Nyone have a homemade trailer with MH axles?

[brokenot]

[QUOTEthe big reason they are "cheap" is that manufactured housing is abundant.][/QUOTE]

Good grief....really?

The manufactured home industry needed axles to move their product. They spec'ed an axle to do the job. They knew the axle's expected duty cycle/longevity/repairability/etc. requirements were all different than the conventional "service type" axles available. They knew there were dollars to be saved, so a spec was developed so an axle could be built to "do the job"....and no more. It would be just as ridiculous to make a statement that the mobile home itself is "just as good" as a built-on-site custom home....it's just cheaper because they're more readily available.

I have read Dexter's warning about MH axles and frankly don't understand the importance of precision ground spindles

So then do as I've suggested in every mobile home axle thread....ask the manufacturer that builds them what the importance is. I'm guessing that a precision ground spindle is like any other precision machined component. Fitment is superior and the components are more uniform. Completely remove emotion from the decision-making process. The same company makes two parts. One is precision machined, the other is not. Which one is "better"? What makes it "better"?

Discussions about whether or not individuals "need" this quality of axle versus that quality of axle may be valid. But like I've said several times before, individuals starting threads like this are often doing so because they're wondering what axle they should choose. I think it's prudent to enter into a trailer project with good information and your eyes wide open. There's plenty of good information out there from axle manufacturers themselves, and if anyone cares to browse some other forums....it's also not hard to find posts from people that have used MH axles but say if they had it to do all over again....they wouldn't.

What I find to be really ridiculous, are the lengths people go to to convert a MH axle to something else. "I got the axle for free, then swapped out the hubs/drums", or "I converted mine to a serviceable brake by torching off the backing plates and welding some tabs on".

Price a service-type axle and compare that cost to the time/labor you'll spend making a cheap or free axle into something it isn't before making a decision. Then factor in the 14.5 tire thing. There are some *good* 14.5s out there now...as people keep saying. But think about that for a minute. If quality 14.5s are sort of a "new thing", then what was the 14.5 situation before the introduction of these "good ones"? Does that not imply that 14.5s up until then were kind of a limited-use, throw-away thing? Why would a tire manufacturer even make a limited-use, lower-quality throw-away tire?

Same reason a manufacturer would make a limited-use, throw-away axle. It was spec'ed, designed, and built...to do a job for a price.

Last but not least, if MH axle proponents are sooooo convinced those axles are worthy, you'd think they'd be completely on board with with folks like me posting what I've posted. For every potential MH axle customer that does some research and decides to NOT use them, well....that's just a couple more cheap or free MH axles for the fans to snap up 'cause they're such a "good deal".

 

[tlbuser]

What did the manufacturers have to say about UTG style axles?

 

[lostcause]

[QUOTEthe big reason they are "cheap" is that manufactured housing is abundant.]

Good grief....really? [/QUOTE]

there's no need to be condescending here. i posted that because people are comparing apples and oranges in more ways that one. we can all agree that there is not a ready supply of conventional trailer axles in the used market, so when people get prices they are seeing new prices of at least $500 an axle for a braked axle with wheels and tires, and then comparing it to a rusted old used axle setup in someone's back yard that can be bought for $50-100. as i said in my full post, i'd like to know what the mobile home manufacturers pay for them when they are new. obviously they've figured out where they can cut corners to save money, like the lack of backing plates, welded brake flanges instead of bolted, and so on, but it's a safe bet that they still pay a pretty hefty price for the parts when new. that's the only way to compare the prices if you are going to make some sort of a price/quality comparison.

on a side note, i'm still waiting for anyone to post a link to a .gov site where it says these axles are illegal to reuse, as many have stated.

 

[wrenchturner]

Do you really think quality axles are installed on all factory built trailers and campers? I have a 28 foot 5th wheel camper with a slide out. I was pulling the camper down the interstate when I noticed one of the wheels leaning in about 4 inches. Wore the tire out then put on the spare and barely made it home. The cheap factory installed spring perch did not wrap around the axle tube hardly at all. This caused the weight to be on the top of the axle tube thus causing the axle to collapse on the top. I did replace the axle with a Dexter axle.

 

[slowzuki]

RV manufacturers are notorious for using underrated axles and counting on the tongue weight to be carrying as much as possible. Frequently very little margin between the load and rating for them.

As you know, operating axles at or near their rating for their life, shortens their life.

RE mh axles, notice Dexter references welded backing plates? Not all "MH" style axles have welded backing plates, if they have bolted backing plates, they usually have service axle bearings.

 

[JFS2295]

........... on a side note, i'm still waiting for anyone to post a link to a .gov site where it says these axles are illegal to reuse, as many have stated.

And following this and some other comments in this thread. Are all of these axles only made for short term use or are there normal use versions?

Are these or a version of these being condemned because of the MH tires rather then the OTR tires that could be used?

Here in this other thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/trailers-transportation/211605-18-trailer-price-check.html is a relatively young Hudson trailer with 14.5" tires and whatever they are using for axles. If you read through the thread the Hudsons seem to be regarded as good trailers by the respondents. It would be interesting to know what the tires say on the side, if they are OTR or MH one time use only.

So are there utility versions of these axles or are the MH really that bad?

Here is a company that has been around a while that recycles these axles and apparently tires. So they are not supplying these out of a backyard on CR. It just makes this issue more confusing.

::*Hughes Wheel & Axle, Inc.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I have a new quest. I want to know how much the factories pay for mobile home axles vs. equivalent "normal" axles.

Through some connections I have I was able to get some 3500 pound brand new, custom built Dexter axles with brakes hubs at OEM pricing. I paid just about $150 each. Does anyone have connections that you could find what the mobile home manufacturers pay for MH axles?

 

[Dargo]

I have a new quest. I want to know how much the factories pay for mobile home axles vs. equivalent "normal" axles.

Through some connections I have I was able to get some 3500 pound brand new, custom built Dexter axles with brakes hubs at OEM pricing. I paid just about $150 each. Does anyone have connections that you could find what the mobile home manufacturers pay for MH axles?

Some of the 'higher end' modular housing (let's be PC now ) only 'rent' their axles to get the home to it's final landing place. The axles are then removed with the pulling of a few pins and used on the next home. When I was told that I thought I should have of figured that out anyway. It saves the home buyer a few bucks for something they won't need again (if so, they can always just use another rented set) and saves on waste. Those axles would be 'normal' trailer axles and not limited duty axles. I think it's a better way now that I think about it.

 

[slowzuki]

Around here the tires/frame don't stay with the minihome, its shipped on a trailer with mh axles and the trailer goes back to deliver more homes. They have between 3-5 axles, the truck towing usually has a rack for 6 or more spares as turning is horrible on a trailer with that many axles. Rolls tires off the bead.

 

[AndyG]

It seems like there is a common theme going on. We see from the conversation that all mobile home axles are not the same. You must evaluate them individually some of them are "one trippers" and some will last a long time. You had better check them out before you buy. Fortunately I have a good heavy set on my trailer which has hauled much more weight than it should and it continues to serve me well. The other major weak point is the tires. My experience me the proper inflation will minimize tire problems. Since house trailer springs are so stiff many people attempt to lower tire pressure for a better ride. The lower pressure combined with excessive speed will build heat in the tire causing it to fail.