Tire Clearance

[Sandino]

Morning folks - I think I may be making the leap from teardrop dreaming to the planning and scrounging stage. Picked up a salvaged axle from a Voyager Van, complete with springs and fancy alloy wheels - plan to build a 5 by 10 platform that can also be used as a utility trailer behind my S-10 when it isn't carrying a teardrop. The axle must be widened a bit, so I thought it wise to ask: what's the recommended clearance between tire and teardrop sides?? Thanks in advance for help on question #1 - somehow expect there may be more to follow.............Kevin S

[madjack]

Kevin, between 1 and 2 inches should be sufficient...you don't want to get out past that or you will have problems with fenders actually covering tires...
madjack

[asianflava]

I did 2 inches, it's a little bit much. My reasoning is that since I'm using relatively skinny tires, 175/75-14 it gives me more wiggle room if I decide to get a wider tire in the future.

But yeah, anywhere between 1 - 2 inches will be fine.

[Gerdo]

Speaking from experience a solid axle with leaf springs on a trailer need less space (about an inch, thats what I have and have had no rubbing.) and torsion axles need more space. The tire only deforms at the ground. With leafs there is very little side movement and with torsion axles they are mounted in rubber and will move in and out. Granted there won't be alot with a light trailer but I have seen wheels on a heavy (14,000 lb tandem axle) trailer move as much as 2" and lean as much as 3" (turning sharp in a parking/tight maneuvering. Granted you will not have the stress of that kind of weight nor the strain of tandem axles working against each other. On a torsion axle I would leave a little more than an inch.

[angib]

a solid axle with leaf springs on a trailer need less space and torsion axles need more space.

Interesting! I would have put it the other way round - I'd expect more side-to-side movement on a leaf sprung axle.

Andrew

[asianflava]

a solid axle with leaf springs on a trailer need less space and torsion axles need more space.

Interesting! I would have put it the other way round - I'd expect more side-to-side movement on a leaf sprung axle.

Andrew

Me too, that's why cars have "Panhard Rods" or for you NASCAR folks, a "Track Bar" to stop lateral movement. A torsion axle is fixed as far as lateral movement goes, the rubber is just to cushion the rotational movement.

[Gerdo]

On a torsion axle the axle tube is solid mounted but the "suspension" Is mounted in rubber. Most street autos with leaf suspension do not have panhard bars.

[madjack]

wheels mounted on torsion arms move straight up and down...the is virtually NO side to side movement...wheels mounted on a spring hung solid axle move in an arc as they go up and down and have side to side movement....
madjack

[Sam I am]

I often wondered about using the rear axle from a front drive vehicle on a teardrop. Those axles/wheels would have brakes on them, along with parking brake cables. What if you left the parking brake cables on, and shortened them a bit, and put a hand brake lever on the trailer tongue to operate them? Could you pull into a camp site and just yank the parking brake on and not have to mess with wheel chocks? It might also help with moving the trailer around on a sloping driveway, for example, so it doesn't run away from (or over) you. Anyone ever try this?
Sorry if I hijacked this thread!

[angib]

What if you left the parking brake cables on, and shortened them a bit, and put a hand brake lever on the trailer tongue to operate them?....... Anyone ever try this?

Errr, how about every Yurpeen trailer with brakes ever built?

The standard for trailer brakes over here is cable-operated mechanical drum brakes, operated by a mechanical surge coupler through cables:


However, using the parts from a car is illegal as only purpose-made trailer brakes, which auto-release when you reverse, are allowed.

What I find amazing is that all you Merkans are happy to have trailers without any form of parking brake on them - seems slightly mad to me (on trailers larger than a teardrop), but no doubt you're used to it.

I am really surprised that no-one ever seems to fit the electric brakes with cable parking brake feature that Dexter sell - but maybe the parking brake operating lever and conecting cables aren't easily available over there.

Andrew

[PaulC]

Andrew, Hate to say this but, down here they have a 750Kg(1650pounds) weight limit before you have to have brakes of any type on a trailer. Maybe we're as weird as the Merkans.

Cheers
Paul

[Sam I am]

Andrew, I'm sorry I was so uninformed about European trailers. This whole trailer thing is new to me. I like the idea of a parking brake on a trailer. It seems like it would add a large measure of safety and convenience! Maybe they will become standard equipment over here someday.