rear axle for trailer help

i picked up an entire rear end for a trailer project. frame, axle, leafs, bed...but iv been doing some research (not much out there) and im gettn the hint toyota rear ends dont make good trailer axles because of the resistance in the ring and pinion or whatnot. i want to keep the toyota axle, because i want it to match my truck. any ideas how i could lessen the resistance, i want to be able to roll it around by hand, can i make it spin loosly and freely?

 

why keep the Toyota axle? If you only want to match the lug pattern you can build a trailer axle to match for not much $?

 

if thats the rout i have to take then i will...but i have a perfect condition rear end figured id see what my options were with that before i tore it out and replaced it with something else.

 

Interesting.

I build trailers, so I think I can offer some insight.

1) Toyota springs are only good for less than 1000 lbs. Why limit your capacity just so you can have toyota wheels.

2) You can get a trailer axle with hubs that match your truck wheel bolt pattern.

3) I would not want to use a truck axle for a trailer for anything beyond around the farm. Hauling the trailer will rob your MPG on the highway, hauling a trailer with a truck axle and spinning axles and spider gears will rob MPG more.

4) The fabrication of the truck axle to work with trailer springs will far out weigh cost of just buying a complete axle.

5) I'm betting you could sell the truck axle and get a pretty good chunk on $ oney to build a trailer.

I've built somewhere around 300 utility trailers. I love talking trailer and giving people hints on how to make a quality trailer. I even have a "how to build a 5 x 10 utility trailer" thread on another forum. Ask me any questions you like. I support people who want to build there own trailer fully.

This is my specialty trailer. I've slowed down, I only build 12 or so a year these days.

Later

Kirk

 

yea, that makes sense. im very particular on how my stuff looks, and want my truck bed to match my truck exactly. im putting a camper top on it, and in theory want to make it a overland trailer for camping and hauling gear. so i do want it functional...but also look good while doing so. i just need it to haul light weights, and when it not being used for "work" and projects, ill be sleeping in it on camping / weekend trips. In the end i want something "light" that i can pick the tongue up on and wheel around my driveway and push into my shop etc...but im assuming since all the gearing in the rear end its going to cause a hassle for me. i was just hoping i could pull stuff out of the rear or replace gears with more free spinning gearing. thanks for your advice, ill probably sell the axle and buy a trailer axle with my bolt pattern if someone doesnt chime in with an alternative.

 

Whats your location? Johnson's Surplus is the place I get my axles from. They have every axle configuration you could imagine. They are located near the Michigan/Indiana border. They have the best prices.

 

thats a wee bit away from me, im out here in idaho / washington. so with your expert opinion, what should i start looking for? ill get on sellin my rear axle and fund my "upgrade" will the trailer axle use the same shocks and leafs? will it run 35'' tires easy?

 

Any chance on re posting that how to up here?

 

You can get the axle complete with springs. If you get a 3.5 k axle, that will give the capacity to carry close to 3000 lbs. Wich you will easily be able to use. Once you start to load up with gear, the weight goes on fast.

You should stick with trailer axle hardware. Everything can be bought at a common farm store, like Tractor Supply Company.

Most trailers don't have shocks. You can put them on if you want, your call. You will have to weld on shock mounts on the trailer and the axle, not a big job.

The only thing keeping you from running 35" tires will be the fenders. The single axle fenders that are prefabbed will not likely work, but that is okey. I like to make my own and it is cheaper to make your own Jeep style fenders than buying the prefabbed fenders.

The only thing you must watch is the "offset" of the wheel. The trailer industry uses wheels with the hub face welded exactly in the middle of the wheel. The hub face on your wheels could be offset from center. You don't want to bolt your wheel on the hub and find the inside of the tire is against the side of the trailer frame.

 

I tried to bring the thread over from another forum. I couldn't make it happen.

If your interested, become a member of the Garage Journal forum and look for threads started by me(koditten).

I wish I could just post the whole thread, but I think I'm not computer savvy enough.

 

I think it sounds like the OP has a rear end of a truck it says bed frame etc. in that case it has shock mounts. I'm thinking he is converting a truck bed into a trailer to pull. This explains the questions about keeping the original truck axle.

 

Me and my pops did this many years ago with a abused datsun truck. Everything 3-4' forward of the bed was rotted. Hacked that front section off with a flame wrench. Cleaned and cleared stuff out of the way, then heated the frame rails and bent them in to each other till they touched on the ends. Lotsa welding to fab up a good hitch.

Worked great for towing down the road. Still had the full single track rear end in place. Just had to keep a eye on the gear oil once in awhile.

It was heavy and we knew it would be going in,,it was more of a project than anything.

It will live like that, but unless you take drastic measures,,it's gonna be heavy compared to a fold out trailer you put together from Costco or ?

 

yea, i pretty much have everything, all i need is some shocks and i have the complete set up. i got the axle, leafs, rims / tires bed and half the frame for $300....so im already way ahead on this project, just want to lift it, throw some 35s on it to match my truck and a campershell for camping. iv seen alot of people say its too heavy and hard to pull...but honestly the times ill use it, its more of a "trailer queen" trailer then anything lol. as long as i can pull / push it around by hand, so i can get it into my shop then im 100% fine with it. as of now, its all in pieces on a trailer, gonna start wire wheeling everything and get it preped for paint. was just checking if the "stock" axle could be used...or if i needed to pull the diff and weld or cut / pull gears and pinions and that would save on some "drag" thanks guys for all your advice and opinions i appreciate it

 

Hey man. Message me your email. I got a few questions. Looking to build a overland trailer