Will this work?

[handirifle]

I recently acquired a trailer from a neighbor for free. It had bad tires so i picked up a couple tires 7-14.5". They ARE 14.5" tires, typical for mobile home axle, I'm told. Anyway this is a farm tractor with drawbar hitch that I need to convert to ball hitch, for convience sake.

It also sits rather high as well and I would like to lower it, just to make it easier to get stuff on and off. Currently it is a straight overslung (axle under the spring) axle and in looking for a replacement drop axle, they seem to all be overslung. Will the springs not work properly on a drop axle that is mounted UNDER the spring? There is not enough travel room to mount the axle above the springs.

I'd like to have the ends cut off with a rectangular piece welded in place to drop the trailer 6" or maybe 8", but would like to leave the mounts as they are. I say this because I just spent $200 on two new tires and don't want to get rid of them till I get some use.

 

[Diamondpilot]

If you are not going to use the trailer that much I would not spend the time or money to modify it. If you are looking at new axles, brakes, tires, and wheels you could be into it for well over $1000.

I would just work with what you have and when money permits buy a different trailer.

Chris

 

[handirifle]

Well my thoughts were that if I could do the "cut n weld" it might run about $100 or so, and it has to have a ball hitch welded on anyway. I would have about $300-400 total in a heavy duty trailer. I wouldn't spend the money for a drop axle, but rather make one.

I was just wondering if the drop axle would still function properly if the axle were UNDER the spring, rather than over it, like most drop axles are. That really was my question.

 

[CharlieS]

the reason for springs on top of an axle vs under the axle, mainly is bed/hitch, or load height keeping the trailer frame as parallel to the ground as possible, which also affects, to a small extent weight distribution and thus hitch weight.
Whether you utilize a straight, or drop axle will have no bearing on proper spring action, but can depending on clearances, require fender relocation.

 

[handirifle]

OK thanks. Those issues won't be a problem, since there are no fenders currently, and I will have sufficient clearance. Now just to look around and see if I can find someone that will do the welding and cutting reasonably. I have some neighbors that might, need to see.

 

[schmism]

in IL if you stick with a hitch pin connection on the trailer, than it can be considered a farm trailer and not licensed (like a hay wagon, grain cart, anhydrous trailer etc)

the upshot is you dont have to put a ball on the drawbar of the tractor then either.

 

[MFRED]

Could you just put spacer blocks between the axle & springs? Kinda like a cheap lift kit but backwards.