When towing a trailer that contains a load, the axles underneath the trailer perform significant works. The axles work to provide stability to the trailer and manage the force acting upon it. Because of the significant role that the trailer axles play in towing a trailer, it is essential to consider the ratings for those axles when purchasing or upgrading a trailer.
The correct axle for a trailer is dependent upon the amount of weights that the trailer will have when it is full of it’s contents. Small trailers that contain small amount of cargo will require only a single axle. However, trailers with a significant amount of cargo will require two axles or even more to ensure that the weight is distributed appropriate.
How to Choose and Check Trailer Axles and Tires
A popular choice for trailers such as travel trailers is the use of tandem axle, which distribute the weight of the trailer and reduce the amount of trailer sway experienced by the trailer’s tow vehicle. In the case that one axle fail, the other will allow the trailer to continue operating. Additionally, trailers that are specifically construct for commercial use will have a triple setup of axles because the weight of the trailer’s cargo will be so great that even a two-axle trailer will come close to the limits of those axles.
The suspension system for trailers can use leaf, torsion, or drop axles. People popularly use leaf axles because they are simple in their construction, they are durable, and they are relatively inexpensive to replace. In contrast, torsion axles are relatively more expensive at the time of purchase, but they offer the trailer occupant a smoother ride over rough roads and require almost no maintenance is performed on the trailer.
Drop axles allow trailers to have a lower deck height to make loading easy. However, if the trailer does not have to be loaded at a great deal of an angle, straight axles are a simpler system to construct. The suspension system will be dependent upon the type of roads that the trailer is to travel and the amount of maintenance that is to be performed on the trailer.
Due to the importance of towing trailers, the tires used on trailers are critical component. Additionally, these trailer tires are the first component to fail on trailers that dont adhere to the weight ratings of the trailer. It is important to use special trailer tires instead of the tires that are made for passenger cars because trailer tires are constructed to handle the load and the conditions experienced by trailers.
The use of passenger car tires will result in the failure of the trailer tires. Additionally, it is essential to ensure that the trailer’s tire weights match the weight ratings of the trailer’s axles. If the tires are under-rated relative to the axles, the tires will overheat and lose pressure.
However, if overbuilt trailer tires are placed on a light axle, those overbuilt trailer tires will create a false sense of security for the trailer. In order to ensure the safety of the trailer and the trailer owner, the tow vehicle, and the trailer’s contents, it is important to calculate the weight that will be distributed upon each of the trailer’s axles. Each axle will have a gross axle weight rating stamp onto the trailer.
This weight is the maximum safe load that can be distributed upon that axle. The actual load of the trailer will have various factor that impact its weight upon the axles. In order to determine the actual weight of the trailer, it is essential to place the trailer on a scale to determine the real number of the trailer’s weight.
Additionally, the tongue weight will also need to be measured. To find the weight that is distributed to each axle, the tongue weight will be subtracted from the total weight of the trailer and that number will be divide by the number of axles the trailer has. This number will indicate the actual load of the trailer.
This number should be compared to the weight ratings of each of the trailer axles. The difference between the axle ratings and the actual load is the safety margin of the trailer. This margin should be as great as possible.
The weight of a trailer and the distribution of that weight will have a significant effect upon the handling of the trailer and the stability of the trailer. If the trailer has too much of its weight placed behind the axles, it will sway significant while being towed. Additionally, if there is too much of the trailer’s weight placed onto the tongue of the trailer, the tow vehicle’s rear end will squat and the tow vehicle will exhibit a reduced steering response.
For these reasons, it is essential to ensure that the tongue weight is within a specific range to ensure that the trailer is stable without overloading any component. There are various warning signs that indicate that a trailer component is on the verge of failing. For axles and trailer tires specifically, warning signs such as sagging of the trailer springs, even wear of the trailer tires, heat within the trailer hubs, and trailer sway at highway speeds all indicate that the axle or trailer tire is working beyond its design limits.
The discovery of any of these signs is indicative of the need to reposition the trailer’s cargo or to upgrade the axles to a higher capacity in order to avoid the component failure on the road. The weight of the trailer will have an impact upon the trailer’s brakes. In most states, trailers will be required to have brakes on at least one axle if the trailer weighs three thousand pound or more.
However, trailers that do not reach this weight will not have to adhere to these rules. Additionally, trailers that are heavier than these amounts will have brakes on each of its axles and will have a breakaway system with each trailer. A breakaway system will automatically apply the trailer brakes if the trailer becomes separated from the tow vehicle.
These rules exist for trailers because a tow vehicle will need to be able to stop in a significant amount of time which requires a significant amount of brake surface on the trailer. In order to ensure that the trailer axles can handle the weight of the trailer, it is important for trailer owners to use the charts and diagrams that trailer manufacturers provide for trailers. These charts indicate the appropriate number of axles, the weight limit of each axle, and the safety margin for trailers of specific types and sizes.
By understanding the specification of the trailer and the load that it will have to haul, trailer owners can make simpler decision regarding the trailers that are to be purchased or driven.
