of mobile home axles to make trailer the fact that he's doing this with an 80 amp mig makes the quality of the axle a moot point. get yourself another 50 disks, grind it apart and beg barrow or steal a welder that's up to the task before you pull it down the road.
Reply:Thanks for the replies.  I've been told these axle's were "one time use" and not suited for highway time, but I've also found out that they take a standard #42 spindle/hub.  Mine has 6-leaf springs and yes, the camber setting job was crappy at best.  I've since flipped the axle and need to move the spring mounts in (new mounts) an inch or so.  I will only be using this trailer maybe a dozen times a year for small trips here and there, and likely won't have over 2k lbs on it.  I'm not too worried about tire wear if I don't get the angle perfect. I guess it's time to upgrade to a bigger welder.  I may look into a arc welder due to price.  I won't be using it very often, but would like to have one around none the less.Thanks again!
Reply:Originally Posted by Bobtanglediver; trailerhouse axles are meant to make 3 trips. From manufacturer to dealer, dealer to customer, customer back to dealer if repoed. Thats what my trailer parts supplier says.
Reply:There was 3 trailer manufactures in the town I grew up in. !/2 of the trailers in town were made from mobile home stuff. In thoses days, the mid 80's, the tires were the biggest problem. The lack of camber was fairly easy to fix with a rosebud and a handfull of wet rags. Of course like anything else I'm sure that the quality of these parts has fallen to the bare minimum required for the job or less.
Reply:I'm just a little curious about the "need" for a cambered axle.I have built well over 500 trailers to date and only use a cambered axle(s) if that's what the supplier sent. There is no real need for a cambered axle at all if the trailer owner / user knows how to properly load it. The springs are rated at approx 85% of their max load and the same with the axles. So to make a long story short, if you have a 3500 lb. axle with 1750 lb. springs you could actually load 4550 lbs. (3500 lbs. plus 30 %) on it before the risk of failure. All the camber is there for is to help prevent the axle from failure in the result of an overload,  in essence  nothing more than an added insurance policy from the axle builder.A cambered axle also helps in the deterioration of the bushings in the springs from the added pressure from increased side load. When you tighten the u-bolts to secure the cambered axle it twists the springs a little and puts a bind on the mounting (pivot) points.Now for the most serious issue at hand, I DO NOT recommend welding an axle together with an 80 amp machine, most axle tubes are any where from 5/16" to 3/8" tube (or thicker) depending on the ratings. I would also suggest placing a piece of heavy walled tube inside of the axle at least 12" on each side of the seam and forget about the angle iron that was mentioned earlier in your post.  As far as squaring the springs to the coupler, simply measure back the same distance from the front edge of the trailer and clamp your spring perches in place. Take and measure from the spring perch to the center of the coupler and make sure the numbers match. Adjust accordingly. DaveI am what I am, Deal with it!If necessity is the Mother of Invention, I must be the Father of Desperation!
Reply:Originally Posted by dabar39I'm just a little curious about the "need" for a cambered axle.I have built well over 500 trailers to date and only use a cambered axle(s) if that's what the supplier sent. There is no real need for a cambered axle at all if the trailer owner / user knows how to properly load it. The springs are rated at approx 85% of their max load and the same with the axles. So to make a long story short, if you have a 3500 lb. axle with 1750 lb. springs you could actually load 4550 lbs. (3500 lbs. plus 30 %) on it before the risk of failure. All the camber is there for is to help prevent the axle from failure in the result of an overload,  in essence  nothing more than an added insurance policy from the axle builder.A cambered axle also helps in the deterioration of the bushings in the springs from the added pressure from increased side load. When you tighten the u-bolts to secure the cambered axle it twists the springs a little and puts a bind on the mounting (pivot) points.Now for the most serious issue at hand, I DO NOT recommend welding an axle together with an 80 amp machine, most axle tubes are any where from 5/16" to 3/8" tube (or thicker) depending on the ratings. I would also suggest placing a piece of heavy walled tube inside of the axle at least 12" on each side of the seam and forget about the angle iron that was mentioned earlier in your post.  As far as squaring the springs to the coupler, simply measure back the same distance from the front edge of the trailer and clamp your spring perches in place. Take and measure from the spring perch to the center of the coupler and make sure the numbers match. Adjust accordingly. Dave
Reply:Originally Posted by 12gunsI've been told these axle's were "one time use" and not suited for highway time,
Reply:With new, custom made (length, spring width, etc.) axles available for about $ 100.00 a pop, why take a chance?