Opinions wanted on my fender design

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Opinions wanted on my fender design

Postby cracker39 » Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:50 am

I still want a fender in the shape of my camper. Maybe just to be unique, but I like it. I orginally made the fender "closed faced", that is, no cutout to help remove the tire, which meant I needed to make the fender removable and have the hardware to do that.

I redesigned the fender to be "open faced", which means that the fender can be mounted permanently. I am undecided if the open faced fender looks as good as the closed faced, and want your opinion on which one you think looks best. Here are the two designs:


Open Faced:
Image

Closed faced:
Image
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Postby Loader » Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:55 am

Dale,

I like the closed face, think it looks better, seems to give a more finished look. But, who am I, I'm using store bought round over fenders. :lol:

Like you mention, the concern to remove the tire. So, how is the closed face going to allow that? Is the outer panel going to be removeable, or the entire fender lift off?

Is there a way to work one that is in the middle of the full open and full closed and still leave room for pulling the tire? :thinking:

That is gonna be one fine trailer when complete! :thumbsup:
Last edited by Loader on Sun Mar 12, 2006 9:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby repete » Sun Mar 12, 2006 9:00 am

My vote is for closed-face as well.
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Postby sHoootR » Sun Mar 12, 2006 9:07 am

Closed face here :thumbsup:
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Postby kirtsjc » Sun Mar 12, 2006 9:13 am

sHoootR wrote:Closed face here :thumbsup:



Yeph, closed face looks better...
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Postby 48Rob » Sun Mar 12, 2006 9:41 am

Dale,

They both have their merits...

Something to consider before deciding that it must be removeable, is that when the trailer is jacked up (to change a tire) the body will raise quite a bit above the centerline of the hub.
May be enough clearance...

Based on your drawing, even the full skirt may allow the wheel to be removed?

Look at this picture of my other trailer, there is no cutout, and the wheel can be removed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/ ... tsman1.jpg

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Postby JunkMan » Sun Mar 12, 2006 10:18 am

48Rob wrote:Something to consider before deciding that it must be removeable, is that when the trailer is jacked up (to change a tire) the body will raise quite a bit above the centerline of the hub.
May be enough clearance...


That will only work if you jack the trailer up by the frame, not the axel.

I like the closed look too, maybe a removable shirt is the answer.
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Postby cracker39 » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:40 am

OK...sounds like most of you agree with my original look...closed. I've already worked out the tire removal problem. I posted this a while back on another thread. The entire fender is removable.

Image

These are the connectors I got from Rockler.

Image

With on part of the connector recessed in a dado, the gap between fender and wall will be less than a quarter of an inch. At each inside end of the fender, at the bottom, I'll have a bracket that swings under the side to keep the fender from bouncing upward.

Thanks for the help in deciding.
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Postby cracker39 » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:44 am

BUT...before I make them removable, I will check to see just how much clearance I do have for remving the tire and wheel. I may be able to do it with them attached. If I can, then I just have connectors for some other project.
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Postby Ira » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:45 am

Totally off topic:

I cut MY fender sides yesterday!
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Postby cracker39 » Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:49 am

I am waiting breathlessly to see them...hurry up and get them done. It will be a while before I am ready to work on fenders. That's after it is skinned and ready to paint.
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Postby 48Rob » Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:52 pm

JunkMan wrote;

That will only work if you jack the trailer up by the frame, not the axel.



Yes, you're right.

The following is not directed at you, just general info for all to consider...

I'm not a fan of jacking on the axle, I much prefer to use the frame.

While many do jack on the axle, it can be a risky thing.
You're compressing the spring, which can have a nasty side effect if the axle slips off the jack...

The other danger, is that while most folks would have the trailer safely coupled to the tow vehicle while changing a tire, some may not.

When you jack under the axle, you are lifting at or ahead of the balance point.
Whenever lifting a trailer, you should have three points touching the ground at all times.

The normal points on a tear or single axle trailer are; the two wheels, and the tongue jack.

When you jack up one side, the jack replaces the wheel (as one of the three points).
When you jack at or ahead of the balance point, the wheel and tongue support come off the ground...leaving only two points.

At this stage, the slightest nudge or sneeze can cause the trailer to pivot.
If you're lucky, it will pivot away from you, if not...

Each year, people die because they were jacking up a trailer, and it crushed them...all it takes to prevent this is three points...

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Postby Mitheral » Sun Mar 12, 2006 1:19 pm

I'm having trouble seeing how jacking under the axle at the spring perch is more dangerous than the trailer sitting on both wheels. Assuming your jacking just high enough to change a tire you've actually constrained the motion more than the tire does.

The disadvantage to jacking on the frame instead of the axle is you have to jack the trailer much higher because you can't change the tire until all the slack is out of the suspension. Your trailer is higher in the air and you have more leverage to overturn the jack. It's one of the reasons those old style bumper jacks were so dangerous. Whenever possible I jack at the spring perch.

Just make sure your jack is short enough to fit under the axle when you have a flat tire. You can dig a hole under a jack to make it fit on a dirt road but you've got a serious problem on ashphalt, DAMHIKT.
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Postby Ira » Sun Mar 12, 2006 1:49 pm

This is pretty interesting.

All I know is that with my inexpensive, small and convenient bottle jack, you HAVE to jack it under the axle. It doesn't extend enough otherwise.
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Postby cracker39 » Sun Mar 12, 2006 3:29 pm

If you jack up the trailer under the axle, it should be as close to the wheel as possible. That way, you keep the weight on the tongue and other wheel. Jacking up the axle near the wheel just transfers the weight on that wheel to the jack. It should change the weight on the tongue or other wheel only slightly, and then, I would think it would increase the weight on those other two points, not lessen it. Now, if you jack it up in the center of the axle, you are changing the weight distribution much more radically.

And I would not want to try it unless the trailer was hooked to the tow vehicle to make sure it was steady and wouldn't roll off the jack. I've had that happen before I wised up.
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