Timbren Axle-less suspension

[3930dave]

Anybody have any experience with these ?

Silent Ride Trailer Suspension | Timbren Industries Inc. Suspension Products

^ video is 3/4 way down that page.

Product selector is here:

Axle-Less Product Finder | Timbren Industries Inc. Suspension Products

Rgds, D.

 

[Peter 315]

No experience but they look like one step above dexter torsion axles

 

[3930dave]

I have a good impression of Timbren, but no direct experience.

Rgds, D

 

[Stimw]

Looks like they are going out of their way to re-invent suspensions.
I have seen a lot of "attempts" to make things better but never worried about my suspension being noisy! ??
Would you believe that back in the 60's they even built semi trailers with torsion bar suspension! Or coil springs!
In the low 70's I was cutting the (way overweight) Torsion Bar Suspensions off saving the axles and welding Fruehauf F-2 suspensions back on. The F-2 used simple radius rods, leaf springs and equalizers. KISS!

 

[Langanobob]

We have a small RV trailer that gets used on very rough mining roads here in Nevada. It originally came with leaf springs and a drop axle which was ridiculously low to the ground for what we use it for. I built a straight axle and mounted it on top of the spring shackles. This was a huge improvement for back roads but I worried about it being too high and top heavy.

I bought a set of Timbren “axles”for it but haven’t installed them yet. All I can say at this stage is that they are very will built and look like they were made for a military trailer. It will probably be several weeks before I get them installed.

 

[lpigott]

I have run Trimbrens on my 2500HD GMC for many years and they are awesome. Pros, they are cheap and easy to install and will allow you to haul much heavier loads with ease. They are maintenance free, install them and forget about them. Retain you stock unloaded ride. Cons, While they work great with your truck unloaded or heavily loaded, they give you a harsh stiff ride with light loads or just a couple hundred pounds in the bed or a trailer with a lighter tongue weight. For me they would great because I am generally light of heavily loaded. If you vary loads greatly and travel long distances as such then you would be better off with air bags.

 

[Renze]

What about body roll ?

 

[3930dave]

We have a small RV trailer that gets used on very rough mining roads here in Nevada. It originally came with leaf springs and a drop axle which was ridiculously low to the ground for what we use it for. I built a straight axle and mounted it on top of the spring shackles. This was a huge improvement for back roads but I worried about it being too high and top heavy.

I bought a set of Timbren 殿xles�or it but haven稚 installed them yet. All I can say at this stage is that they are very will built and look like they were made for a military trailer. It will probably be several weeks before I get them installed.

Standard leaf spring setups, when maintained, work well on-road. Went through the used TT I bought a few years ago, replaced what was worn (dual axle, with equalizers), will be fine for that application. That trailer is 23', so is not something I'll off-road with.

I was looking for something else, and came across these axle-less ones in the thread title. Like Langan in NV, my interest is off-road. Bob - thanks for the initial feedback - pls keep us posted on the install, we like pics too :thumbsup:

The only Timbren items I've seen live were samples of their BumpStop units. Simple, but well builit. IIRC, many people that have that used those on here have spoke well of them.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

I have run Trimbrens on my 2500HD GMC for many years and they are awesome. Pros, they are cheap and easy to install and will allow you to haul much heavier loads with ease. They are maintenance free, install them and forget about them. Retain you stock unloaded ride. Cons, While they work great with your truck unloaded or heavily loaded, they give you a harsh stiff ride with light loads or just a couple hundred pounds in the bed or a trailer with a lighter tongue weight. For me they would great because I am generally light of heavily loaded. If you vary loads greatly and travel long distances as such then you would be better off with air bags.

Good contrast with air-bags. I'm familiar with Firestone bags, they work well but are more complicated - all air based systems have more failure points. Bags are nice in terms off adjustability for varying loads though....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

What about body roll ?

Shouldn't be an issue for my application.

But you do know trailers well, so you have me thinking..... I don't see an issue for legal road speeds here, but you have other higher velocities to consider on your continent..... Your thoughts ?

