Axles Worn Out - What To Do?

This is what I have so far. Am I missing or misunderstanding anything regarding this?

REPAIR - 3,500lb

Spindle: https://www.ebay.com/itm/292806391674
- HD 3" tube
- $237 (two needed)
- $60 shipping (two needed)
Bearing and seal kit: https://www.ebay.com/itm/351380741008
- $44 (one needed)
Springs: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Leaf-Springs/etrailer/e22YR.html
- $65 (four needed)
Suspension kit: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Leaf-Spring-Suspension/Dexter/K71-449-00.html
- $244 (one needed)
U-bolts 3": https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Leaf-Spring-Suspension/Dexter/SP01-060.html
- $27 (two needed)

Total: $1,196


UPGRADE - 6000lb

Complete axle: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Axles/etrailer/e73SR.html
- $486 (two needed)
- 6 on 5.5
Conversion kit: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Leaf-Spring-Suspension/Dexter/K71-384-00.html
- $64 (two needed)
Springs: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Leaf-Springs/etrailer/e94SR.html
- $75 (four needed)
Suspension kit: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Leaf-Spring-Suspension/Dexter/K71-449-00.html
- $244 (one needed)
Wheels: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Tires-and-Wheels/Americana/AM33NR.html
- $118 (four needed)

Total: $2,116

The upgrade will also need welding for the spring mounts and moving tires over to the new wheels. Maybe I can sell the old Lionshead wheels? Not sure if they are worth anything though. No damage on them.

I would like the Dexter EZ-Flex but they are a bit pricey for me right now. :/

I would go with the 6K upgrade. with 6 lug wheels you could then upgrade to 16" wheels and run LT tires. This opens up a HUGE selection of quality LT tires. The cheapest LT tire is better than any ST tire. (3500# axles generally have 5 lugs and 6 lug 16" wheels are not mass produced)

P.S.You can get steel white spoke wheels a lot cheaper.
I personally think they are better. A road hazard can crack an aluminum wheel which ruins it. Steel wheels bend. A bent wheel can often be bent back with a hammer good enough to be servicable. I have done this, and seen others do it.
 
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Okay, consider me slightly confused. You have a set of axles that aren't damaged, but you're thinking of replacing them? From what I've read your trailer has a GVWR of about 7,500 lbs, and you want to put 6,000 lb. rated axles under it. It probably wouldn't hurt anything but your wallet, but what's the rationale? Seems to me axles and springs are rated at what they are for a reason, simply changing things out willy-nilly may not be such a great idea. Axles generally do have a camber, and I assume that is for a reason. Will putting a pair of 6,000 lb. rated springs on a trailer that will unlikely ever be over 8,000 lbs. allow the axles to flex as I would imagine they're supposed to?

I've felt the difference on two different trailers between solid equalizers and the EZ-Flex equalizers, and it is worth every penny you pay for it. The jolt you get from bridge approaches and expansion joints just basically disappear.

Anyway, this is JMO of course.
 
For aluminum trailer wheels I got mine from http://sendelwheel.com/ when I upgraded for 15" to 16". Axles were 6 lug 5.5 spacing. I ordered them through Discount tire. I got two extra so I could rotate my spars in the mix.

The have a large selection of sizes and styles and list the load ratings so you know what your getting.
 
Okay, consider me slightly confused. You have a set of axles that aren't damaged, but you're thinking of replacing them? From what I've read your trailer has a GVWR of about 7,500 lbs, and you want to put 6,000 lb. rated axles under it. It probably wouldn't hurt anything but your wallet, but what's the rationale? Seems to me axles and springs are rated at what they are for a reason, simply changing things out willy-nilly may not be such a great idea. Axles generally do have a camber, and I assume that is for a reason. Will putting a pair of 6,000 lb. rated springs on a trailer that will unlikely ever be over 8,000 lbs. allow the axles to flex as I would imagine they're supposed to?

I've felt the difference on two different trailers between solid equalizers and the EZ-Flex equalizers, and it is worth every penny you pay for it. The jolt you get from bridge approaches and expansion joints just basically disappear.

Anyway, this is JMO of course.

The axle place said they are not damaged but I have 2 degrees of negative camber on one axle (destroyed a set of tires down to the steel banding) and toe is wrong on both axles. From my reading on this it seems the only way to fix that is to bend the axles. To me that seems "damaged" despite what they say. Am I misunderstanding? So for my repair option I would just replace the spindles and bearings because the brakes, etc. are fine.

