ATV Trailer Build

ferrari99 · Oct 7, 2014

I am going to a build a walking beam axle ATV dump trailer (inspired by MUTS and DR Versatrailer). But I have a couple of questions mainly about the walking beam axle suspension. How should I make the centre pivots for the walking beam? I wondering if the pivot in my drawings would be strong enough? and if it is does it need to be able to be greased? Does anyone have any pictures of an operational walking beam setup? Here are the drawings, the mast is for a winch, criticisms welcome...
Thanks in advance.

notme · Oct 8, 2014

theres a few nice ones on you tube to look at, I would think a 3/4 to 1" pin would make an adequate pivot and grease is good stuff!!! only bad thing about walking beams is most have 0 tongue weight on the atv. too much weight is not a good thing either but I do like to have a good 100lbs on my back tires...it helps for traction and braking when you have that big load behind you...now the trick would be to figure out how to put some weight on the tongue but not too overload it when you have a heavy load in the trailer. check out you tube. or do a google search and you will come up with some builds on some of the welding/fabrication forums. I see so many people that think they have to put atv tires on an atv trailer...what a waste of money.. my theory is bigger tires turn easier, just keep the weight of them down! very little tread is needed specially with a tandem like that..

pmsmechanic · Oct 8, 2014

I built a walking beam ATV trailer and just used new rubber rear spring inserts from a 1990 Dodge 3/4 ton pickup for the walking beam pivots. The inserts have metal inside and outside sleeves. I found a piece of pipe that just fit over the outside sleeve and welded it to the frame work and used a bolt for the inside. There is no metal on metal as the is rubber in between. The rubber flexes adequately for walking beam action.

ferrari99 · Oct 8, 2014

This is what I have come up with, thoughts welcome. If I make the design of the walking beam the same as in the drawing except mount a piece of 1in pipe on top (to save inserting it into the beam), and then modify the pins so that you can grease it. I made a trial pin to see if I could do it, here is a picture of it. The pin is a bolt with a hole drilled down the centre and another hole drilled perpendicular to the other hole, with a grease nipple in the top hole so that it can be greased.

rutwad · Oct 9, 2014

This is what my dad has on a trailer. It has worked for years without problems.

ferrari99 · Oct 9, 2014

rutwad said:
This is what my dad has on a trailer. It has worked for years without problems.

It isn't a walking beam though is it? For the purpose it will be used for it really needs walking beams.

rutwad · Oct 9, 2014

Oh, I'm really not sure what a walking beam is. Each axle has leaf springs that attach to the same piece and that piece will rotate up or down so that when one axle goes over a speed bump for example, both axles still carry weight.

ferrari99 · Oct 9, 2014

A walking beam trailer has a beam that a wheel attaches either end and it pivots in the middle allow a lot more movement than a standard setup. Here is an animation I made of what a walking beam does.

rutwad · Oct 9, 2014

I would think the setup on my dad's trailer would do just as well. When the front tire raises therefore lifting the leaf spring attachment point at the rear, it lowers the attaching point for the rear axle leaf spring at the front attaching point. So it appears to be the same as the animation except with the addition of leaf springs for additional suspension. It does appear that the walking beam is a simpler setup though. And for an ATV trailer, I doubt the extra cushioning would be needed as much as a highway trailer.

Thanks for the explanation.

rutwad · Oct 9, 2014

I would think the setup on my dad's trailer would do just as well. When the front tire raises therefore lifting the leaf spring attachment point at the rear, it lowers the attaching point for the rear axle leaf spring at the front attaching point. So it appears to be the same as the animation except with the addition of leaf springs for additional suspension. It does appear that the walking beam is a simpler setup though. And for an ATV trailer, I doubt the extra cushioning would be needed as much as a highway trailer.

Thanks for the explanation.

ferrari99 · Oct 9, 2014

It doesn't really show it in the animation but the walking beam would have more movement than the leaf spring, but for the on road leaf springs would be good and off road walking beam so it's really application specific.

Cord · Oct 9, 2014

I've used a 1-7/8" ball hitch several times and it works very well. Good articulation, fast and easy connection, doesn't come off when you drive over objects that catch.

