Timbren axle alignment

Anyone have a trailer with a timbren "axeless suspension"? If so, any idea how to do alignment? Never done this before. Thanks

 

Try here: https://support.offgridtrailers.com/timbren

 

thanks very much. i read that and was still confused. It says something about setting the camber but then does not seem to tell how to measure that. Do you know what that is?

 

Camber is the angle measured in degrees of the wheel, inward or outward tilt, relative to the vertical of the vehicle - the trailer frame in this case.

 

thanks do you know how to measure that? Cause unless i am missing it, it does not show how to do that in the manual.

 

These are the steps I see in the manual (my paraphrased notes and adding a question):

Alignment steps
1. Raise each wheel and confirm bushings have not failed
2. Toe in set 0 to 1/16 TOE in, Camber 0 degrees to .5 degrees
3. Helpful to have angle or scrap material cut and drilled so that it can be attached on either side to the lug stud
4. Set one hub parallel to the frame, tighten that spindle down to the control arm
5. Then adjust other spindle to set toe with respect to the fixed side

Measuring Toe
While frame is upside down and suspension/hubs installed
Use two 30 inch long straight edges held against hub face (hub face I think is where lug nuts protrude from?)
Measure and record the distance from the front of one straight edge to the other in respect to the other in front of trailer and record
Measure and record the distance from the front of one straight edge to the other in respect to the other in rear of trailer and record
Front measure- rear measure= toe

Here is my remaining confusion:

1. Am i tightening down the spindle as described above for routine alignment/measurement? Or is that direction geared toward initial install?
2. How do i know the tires are not angled when I start measuring? I am guessing if they are not perfectly straight it could affect the toe measurement but maybe I am thinking about it wrong.
3. still not sure how to measure the camber

Thanks for any help...

 

In the photo below the tan block on the right would represent the trailer frame, the solid line on the wheel represents the same angle just moved out.

The dashed line on the wheel represents the wheel hub, it is currently tipped in at the top which would be negative camber.

The difference between the solid and dashed lines would be the camber measured in degrees.



The surface of the hub where the wheel mounts as shown below is a true surface.
Get a piece of angle iron and drill two holes so it will slide over the wheel studs, you can use the lug nuts to tighten it firmly against the hub.

This will give you the dashed line in the photo above.



Get an angle finder with a magnet mount, you can use one like this:




Or for a few dollars more one like this:



First, put the angle finder on the trailer frame, if you are using the swinging type note the reading, if you bought the digital one press "zero". This is the solid line in the illustration above.

Next put the angle finder on the piece of angle iron previously bolted to the hub, this is the dashed line in our illustration. If you are using the swinging type the difference is the angle in degrees, if you bought the digital style it will read the angle directly.

The digital style is only around $25 and is useful for all kinds of things, a handy addition to the tool box.

 

"Here is my remaining confusion:

1. Am i tightening down the spindle as described above for routine alignment/measurement? Or is that direction geared toward initial install?"

That is regarding the initial install. They say "set one hub parallel to the frame", this could be called the "master" hub - the hub on the other side is and therefore the alignment set in reference to the master.

"2. How do i know the tires are not angled when I start measuring? I am guessing if they are not perfectly straight it could affect the toe measurement but maybe I am thinking about it wrong."

This is what you are doing above, you set the master hub as parallel to the frame as possible, if it isn't 100% perfect that is OK because the hub on the other side will be true in relation to the master not the frame.


"3. still not sure how to measure the camber"

Covered in my previous post.

 

Super helpful. I am very grateful. Thank you for taking the time to answer these posts with such detailed and quick info.

Two hopefully small questions...

1. you said "This is what you are doing above, you set the master hub as parallel to the frame as possible" but then also said my question #1 was geared toward initial install. I am guessing you mean that I do not need to tighten down a spindle for checking existing alignment annually, instead I need to do my best to keep tires parallel and do the iron angle method described above?

2. The manual you sent is from offgridtrailers and looks similar to a page i saw in the timbren manual. my trailer came from runaway (but as I said, they use a timbren axle). I assume the alignment should be the same regardless of manufacturer?

 

Glad to help

I was under the impression this was a new install or modification. I did some reading, some of the instructions mention the trailer frame upside down.

1) Yes, when they said "tighten down a spindle" they were referring to the 4 bolts holding it to the control arm during initial installation.

Most folks don't think much about trailer alignment unless there is a problem suspected - myself included.

They make gadgets like the one in the photo below, you can see it touches the outside edge of both tires, take a measurement front and back and the difference is the toe either + or -.

You can use a plain old tape measure too. (2 people make it easier)



2) Yes, trailer manufacturers generally use off the shelf parts, so the same manuals are available from multiple sources.

 

thank you again

 

Go to Timbren's website. Select the axleless suspension you have (the example below is for the 3500# axles. You may have the 5000#s but I bet the procedure is the same). Expand the section "Whats included and how to install" you will find a hyperlink to the instructions that have alignment procedures. If your trailer has Timbrens your dealer should have included the install/maintenance packet.