torsion trailer axle question

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I'm in the process of fabbing a tongue and mounting a torsion bar axle under a Lincoln SA200 project. My question is, does it really matter which direction the torsion bar axle is mounted? I would like to mount it backwards if that makes sense so that I can clear the oil drain plug and get my tongue weight reasonable.I'm curious if it needs to be mounted direction specific to work properly. I will post pics later to better illustrate my question, thanks.
Reply:Yes it matters which 'direction' a torsion axle is mounted.Dexter Axle show the torsion arm 'behind' the axle and 'away' from the front of the trailer.YMMV.  So look up the 'specs' on the axle itself.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:I'm sure it matters but I'm looking for people with real world experiance that could tell me in my application would it be a big deal and why. All the specs say is it's a #2000 axle and I've got around #1300 on it so weight wise I'm fine. I don't see much if any highway use in this machines future, mostly around town stuff.
Reply:It will be getting the "shocks" from the wrong direction.  Instead of springing upward on the rim of a pothole it will jam against it.  Look at the bright side tho.  It will be an awesome ride when backing up.
Reply:I can't answer your question, but it reminds me of the shackle location on leaf sprung jeeps. Lots of them had the shackle located on the front of the spring, which causes the axle to move forward as the spring is compressed when you hit a bump. Factory setup for many years. There are aftermarket shackle reversal kits that claim to be better because the axle moves back  as you hit bumps. Seems like it should be better, but both ways work.I'd ask the manufacturer if you haven't done so, or try posing the question to a good trailer shop if you know one.  Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. Good luck.
Reply:Is a 9k lb wood chipper enough real world experience for you - only towed up and down a mountain....Torsions work very similar to regular suspension systems. The axle must be in the front, otherwise when then suspension flexes it will pull the force to the back. If you put the axle in the back you will need to recalculate the force that will be put n the axle from the trailer to identify the proper axle placement. You stated that it will be mostly non-highway use, but in the event that it does go on the highway if you don't follow the manufacturers specs you could be potentially signing some ones death note if there is an accidentWhen all else fails, consult manufacturers recommendations. In the event of an accident if you do something other than the manufacturer intended your opening yourself up to a whole new can of worms. Odds are the engineers who designed it know way more about design than you doLast edited by smokin_dodge; 12-23-2011 at 08:41 PM.
Reply:If an axle happened to be factory set for toe-in then that would be off when the axle is flipped around."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:Yes, it must be "trailing" for proper functioning of the axle. Remember that tongue weight is a plus for any trailer and a long tongue is also helpful for short trailer tracking and backing. I think that if you were to mount it in reverse, you might risk real trouble if you were to hit a deep pothole or try to mount a curb. The axle might not compress but try to reverse itself.
Reply:Well the simple answer is Yes.Want more info?Well it won’t work as well, until you spend time and money to fix/correct it.The toe in, and camber will both be incorrect “caster can work either way”. If you have a good frame shop around; after you have it built, they will be able to bend it back into specs.If I needed to install the axle the off way because of clearance issues/fit I would. Although I would think about for a couple of days before, and see if I could accomplish the same thing without having to give some frame shop $200-$400 plus the time to get it done.Good luck and have fun.
Reply:The ride would be bad in some kind of way mounted backward. There must be a better solution. No toe-in on trailer axles, only front steering axles get that.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