Re: Where to place axels on a flat deck trailer ???

Posted by Deas Plant. on April 12, 2003 at 15:30:56 from (211.26.2.32):

In Reply to: Where to place axels on a flat deck trailer ??? posted by Alberta Mike on April 12, 2003 at 07:25:47:

Hi, Mike.
T-Bone and Don LC made a lot of sense.

You didn't say what sort of hitch you have or are planning on using. This will make quite a difference to axle placement too as the percentage of the load that you can transfer to the hauling vehicle will be largely governed by the hitch.

We have a thing called the Bartlett Ball hitch here in Australia - I don't know if it's available the U.S., but I'd reckon it would be - that is virtually a car tow ball on steroids, like 5 inches in dia.. It will take up to 2 1/2 tons on the ball, that is transferred to the hauling vehicle (You need at least a single drive - 8 ton - truck for that.) out of a total 20 ton (Rated) pulling weight. It is usually fitted to tandem axle trailers and sometimes to tri-axle set-ups.

There is another type of ball hitch that has a ball on the end of a gooseneck and the pull is from the bed of the towing vehicle rather than from the rear bumper. The socket for this arrangement is mounted in the bed of towing vehicle - flat-bed or pickup - and has a thread in it to accept the hold-down ring nut which keeps the ball in the socket when coupled. Some of these will take up to about 5 tons load on the ball. These hitches perform more like a normal semi-trailer set-up, transferring the weight further forward on the towing vehicle, including some weight to the steer as well, and giving better stability and control. Many of them also have a cover-plate arrangement that fills the hole in the socket when not towing.

There are also the mini turntables that are usually mounted at the rear of the towing vehicle more or less where you would mount a standard car tow ball. The biggest of these, at least DownUnder, are around 15 tons rated pull and up to 5 tons weight on the turntable. We see quite a few of those here on lighter car carriers where there is a rigid truck with a mid-axled trailer.

The amount of the gross load that your towing vehicle is capable of taking and the type of towing will be two of the main factors in choosing what type of hitch will best suit your needs. This will in turn influence where your trailer axles need to be. The 2/3 rule usually seems to work pretty well for rear bumper htiches but the gooseneck type needs the axles a little further forward.

Center-mounted axles are pretty much a dead loss as the weight behind the wheels tends to be the tail that wags the dog, causing anything from mild to sometimes alarming to even fatal swaying of the trailer. Even car trailer manufacturers now mount their axles at least slightly to the rear of center to reduce this tendency.

I'm also going to check out that Dexter Axle site.

Hope this helps.

You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.

• Dexter Axle.

Follow Ups:

Post A Followup Name: E-Mail: Subject: Re: Re: Where to place axels on a flat deck trailer ??? Comments: Optional Link URL: Link Title: Optional Image URL: Email Notification: If you check this box, email will be sent to you whenever someone replies to this message. Your email address must be entered above to receive notification. This notification will be cancelled automatically after 2 weeks.

TRACTOR PARTS	TRACTOR MANUALS

We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]