Flipping Axles

[cs2kplus]

All,

I am looking at flipping my axles on my 1989 Fleetwood Taurus trailer. I found a place that does them at a good price.

I have read some negative things online about more sway and braking issues.

Also, this:

Before You Flip Your Axles, Consider This

The axles on your trailer come with a pre-existing camber (a vertical upward kink/bend in the axle center).

This camber allows the axle to flex with the weight of the trailer, and run with the tires square and true to the road.

Without camber, the weight of the trailer would force the tires to run unevenly on the road, causing premature tire wear, poor trailer tracking and damage to the running gear.

I don't know what this means.

Looking for some good advice on this.

Wayne

[cs2kplus]

I also have issues getting the camper level since its on the last rung of the hitch.

[cs2kplus]

@Lynnmor: I kinda thought as much. Tx.

@rbpru: I am very low. This is an 89. I am having great difficulties getting in and out of my driveway. I use 4 x 4 wooden posts as ramps to get out. I use about 4 of them at 4 four foot long staggered. It works great coming out. Coming in it's a hassle.

[rbpru]

Unless one is dragging bottom or intends to do off-road travel I would be curious why a person would go the expense of an axle flip?

It is kind of like hauling and extra battery or generator and never needing it.

Boone docking, off road events or maybe a very low slung trailer would be my only reasons to flip the axel.

[Lynnmor]

cs2kplus wrote:
I just spoke to the place that does the work. He claims I'd gain maybe 4 inches. I'll take it...but appears like the gain would be the axle diameter + perch...and minus sag?

Sag would be the same, no need to figure that in.

[cs2kplus]

I just spoke to the place that does the work. He claims I'd gain maybe 4 inches. I'll take it...but appears like the gain would be the axle diameter + perch...and minus sag?

[cs2kplus]

@Lynnmor: That is some interesting stuff. Thanks so much. Awesome forum. Wayne

[Lynnmor]

cs2kplus wrote:
@Lynnmor: I understood you before you got to "Camber changes with load as the arced axle tube straightens." Can you break that down a bit?

Sure. The axle tubes are bent upward a bit causing the wheels to be tilted out at the top. As the load increases, the axle will straighten and the wheels will move inward. The tilting is called camber. When I say load, that includes the bare trailer and anything added. As you can see, the wheels will be perfectly vertical only at one specific weight.

If an axle were to be flipped, the bend would already be down with the wheels tilted in. Any increase in load will make the tilt worse.

A small amount of off camber isn't critical or there wouldn't be many trailers on the road. As I described above, the camber is only perfect when the load is perfect. An axle that is actually flipped would progressively get worse as the load increases.

[cs2kplus]

@Lynnmor: I understood you before you got to "Camber changes with load as the arced axle tube straightens." Can you break that down a bit?

[Lynnmor]

On a trailer axle, there is no toe-in or caster specifications, they should be straight. Camber changes with load as the arced axle tube straightens.

[cs2kplus]

@deltabravo: I am now ready to use the new term "spring over axle" conversion. Thanks!

[deltabravo]

Like mentioned earlier, the axle is not "flipped". It's not "rotated" either.

When doing this conversion, the actual (correct) term is "spring over axle" conversion

You can have a trailer shop weld spring perches on top of the axle, or install the Dexter conversion kit

[cs2kplus]

@Steve: Thanks for the info. I have been aware of this camber in camber out term...but really did not understand it that well. I guess I do now. I'm having a trailer specialist do the work for like $400. I am ok with that.

@Spike: Good stuff! Guess I should have dug around. Thanks!

Wayne

[spike99]

cs2kplus wrote:
... Any negatives after the flip?

Lots of feedback within http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29237301.cfm

[Steve_83406]

Tires are not just mounted completely straight front to back, nor are they perpendicular to the pavement. The attached picture illustrates the basic elements of camber, castor, toe-in, and toe-out. Even though our trailers have solid axles, manufacturers can still configure these alignment settings when the axles are made and when they are mounted. Thus, when "flipping" axles, making careful measurements prior to welding on the new spring perches is essential. Dexter sells an "axle flipping kit" that helps you align the new perches with the old perches. If done carefully, the axles can be relocated without changing the factory camber, castor, etc.



Hope this is useful-
Steve