Suspension Options
I am in the process of buying a new trailer and have not been able to find a good source of information and recommendations for a dual axle trailer suspension. Here and there, a manufacturer will men...
Forum Discussion
If you are looking at a tandem axle trailer you need to understand the difference between the leaf spring and the rubber torsion arm suspension. There are advantages and disadvantages of each.
The main advantage to the tandem leaf spring axle is the "equalizer" which allows each axle to move under the load without much change in the spring compression. This is a huge advantage since it will take up much of the shock. This is also the reason that some folks feel that a tandem axle will ride better than a single axle. As mentioned above, you can check out Dexter's aftermarket equalizer. As far as the wide spread axle placement or the regular axle placement, I prefer the regular configuration. It won't "scuff" as bad since the tires are closer together. The wide spread axles are for trailers with weaker frames that need the added support spread out further.
Avion, for a while, used Dexter leaf spring axles that were split in the middle to a center pivot point. This gave them "independent" leaf spring axles. I think that they were too expensive and the frame required a center support. They sure did tow well.
The rubber torsion axle will give a better ride, per axle, but it doesn't have an equalizer. That is why many of the axle manufacturers will recommend that you buy the axle at 1.25 times the actual load required for that axle. Keep in mind, each axle may have to carry the entire load when going over large bumps since there is no equalizer. Also, the rubber will go bad after about 20 years or so. Flexiride is the only rubber torsion axle that I know of that has adjustable torsion arms. They are on 6 degree splines that allow you to remove one large bolt and rotate the torsion arm.
In conclusion, if it were mine, I would pick a quality leaf spring axle (regular axle spread) setup for tandem use and a rubber torsion setup for single axle use. I would choose this setup because of the way the axle systems function. Having said that, I wouldn't turn down a nice trailer because it didn't have the axle system that I liked best, as long as they were set up and rated properly.
The main advantage to the tandem leaf spring axle is the "equalizer" which allows each axle to move under the load without much change in the spring compression. This is a huge advantage since it will take up much of the shock. This is also the reason that some folks feel that a tandem axle will ride better than a single axle. As mentioned above, you can check out Dexter's aftermarket equalizer. As far as the wide spread axle placement or the regular axle placement, I prefer the regular configuration. It won't "scuff" as bad since the tires are closer together. The wide spread axles are for trailers with weaker frames that need the added support spread out further.
Avion, for a while, used Dexter leaf spring axles that were split in the middle to a center pivot point. This gave them "independent" leaf spring axles. I think that they were too expensive and the frame required a center support. They sure did tow well.
The rubber torsion axle will give a better ride, per axle, but it doesn't have an equalizer. That is why many of the axle manufacturers will recommend that you buy the axle at 1.25 times the actual load required for that axle. Keep in mind, each axle may have to carry the entire load when going over large bumps since there is no equalizer. Also, the rubber will go bad after about 20 years or so. Flexiride is the only rubber torsion axle that I know of that has adjustable torsion arms. They are on 6 degree splines that allow you to remove one large bolt and rotate the torsion arm.
In conclusion, if it were mine, I would pick a quality leaf spring axle (regular axle spread) setup for tandem use and a rubber torsion setup for single axle use. I would choose this setup because of the way the axle systems function. Having said that, I wouldn't turn down a nice trailer because it didn't have the axle system that I liked best, as long as they were set up and rated properly.
