Advice on best/safest way to put new axle under trailer?

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Hopefully down the road soon I will have a shop and learn to weld as I have always wanted to. For now I will be finding someone in the area to do this for me, but I am not sure the best way to go about it. I bought a used 4x8 utility trailer off of CL, that needed a little more work than I thought. The axle appears to be an I-beam with very old chevy 6 lug hubs and shot bearings, to expensive to replace and hard to find. I pulled an axle from a 91' plymouth voyager, but I am unsure on the best way to fit the new axle under the trailer as the stock leaf springs and measurements are different than whats on the trailer. -Would it be best to just have 1/2" steel plates welded on the new axle, just like it looks on the old one for the springs to lay on and drill u-bolt holes? -Or assuming inside wheel base would not be a rubbing issue, cut about 4" out of the middle tube of the new axle and just use the stock u-bolt holes in the axle?-Also, I am having trouble finding u-bolts to fit these 1 3/4" wide leaf springs exactly, they all seem to be to wide? Say I have a 2 1/2" wide u-bolt, what would be the best way to shim the gap there?Old axle still on trailer:New axle:Already replaced all the wood from cross members up, just thought id throw this in....Any advice would be much appreciated. This will mainly be used for a camping this summer, and safety is #1 priority for my family while traveling and others on the road.
Reply:If the bearings are shot... wouldn't it make sense to install new bearings rather than replacing the entire axle? Pull the hubs and show us pictures of the spindles. If the aren't trashed then put on bearings and your done.
Reply:Looks like maybe a bolt on spindle? Look at getting a replacement spindle with conventional race & bearings. Takes me back to the days when wheel bearing maintenance was a normal part of a guys routine duties. We'd take those old ball bearings out to clean them up and the bearings would fall out of the retainer they were so worn. Pack them back up with grease and put 'em back in. Good for another year. As a parallel note, those bearings that are in there only lasted 60 years. They might be a tad expensive to replace but it seems like another sixty should get ya buy. "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:Well yes new bearings would seem like the logical way to go, Part# B01 and B02 for both sides will run me $180+ and shipping.......I got the new axle which is in great shape with good bearings plus 2 14" wheels with tires at 80% rubber for $39 total. One of the balls is missing on one side of old bearings........I repacked them anyways so they would be ok for a short trip around town but I am not putting any miles on this thing as is. Would appreciate opinions on my question as this is the route I have chosen to go now.Thanks
Reply:I use those same axles (the only useful part of a Voyager/Caravan, though the bodies make passable scrap dumpsters), and this is what I'd do in your situation.Buy a couple of premade spring perches and some U-bolts.  The perches are so inexpensive it's not worth making them. Trailer hardware is cheap, and postage cheaper than the gas to hunt it down in most casesExamples:http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/...xle-seats.aspxBolt the axle to your existing springs, tow it to a weldor, and have him weld the perches in place so the axle is in the position you want it when they are tacked. He may or may not be able to reach them with the axle installed depending on your trailer, but should have an easy shot at them in most cases. Since you will bring your tools with you and be ready to drop the axle if he requests, you are covered.The only reason for welding the perches in your case is that the "CaraVoyager" axle tube is offset from the axle axis, but it's only a few minutes worth of welding.The result will be plenty stout for your application. Inspect and clean and reassemble the axle before installation so you know everything is right.
Reply:Thanks for the good info farmall. Not to sound like an idiot, but I am a bit confused on how the "round perches" would fit. Would they sit length ways between the spring and axle, and the springs would lay in the middle of them (upside down from how they are pictured in the link)? And then I would drill new holes in the axle for the u-bolts? The main problem im having is that the voyager axle had springs that were 2 1/2 inches wide, and 52" from outside to outside of springs. The old axle springs measure 48" from outside to outside, so no matter what I do I cannot re-use the the stock u-bolt holes in the voyager axle unless I cut out part of the center tube and use wider than necassary u-bolts (as the springs are 1 3/4" wide). My original plan was to weld a 1/2" steel plate completely over the stock holes, that "hung over" where the axle drops down as that is where my inside-bolt holes will need to be, hence switching to my plan of welding plates as the builder had done. If that makes any sense to you....sorry long 10 hour day at work.Thanks again.Last edited by Mt.Hoodlum; 05-28-2011 at 10:53 PM.
Reply:Sorry farmall but I just can understand how the round seats would work as the springs will be sitting on the flat part of the axle over the inside stock u-bolt holes. I think im going with my plan of having a 1/4" to 1/2" thick steel plate that is 4 1/4" x 6" welded over the entire part of the axle there covering the original bolt holes and overhanging a bit on the inside of the axle where it drops down. I think this will give it the support needed as the springs are going to be closer together than the stock springs. -What is a fair price for someone to weld these 2 plates on for me? I could grind if needed and have the plates clamped on in place if necessary, but im not sure how to prep for welding. -Is the stock axle, a piece of I-beam worth anything that i could sell to a scrap yard or partially trade for welding services?thanks
Reply:maybe this picture will help. in addition to the axle seats i'd order some u-bolt plates at the same time. Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by Mt.Hoodlum. . .My original plan was to weld a 1/2" steel plate completely over the stock holes, that "hung over" where the axle drops down as that is where my inside-bolt holes will need to be. . .
Reply:Originally Posted by forhiremaybe this picture will help. in addition to the axle seats i'd order some u-bolt plates at the same time.
Reply:Alignment is a concern, but even more serious is integrity.Consider saving up a couple hundred bucks toward a custom fitted axle. The tire wear you save, along with the peace of mind are worth consideration.A proper axle replacement requires two main measurements.1.Measure hub face to hub face.Raise the trailer and remove both tires. Measure the distance from one hub face to the other by use of a pair of straight edges, each laid against the face, extending beyond the edge of the hub. Make a note of the distance.2.Measure spring center to spring center and make a note of that.Those measurements, along with a few other specifications, can be used to order a properly fitted, braking, trailer axle. Just FYIBut hey, it's all fun! http://www.replant.ca/photos2001_general.html Attached ImagesCity 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
Reply:Well the price changed to $100 minimum when I got to the shop to cut 3" out of the center tube and re-weld once they had a look at it....i understand shop time and that they have to make money but its not worth that to me. I got some 5x6" 3/8" thick plates today that I will bolt on to the axle and have the 9/16" u bolts and 1/4" u bolt plates on the way now so I will drill and bolt it all up and see how it goes. The spring plates on the axle are cast and they told me they could not weld plates to them.