For the tinkers

Hey folks,
I need to make a couple of trailers (max 1.5 ton capacity and brakes not necessary) on the cheap. I have plenty of junk and a pay by the kg scrap yard close but need to figure out axles/wheels.

Any ideas? Won't be for road use, just a portable hay feeder and and one for a 1000 liter pallet size water tank. Something cheap online would be great.

Thanks, Dave

Old house trailer frames work great for things like that and are easy to get cheap.

No house trailers here....... Constantly watching for wrecked trailers (camper, utility, etc) but they seem to either get scarfed up quick or are too far away.

Dave

most of the axles are 3500# so that would b 1&3/4 ton so you should be able to get by with a cheap one. my next suggestion is to get a old car front axle and align up the steering and weld the old ford car front axles work great. also the rear axle out of a front wheel drive car can be done the same way. we have a yard cart made out of a VW rabbit rear axle.

Not sure what kind of automobile salvage yards you've got there; front axles from cars or trucks with king-pin axles work great. Use the spindles after knocking out the king pin; a piece of 3-inch square tubing is a perfect fit (American cars) for an axle; use same hubs and rims.

buy junk 3/4 ton pickup. cut frame at ft.cab mount. cut notchs in frame rails at bed, top and bottom. pull frame rail together, I used a piece of 3/8 all thread, may have to remove 1 or 2 cross members. weld on your hitch and weld plate over notchs. your done.

Two ideas to consider:
Use a 3/4 ton (F 250) ford rear axle, Change the center section by cutting it off of the axle tubes and cut the flanges off of the axles to allow them to hold the lube in the end while reducing weight.
Weld a tube between the two axle stubs. 8 bolt Ford rims will hold your weight easily. The spring pads will allow easy attachment.

Use full size (Mercedes) auto front hubs wheels and tires. Machine down the spindles for fit into schedule 80 (heavy wall) pipe 50+ mm in ID.
Weld on the plates to bolt them on. Common parts common tires, common bolt pattern. JimN

For that light of weigth I would look at the rear axles of a large front wheel drive car or Mini Vans. Nothing to weld up or align.

Here you can get complete 3500# axle from TSC for about $150, then you have to get wheels and tires. You can also get stub axles to weld into pipe to make axle.

The other suggestions about using 3/4 truck rear or spindles from rear wheel drive car are right on, but unless you can get one for nothing you probably will be money ahead to buy a new axle if availiable. Don't remember if you want springs or not. Surely there is a place there you could get springs and shackles, if not, the 3/4 ton rear end would have great springs.

Another possibility is to get stub axles out of farm machinery, then weld them into the appropriate sixe pipe or square tubing. I don't buy any arguement about them having bearings not suited for high speed because I get the impression you won't be going at high speed with a heavy load for any distance, if the bearings are bad they can be replaced, and anyway the axle I made from axle stubs from a couple of old
NH 77 balers have never given trouble. Only issue is getting wheels to fit.

You are on the right track by trying to use availiable scrap metal. I don't think it's worth while to build a trailer if you have to buy many materials.

What kind of government regulations cover home made trailers there, just for curiosity?

KEH

(quoted from post at 16:22:09 06/14/09)
What kind of government regulations cover home made trailers there, just for curiosity?

KEH

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lights. Brakes if over 750 kg GVW. Inspected, titel made and plates. If for off road use or pulling behing a tractor under 25 kmh nothing.

Dave

How about an old tandem boat trailor.......

I always use all of the frame. Makes a much nicer to use trailer.

Do people live in trailers in germany? lol - if they do, start looking for the triple axle mobile home frames and axles.

(quoted from post at 19:02:25 06/14/09) Do people live in trailers in germany? lol - if they do, start looking for the triple axle mobile home frames and axles.

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Closest thing I've seen to a trailer park was a band of Gypsies travelling and setting up in the area a couple of times since I've been over here. Plenty of trailers around, just have to be quick cause they get hauled off to scrap real fast.

Dave

Here in the US, you could get a rear axle from a Chevy Venture . The hub fastens to the end of the axle with 4 bolts. You may not have Chevy ventures in your junk yards
venture wheel hub

Chrysler mini van rear axles work well.

(quoted from post at 20:12:19 06/14/09) Here in the US, you could get a rear axle from a Chevy Venture . The hub fastens to the end of the axle with 4 bolts. You may not have Chevy ventures in your junk yards
venture wheel hub

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Plenty of vehicles have hubs like that here. Doesn't have to be pretty, think I could throw something together with what I can find.

Thanks, Dave

Hi Dave!
Like everyone has indicated, your best bet would be the rear axles of front wheel drive vehicles. I've made 2 trailers for myself and the axles were the easy part to get. (at least around here, not sure how many scrap yards there are in Germany!)

Get a couple of light trucks. knock everything off the chassis except rear end, weld a draw bar on.adjust to size.

Dave,

With the tobacco around here there have been thousands of wagons made on the cheap over the years. Most all tobacco wagons are made with pipe welded to a rear end out of a rear wheel drive car or truck. Any more around here if you don't have time to dig a truck out of the woods for the rear end, mobil home joint's are the place to shop. Don't know about there but any more most people take the wheels and axles out from under them and the dealers end up with a pile out back. The one here will sell once used wheels and tires for $35 and axles for a little over $50. The only problem is you can't put big mud tires on the mobil home wheels.

Good luck.

Dave