flexiride and ground clearance

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Re: flexiride and ground clearance

Postby Woodbutcher » Sun Nov 24, 2013 2:00 pm

It is a continuous weld. No I would not change anything.
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Re: flexiride and ground clearance

Postby alaska teardrop » Sun Nov 24, 2013 2:41 pm

jonnyo wrote:my trailer frame aluminum 6.5 x 13 36'' tongue

Image

1. dexter torsion vs flexiride: i know how to install a dexter with side mount. you weld the side mount to the frame and bolt the axle. simple
    The Dexter side mount is made steel. You can't weld it to aluminum. So, both brands mount the same.
flexiride: how do you install those? i cant find any good documentation??? there website isnt great to education and informe. Do you need to drill the main frame and bolt the axle in it? is it a problem to drill holes in my 2X3 aluminum frame???? Anyone as good pictures of there set up? i would prefer a flexiride as i could set the trailer for road condition with lower drag and also have option to set it up for light off road...dirt road trips.....
    Which Flexiride axle are you planning on using? If it's the 2000/1400#, the difference in start angle from 42* down to 6* up is equal to about 3-1/2" in ride height. You could use the Flexiride at 24* down or the Dexter at 22-1/2* down and gain more change in ride height with less hassle by having a set of street tires & a taller set for off highway.
2. what is the minimum ground clearance that i can have on my frame. i want it as low as possible so it dosnt come up much pass the subaru forester roofline. Trying to make it as good and easy to tow as possible for a ratter bigger ''tiny trailer''. what do i need to take into account with a 13 foot long trailer? would 10 inch ground clearance be enough? I define ground clearance from the side members of the frame...to the ground. The tongue goes under the frame and made of 2x3 and 3x3.... so that tongue will be 3'' lower... Is it the proper way to mesure?

any help would be appreciated.
    Have you drawn a profile view & determined the balance point in order to closely locate the axle? Using the approximate rule 40% from the rear would leave about a 5 foot overhang. That & with a 10" ride height, You'll have to be careful not to drag on inclines or dips in the road.
    :thumbsup: Looking good.
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Re: flexiride and ground clearance

Postby alaska teardrop » Sun Nov 24, 2013 2:57 pm

jonnyo wrote:photobucket.com/user/ironjohn36/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps23047c9b.jpg.html]Image[/URL]

Not the greatest pic. But yes, a nut and washer on top of the tube. I could not see any other holes. I look at it in person but can't see if they did something special inside.

That said, I think I understand what you describe and that would be a safer way to process. That said, I m only building something rated for 1/3 of the weight of that commercial trailer

    Jonnyo, In addition to the angle, there appears to be about a 1/4" x 6" x by full length plate welded on the outside of the frame rails. Also, according to the Snopro website, they use different extrusions rather than 2" x 3' x 1/8" rectangular tube.
    Image
Northern Lite Traveler design: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=51991
Minimalist torsion axle frame: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=12220
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Re: flexiride and ground clearance

Postby jonnyo » Sun Nov 24, 2013 4:09 pm

thank you Alaska Teardrop for the great feedback.

Dexter does sell a ALUMINUM side mount. To my untrained eyes, it s simple look like a piece of angle aluminum with a few holes for bolting. You simply weld that to the trailer and then bolt the axle. That is what i currently have on my first build (rance aluminum trailer)

A after market company also make a spacer of 2.5'' or 3'' to attach to the side mount and lift the trailer. So, with all the good advice and the rather complex way to mount the flexiride( complex for me, i think it s easier to weld a side mount for my level of skills) i m gonna go for a dexter aiming at a ride height of about 12'' with 14'' wheels. and if i want to do some dirt road/ off the highway trip...i have the option later on to lifting everything with the spacer kit.
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Re: flexiride and ground clearance

Postby alaska teardrop » Sun Nov 24, 2013 7:41 pm

jonnyo wrote:thank you Alaska Teardrop for the great feedback.

Dexter does sell a ALUMINUM side mount. To my untrained eyes, it s simple look like a piece of angle aluminum with a few holes for bolting. You simply weld that to the trailer and then bolt the axle. That is what i currently have on my first build (rance aluminum trailer)
    Thanks for that information, Jonnyo. Can you supply a link, a source & maybe a picture of it installed on your Rance trailer?
A after market company also make a spacer of 2.5'' or 3'' to attach to the side mount and lift the trailer. So, with all the good advice and the rather complex way to mount the flexiride( complex for me, i think it s easier to weld a side mount for my level of skills) i m gonna go for a dexter aiming at a ride height of about 12'' with 14'' wheels. and if i want to do some dirt road/ off the highway trip...i have the option later on to lifting everything with the spacer kit.
    My concern is how well your 2x3x1/8 aluminum tube rails will hold up in terms of the fatigue & stress with that mounting arrangement. Compared to the Snopro design it seems awfully weak, IMO.
Northern Lite Traveler design: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=51991
Minimalist torsion axle frame: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=12220
Alaska Teardrop photo gallery: http://tnttt.com/gallery/album.php?album_id=2014
Glampette photo gallery; gallery/album.php?album_id=2983&sk=t&sd=d&st=0
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Re: flexiride and ground clearance

Postby jonnyo » Sun Nov 24, 2013 8:54 pm

Image

2x3 x1/8 with what seems like a 1/8'' angle about 25-30 inch long welded to the frame. then, the side mount is welded to this angle. This is a 2200lbs dexter torsion axle.