For specific mostly on-road applications (like boats), these may give you the option for a lower trailer. Liking that, for lower Cg.

Rgds, D.

 

[Renze]

You are limited to 80kmh when towing in Europe. Or 90 for camper trailers because once a year towers usually stay 5kmh under the speed limit and trucks have a margin on their speed limiters so they drive 85kmh. This exception is made in Holland to stop truckers from being provoked to overtake and hinder the fast lane because a guy in a small family car is towing under the speed limit in the truck lane.

In Germany you are allowed to tow at 100kmh when the loaded trailer weight does not exceed the cars loaded weight and the trailer axles are equipped with shock absorbers.

The reason i asked about body roll is because the axle body forms a torsion bar between both suspension arms, and the bending of suspension arms is giving roll stability, while vertical travel is only limited by the leaf springs or air bags.

Axle less suspension is what it says on the tin: springs on both sides of the vehicle with no connection between them to give roll resistance.

Torsion axles are the same thing, but when i bought my dump trailer (and old 3 way dump bed of a truck, put high above the ground on a manure spreader undercarriage) the crosswind and high center of gravity caused a consistent sway as soon as i passed 70kmh. I drove 75kmh to not hinder trucking too much but it wasnt comfortable. Not even with my neighbours 4000 pound SUV pulling this 6000 pound load, though my trailer tracks like a freight train when loaded to 8000 pounds and my 3000 pound Volvo pulling it.

From my experience in the business i would want to test before buying, on an enclosed trailer that catches a lot of side wind, or with a high center of gravity.

 

[3930dave]

Good points Renze. Lateral sail-area can generate big forces in heavy side-winds.

Closest I can compare is a buddy's motorcycle trailer with torsion axles. Enclosed, single axle trailer, probably loaded to about 3/4 capacity. Pulled well at our freeway speeds, and probably 10 to 15% over, but that's with either a full sized van (Econoline) or a Class A RV. Well designed V nose on that trailer probably didn't hurt.

My interest in these axles is for relatively small off-road trailers.

Rgds, D.

 

[4570Man]

You are limited to 80kmh when towing in Europe. Or 90 for camper trailers because once a year towers usually stay 5kmh under the speed limit and trucks have a margin on their speed limiters so they drive 85kmh. This exception is made in Holland to stop truckers from being provoked to overtake and hinder the fast lane because a guy in a small family car is towing under the speed limit in the truck lane.

In Germany you are allowed to tow at 100kmh when the loaded trailer weight does not exceed the cars loaded weight and the trailer axles are equipped with shock absorbers.

The reason i asked about body roll is because the axle body forms a torsion bar between both suspension arms, and the bending of suspension arms is giving roll stability, while vertical travel is only limited by the leaf springs or air bags.

Axle less suspension is what it says on the tin: springs on both sides of the vehicle with no connection between them to give roll resistance.

Torsion axles are the same thing, but when i bought my dump trailer (and old 3 way dump bed of a truck, put high above the ground on a manure spreader undercarriage) the crosswind and high center of gravity caused a consistent sway as soon as i passed 70kmh. I drove 75kmh to not hinder trucking too much but it wasnt comfortable. Not even with my neighbours 4000 pound SUV pulling this 6000 pound load, though my trailer tracks like a freight train when loaded to 8000 pounds and my 3000 pound Volvo pulling it.

From my experience in the business i would want to test before buying, on an enclosed trailer that catches a lot of side wind, or with a high center of gravity.

Adjusted for exchange rate do truckers get paid more per mile there? Here trucks usually get to run 70mph and 85 out west isn’t uncommon.

 

[Renze]

Adjusted for exchange rate do truckers get paid more per mile there? Here trucks usually get to run 70mph and 85 out west isn稚 uncommon.

I dont think so. You cant make many miles before finding a junction or traffic jam, unless youre in international traffic. The days of trucks driving the fast lane are over, they have speed limiters for about 20 years. So when one can go 2 kmh faster than the other, overtaking takes a couple of miles which creates new traffic unsafeties...