I don't particularly want 6000lb axles but when trying to find the best upgrade options for the length I need etrailer didn't have 4,400lb or 5,200lb axles that work. At least I didn't see them. I guess the advantage of upgrading is that I don't need to worry about this happening again...?

Thanks!
 
Well, IMO, if the axles caused the tires to be destroyed, then they aren't good to use. Whether you need 12,000 lbs. of carrying ability for a 7,500 lb. trailer is another question entirely.
 
Well, IMO, if the axles caused the tires to be destroyed, then they aren't good to use. Whether you need 12,000 lbs. of carrying ability for a 7,500 lb. trailer is another question entirely.

I found a 4,400lb spindle that is 86.50 HF for $236:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/293948325978

but once I add in hub/drums and brakes this will end up being the same or more expensive than the 6,000lb complete axle for $486 from etrailer. So no I don't need 12,000lb of capacity but if it's cheaper... ;)


I will see what Iron Bear has to offer in the 4,400 - 5,200 range and also there is another company I have found that I have emailed.
 
I found a 4,400lb spindle that is 86.50 HF for $236:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/293948325978

but once I add in hub/drums and brakes this will end up being the same or more expensive than the 6,000lb complete axle for $486 from etrailer. So no I don't need 12,000lb of capacity but if it's cheaper... ;)


I will see what Iron Bear has to offer in the 4,400 - 5,200 range and also there is another company I have found that I have emailed.
While it may be cheaper, will it work well for your application? Will the heavier rated axle flex enough to not retain some of the camber that they come with? If you ruin tires because your axle won't straighten out due to insufficient weight, you're no better off than you were before. Bigger is not always the answer.

I have no facts or backing about any of that, but I also feel they rate things for a reason. I'd talk to someone you trust, and actually knows what their talking about rather than just parroting what they read on the Internet. :)

For that light of a trailer I wouldn't hesitate to go with a lighter rated axle. A 4,400 lb. rated axle still puts you at 1,000 lbs. over your rated weight. And if you consider you may be running at your GVWR of 7,500 lbs., you'd have around 800 lbs. on the tongue. That would lower the actual axle carrying weight to 6,700 lbs.
 
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That is a good point.

Here are some pics. The axle place said that these are all worn out...?

IMG-1702.jpg

IMG-1703.jpg

IMG-1704.jpg

IMG-1705.jpg

IMG-1706.jpg
 
Hard to tell exactly from this angle, but those springs don't look as bad as some I've seen. Honestly I had expected severely flattened springs on a 2018. Those could most likely do with replacing, but since they don't look like a "w" I'd consider that the carrying capacity of the axles and springs are pretty close to what works for your trailer. JMO of course. And, seriously, junk those solid equalizers, they make for a very harsh ride.
 
6k axles are really overkill for your trailer. I'd go 4400#...maybe consider 5200#. The 5200 come with 6 lug hubs...


However...if you go with 6k axles...one axle is good enough to carry your trailer unloaded.....it has an unloaded vehicle weight of 5900 pounds.:rolleyes:
 
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While it may be cheaper, will it work well for your application? Will the heavier rated axle flex enough to not retain some of the camber that they come with? If you ruin tires because your axle won't straighten out due to insufficient weight, you're no better off than you were before. Bigger is not always the answer.

I have no facts or backing about any of that, but I also feel they rate things for a reason. I'd talk to someone you trust, and actually knows what their talking about rather than just parroting what they read on the Internet. :)

For that light of a trailer I wouldn't hesitate to go with a lighter rated axle. A 4,400 lb. rated axle still puts you at 1,000 lbs. over your rated weight. And if you consider you may be running at your GVWR of 7,500 lbs., you'd have around 800 lbs. on the tongue. That would lower the actual axle carrying weight to 6,700 lbs.

The entire industry builds these things as cheap as possible. Axle problems are reported here frequently. I have had my own on previous units. Upgrading the running gear is a great idea if one plans on keeping it a while. Why waste money buying another axle of the same rating when it failed....Unless one likes replacing axles for a hobby. Upgrade whatever fails and move on to a differerent problem.
 
