Trailer axle ?

[Oiltech]

In my other thread I posted about trailer brake problems. Today I loaded the trailer with a L3540 and a ZD 331 and took the trailer on the road to test the brakes. Got it up to 40 mph and hit the brakes and I felt the trailer brakes grab right away.

Tried it again and no response at trailer brakes. Pulled trailer into shop to check things over and found the 2 brake lines on the rear axle broken at the calipers and it appears the axle spun inside of the U-bolts.

Shouldn't the saddle that the axle sits on be welded to the axle to prevent the axle from spinning?

 

[msmith1wa]

Yes it should.

 

[RogueFab]

Absolutely. Agreed. Buzz it up and be safe

 

[PoorPlowboy]

After reading about your woes with this trailer, I would go over the while thing with a fine tooth comb. Lugnut torque, oil in hubs if wet style, etc.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Yes. But something I see all the time in my trailer business is improper torque procedures.

Most u bolts need 75 FT # per nut but it does no good to torque a empty trailer. Reason being as the trailer is loaded the leaf springs compress and flatten out. I have seen empty trailers properly torqued but then once loaded the u bolt nuts so lose you could take them off with your bare hands.

To properly torque load the trailer to max, set the axles in position paying attention to axle arch, then torque. Check in 200 miles.

Document all this and work on getting some money back. My shop rate is $60 per hour plus parts.

Chris

 

[Oiltech]

Thanks for the feedback, I'm not going to risk anything hauling this trailer to Brute with no brakes 6 hours away. It will have to be corrected/repaired at a local trailer shop. It will be interesting to see if Brute will be forthcoming with the local shops charges

 

[Gary Fowler]

From your earlier post where they were claiming that a lawsuit would bankrupt them, I doubt you will get any help from them. If a lawsuit is involved, I think they would just fold up and open again under a different name if at all.

I am a little curious as to why you would go with a trailer company with so obvious a fly by night operation anyway. I think Diamondpilot gave you some good advice about going over the whole trailer with a fine tooth comb looking at everything. When someone puts the bleeder on a brake system on the bottom trapping all the air possible, they for sure wouldn't be trusted to produce proper welds or anything else on the trailer.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Not welding axle pads never heard or seen that before. Ditto upside down calipers. Have you checked grease/adjustment of wheel bearings? I would take that trailer apart as needed to examine every component and every weld. Sorry for your troubles!

 

[Diamondpilot]

Thanks for the feedback, I'm not going to risk anything hauling this trailer to Brute with no brakes 6 hours away. It will have to be corrected/repaired at a local trailer shop. It will be interesting to see if Brute will be forthcoming with the local shops charges

Get the local BBC or Attorney General involved. At this point I would want the to buy it back.

Chris

 

[Oiltech]

I am a little curious as to why you would go with a trailer company with so obvious a fly by night operation

I didn't know they were fly by night until 3-4 months after placing my order for the trailer thus the purpose of sharing my expierence on this forum to hopefully prevent it happenening to the next guy.

 

[Oiltech]

Not welding axle pads never heard or seen that before. Ditto upside down calipers. Have you checked grease/adjustment of wheel bearings? I would take that trailer apart as needed to examine every component and every weld. Sorry for your troubles!

We checked the welding thourghly which shows good penetration, very little buck shot and very little signs of grinding before placing final payment Obviously I missed there not being any welds on the axles.

Knowing now that the rear axle rotated I'm thinking the front axle have rotated also which put the brake hoses on top and the bleeder on bottom.

 

[Oiltech]

Get the local BBC or Attorney General involved. At this point I would want the to buy it back.

Chris

He WILL be hearing from me and my attorney at the first sign of not stepping up to correct his difficencies.

 

[newbury]

I didn't know they were fly by night until 3-4 months after placing my order for the trailer thus the purpose of sharing my expierence on this forum to hopefully prevent it happenening to the next guy.

He WILL be hearing from me and my attorney at the first sign of not stepping up to correct his difficencies.

Yes, but as soon as you mention attorney your talking $$$ needed to pay them. With the dealer threatening to fold at the drop of a lawsuit I wish you luck. And thanks for posting because it increases my fear of looking for the lowest $$$ on a trailer.

 

[MillWeld]

I had a 3500 lb axle spin on me once. I had just added brakes and didn't notice that the axle seat was not welded. It was a simple matter to spin the axle back and weld the seats. I eventually replaced the axle with a 5200 lb one. With the wheels off the ground I torqued the ubolts to 65 lbs, lowered it to the ground and the torque was 40 ft-lbs. DiamondPilot alerted me that this would happen. He was right. I retorqued to 65.