Honestly, I'd ditch the walking beam suspension. Too fancy. I have a single axle on my trailers and I can still load them more than what my atv can move.

notme · Oct 9, 2014

Cord said:
I've used a 1-7/8" ball hitch several times and it works very well. Good articulation, fast and easy connection, doesn't come off when you drive over objects that catch.

Honestly, I'd ditch the walking beam suspension. Too fancy. I have a single axle on my trailers and I can still load them more than what my atv can move.

your right there you can put a lot of weight on the single axle, I have a single axle trailer that I can load to where I have trouble pulling it with my atv. and that's with some good down pressure on the tongue...the thinking behind the walking beam (ive never had the opportunity to use one) is that it will hop over mounds/logs/curbs/roots much easier I know with my single axle if im trying to back up and have a small obstacle behind one tire it wants to twist sideways sometimes rather then go over it. that being said the idea would be to make a walking beam but not make it any heavier then a single axle...that's where the work would come in..

NVBigBlue · Oct 9, 2014

notme said:
your right there you can put a lot of weight on the single axle, I have a single axle trailer that I can load to where I have trouble pulling it with my atv. and that's with some good down pressure on the tongue...the thinking behind the walking beam (ive never had the opportunity to use one) is that it will hop over mounds/logs/curbs/roots much easier I know with my single axle if im trying to back up and have a small obstacle behind one tire it wants to twist sideways sometimes rather then go over it. that being said the idea would be to make a walking beam but not make it any heavier then a single axle...that's where the work would come in..

I've got a friend with an ATV trailer that has a walking beam axle (don't remember the manufacturer..) For rough off road use it seems to work pretty well. But he says it does have one problem.... sometimes when going through holes that are either bigger than the tires or has a step to get out that is over half the tire height, the front tire gets hung and forces the axle down picking up the rear tire.... it will also hang up some times on tree stumps. His trailer does have a LOT of travel before the axle limits out....

Just something to think about...

Good luck

NV

ferrari99 · Oct 9, 2014

I was planning on using a 50mm ball hitch (I think that is slightly bigger than 1 7/8in). I think walking beam suspension is decided. It is going to be used on a pretty rough road, in performance I don't think a single axle would compare. I am building it with a walking beam because of the suspension advantages not the weight carrying advantages.

notme · Oct 9, 2014

well keep us posted with pics and details during the build and try to keep the weight down as much as you can... I don't know about Australia but here in north America. 1 7/8 and 2"are the standard ball sizes I prefer 2" on everything I own as I don't wanna have to have 10 different trailer hitches!!!

grnspot110 · Oct 9, 2014

One of my earlier projects:

Can't find the build pics of it! I built it to haul the 140 in parades, so it is designed for hard surface. Problem was the 6" wheelbarrow tires would pry off the rims when turning, so I eventually went back to single axle. I needed to be able to take the beam off the center axle for transport, so they were on 1" pins with lynch pin keepers. beams were 3" channel iron with a 1" pipe welded in the center for the pivot. ~~ Lowell

hizoot · Oct 10, 2014

NVBigBlue said:
I've got a friend with an ATV trailer that has a walking beam axle (don't remember the manufacturer..) For rough off road use it seems to work pretty well. But he says it does have one problem.... sometimes when going through holes that are either bigger than the tires or has a step to get out that is over half the tire height, the front tire gets hung and forces the axle down picking up the rear tire.... it will also hang up some times on tree stumps. His trailer does have a LOT of travel before the axle limits out....

Just something to think about...

Good luck

NV

I think what your describing is why they call them "walking beams". If the front wheel hangs up, then the rear will pivot over and forward to continue over the obstacle. If there is something limiting that action, such as a fender, then...yeah, its a problem. The true walking beams trailers need full rotation of the 2 wheels at the center pivot

Randy aka: RGD

plumbstraight · Oct 10, 2014

A fellow in Alaska builds these with the walking beam. As it can be very rough going it works well. Just has the one axle across with beams on either side for the floatation type tires. If it gets in a hole it will just rotate over and keep going. Is a slick set up and with the tandems it is easier to pull in soft ground.