The entire industry builds these things as cheap as possible. Axle problems are reported here frequently. I have had my own on previous units. Upgrading the running gear is a great idea if one plans on keeping it a while. Why waste money buying another axle of the same rating when it failed....Unless one likes replacing axles for a hobby. Upgrade whatever fails and move on to a differerent problem.
Well, according to the trailer shop, the axles have not failed. Upgrading isn't a bad idea, I went with heavier rated springs. But if the axles on that trailer are sufficient to handle the weight, and they in decent shape, why spend money needlessly? And why would you need 12,000 lbs. of carrying capacity, when the whole trailer weighs less than 8,000 lbs.?
 
The entire industry builds these things as cheap as possible. Axle problems are reported here frequently. I have had my own on previous units. Upgrading the running gear is a great idea if one plans on keeping it a while. Why waste money buying another axle of the same rating when it failed....Unless one likes replacing axles for a hobby. Upgrade whatever fails and move on to a differerent problem.

Exactly why I made an appoint with Morryde for IS this fall. I don't want to throw good money after bad. I have convinced myself that it is an investment on my depreciating asset!
 
Well, according to the trailer shop, the axles have not failed. Upgrading isn't a bad idea, I went with heavier rated springs. But if the axles on that trailer are sufficient to handle the weight, and they in decent shape, why spend money needlessly? And why would you need 12,000 lbs. of carrying capacity, when the whole trailer weighs less than 8,000 lbs.?

Reliability

When I became aware that GD was going to start making 8K axles an option on my Momentum, I added them to my order. All three of my previous TTs needed the running gear upgraded.
I have a low opinion of the validity of the ratings. Hopefully the 8K axles will spare me the chore of making upgrades to my present 398M.
 
The axle place said they are not damaged but I have 2 degrees of negative camber on one axle (destroyed a set of tires down to the steel banding) and toe is wrong on both axles. From my reading on this it seems the only way to fix that is to bend the axles. To me that seems "damaged" despite what they say. Am I misunderstanding? So for my repair option I would just replace the spindles and bearings because the brakes, etc. are fine.

I don't particularly want 6000lb axles but when trying to find the best upgrade options for the length I need etrailer didn't have 4,400lb or 5,200lb axles that work. At least I didn't see them. I guess the advantage of upgrading is that I don't need to worry about this happening again...?

Thanks!

Which axle place in Tucson are you dealing with? With negative camber the axle tube is bent. GD specifies LW tubes with Dexter. LW tubes are 0.16 thick. Dexter makes 3 tubes. Light wall, standard, and HW. If ordering I suggest HW.

MY Reflection 220RK is just shy of 9000 GVW. I bent both axles on my Alaska trip and did a whole lot of research on the axles. With the light wall if someone uses a jack on the tube it will most likely bend it. I had taken it to a truck frame shop and the said they could bend them back, but being and engineer I know that wont last long as it weakens the tube. Also the price to bend back was more than half the cost of new.

I also wanted to lift my trailer slightly for my new truck. So after talking with Iron bear the ordered 3.5" HW tube (7K tube) with 6K hubs to match my rims. HW in the 3.5" tube is 1/2" thick.

I also went with 6 leaf 3K springs. This got me the 1 to 1.5" lift I was looking for. Overkill - yep, but I plan to keep the trailer for a while. The trailer tows better too . I wanted things bullet proof. I also added the HD shackles and wet bolts (Morryde)

The trailer actually rides better with less stuff moving around. The initial spring compression rate is the same as my old 2200 springs - the first 3 leafs are the same.

Some folks were concerned about the built in camber being too much, but after 6K miles no adverse wear pattern. Also going to a 6K axle got me 12" brakes - a big improvement over the 10"

Last reason is you can find parts almost anywhere on the road for the 6K axle, but the 4400 or 5200 are considered orphans. Probably what e-trailer does not stock them.

Hope this helps
 
Iron Bear quoted $2,400 plus $300 shipping. They said that the only difference between 5,200lb and 6,000lb was the bearings. This price is without new wheels. They recommended 6K over 5.2K.
 
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Which axle place in Tucson are you dealing with? With negative camber the axle tube is bent.

Arizona Spring Company. I wouldn't recommend them. My brakes were screwed up when I picked it up after the inspection. I called them but they said they didn't touch the brakes or even take the wheels off.
 
Iron Bear quoted $2,400 plus $300 shipping. They said that the only difference between 5,200lb and 6,000lb was the bearings. This price is without new wheels. They recommended 6K over 5.2K.
Interesting about the axles being the same except for bearings. I guess the next selection is spring ratings. I still wonder about the arch of the axles, and whether the lighter weight trailer is going to supply the heft to put the arch where it should be. But it may be one of those things that can be simply overthought. :)
 

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