I m thinking 3/16 angle 48 inches long and weld the side mount to it.
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Re: flexiride and ground clearance

Postby aggie79 » Mon Nov 25, 2013 10:06 am

To bolt the flexiride axle through the frame and not crush the frame tubing, you may be able to use square washers that span the width of the frame tube. I used these for method to attach my safety chains. The a-frame tongue is 2" x 2" x 3/16 square tube. The safety chains are bolted on with 3/8" bolts using 2" x 2" x 1/4" thick square washers top and bottom.

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Re: flexiride and ground clearance

Postby alaska teardrop » Tue Nov 26, 2013 8:26 pm

jonnyo wrote:Image

2x3 x1/8 with what seems like a 1/8'' angle about 25-30 inch long welded to the frame. then, the side mount is welded to this angle. This is a 2200lbs dexter torsion axle.

I m thinking 3/16 angle 48 inches long and weld the side mount to it.

    Thanks for the pic, Jonnyo.
    Comments:
    As with Snopro, I've read that Rance also uses double or triple hollow extrusions for additional strength. Certainly stronger than your 2x3x1/8 tubing.
    The axle mount is an extra high profile, generally used on snowmachine trailers.
    If I'm looking at the aluminum side mount correctly, I'm surprised that the trailer & axle haven't parted company. It appears that four 2"x2"x1/8" aluminum tabs are all that holds the axle to the frame. Also, IMO, the weld across the top at the bend sets up the chance of fatigue.
I m thinking 3/16 angle 48 inches long and weld the side mount to it.
    Your tubing has square corners, but most angles have a radius on the inside corner. How will you get it to fit flat on both surfaces for welding?
    I have no way of calculating the strength, but I'll stick my neck out & offer another solution by using a 48"x3"x3"x1/2" straight leg structural channel.
    Image
    :designing: Fred
Northern Lite Traveler design: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=51991
Minimalist torsion axle frame: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=12220
Alaska Teardrop photo gallery: http://tnttt.com/gallery/album.php?album_id=2014
Glampette photo gallery; gallery/album.php?album_id=2983&sk=t&sd=d&st=0
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Re: flexiride and ground clearance

Postby KCStudly » Tue Nov 26, 2013 9:10 pm

I'd rather see the axle mounting pad under the main frame rail. What you show in the sketch will introduce a twisting moment in the thinner tube.

Also, 1/2 inch seems excessive to me for the bracket.

Don't mean to hit and run, so I will cogitate on a better solution.

This
Image
is a better arrangement that just needs a little improvement. It just looks like they cheaped out on the bolting tabs and skipped bolting to the bottom of the rail. The original design probably used thicker mill run stock, then some one decided that they could get away with making their own from some sheet they had on hand when they ran out of the more expensive extruded stuff. (Pure speculation on my part, and maybe a bit cynical, but this is how it happens in mass production; shave a buck here, a few pennies there, and before you know it you are producing a perfectly good piece of marginally engineered cr... er, crud.

So, referring to the above pic, keep the angle shape doubler that stiffens the main rail but flip it to the outside; in place of the bent tabs, weld a 1/4 thk scab plate vertically onto the inside of the main rail that extends down below the rail similar to the tabs shown to bolt thru the side of the axle mounting pad/bracket; and don't be afraid to weld bungs into the underside for helicoil thread inserts up thru the bottom of the sandwich to also bolt the axle to the bottom of the frame tube and reinforcing.

Helicoil thread insert kit link
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Re: flexiride and ground clearance

Postby jonnyo » Tue Nov 26, 2013 9:37 pm

thanks! very nice of you to take the time to draw this. your solution is in some way close to what aluma do.......good mind think alike?!!

I contacted Dexter:
-They said, what Rance does is the proper way to mount the axle on a aluminum trailer using the aluminum bracket mount. It s also the same bracket that dexter offer when purchasing a axle to be install on aluminum frame. They ask 50$ for the pair

-Rance doesnt use the special extrusion in the smaller trailer like mine. just a simple 2X3 X1/8 empty inside. They make holes in the tubes for wiring. They drill the flooring in the tubing also. They really dont seems concern with failure. I had no issue at all with the trailer in the 3 years i own it. Lots of miles, canadian winter and dirt road travel.

-Shadow catcher Mega mini use the dexter mounting recommendation also but with no reinforcement to the frame at all, just 3x1.5 X 1/8 tube.

but tonight, i might have found the ''perfect world'' mounting technic (aluma trailer) for DEXTER and FLEXIRIDE. you can adjuste the forward/rearward position anytimes....


Image

thank everyone for the contributions.... i m making great learning on this and will be able to take a better informed decision!!!
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Re: flexiride and ground clearance

Postby Onajourney » Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:45 am

I made a plate then welded it to the frame to bolt on the Flexride type axle. Image
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