Trailer Suspension, MH Axles

cyoung

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Location
Gibsonville, NC
I looked at a trailer for sale yesterday and came away with questions. First, it's home built w/MH axles. From doing a search, I see many opinions and different experiences with those so I won't ask about those.

What I can't find anything about is suspension. These axles have a solid connection to the frame, i.e no springs. Is this common? It doesn't look like the ideal set up but of course the guy has hauled "anything and everything for 10 years with no problems". What do you guys think?

Thanks,
Charles
 
I'd pass... Most axle manufactures 1/2 the axle capacity when no suspension is used. Other things to consider are brakes and bearings parts. Depending on the specific axle(s) used it may or may not be a problem.
 
I have had a trailer with solid mounted axles, and it never gave me any problems....well I mean it hauled and held up well even to being over loaded a time or two, but it absolutely beat the shit out of me.

I dont know if that was lack of springs or just general trailer design, but it was one rough riding sob
 
Friend of mine had one like that, I borrowed it once. Empty it was a handful, loaded, it pulled and rode very well. Kinda surprised me!
 
I'd pass on it. As you pointed out, many will tell you that it is perfectly fine to have no suspension, but simply put, they're wrong. No springs causes the ride to be very rough, and all of that roughness is transferred to the load you're carrying. Probably not a big deal for hauling a trail truck, since it has it's own suspension to soak up the bumps, but everything else you might carry is going to hate it. Ever travel on the interstate? Well if you do the expansion joints will quickly make you hate that trailer. I see good deals on used trailers all the time, so just bide your time and keep looking.
 
I'd pass on it too. I've towed with one before. It beat the crap outta me loaded and unloaded. It also broke one of my straps bouncing around so much.
 
Definitely pass. Ride quality isn't near as important as safety, and both will be highly lacking. The purpose of the springs is to absorb the impact loading. Impact loading multiplies the force because there is no distance to absorb it. If you've ever bottomed out a suspension, you know how harsh it is. With no springs, that is what the trailer undergoes every time you hit a bump.
 
Well what about the Mobile home axles are they good enough to haul a yota trail truck on??Thanks for any advice guys!
 
Back
Top