How to recognize manufactured home axles?

[Verticaltrx]

Many other threads mention MH axles having the brake backing plate welded to the axle instead of bolted to a flange.

Bruce

x2, that is the easiest and most sure way to know. I have a trailer with MH axles and the brake backing plate is welded to the axle tube, I.E. non serviceable and non replaceable.

 

[George2615]

As mentioned.
Check the backing plate.
Check the tires, If they are MH tires, it says so on the side wall and will need to be replaced.
Look in the middle of the axle for obvious welding, Most MH axles are 8-10' wide and need to be shortened for use on a homemade trailer. I built a trailer years ago by cutting a section out of the middle of 2 - 6K MH axles then inserted a 1/4" thickwall sleeve pipe inside and rewelded. I ground down my welds before painting but most people don't.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I had a Hill Lowboy one time. When Motor Carrier finally started hitting private trailers I sold it as the locals couldnt tell it from mobile hhome axles. THey took standard Mobile home rims and tires to. THe rims were a bit wider and stamped Low boy. I hate I sold it now.
The lowboy tires had several more plys than the MH axles. I did run motor home tires on it several months with my 12000 pound excavator. I did break and axle once the wheel bearin lock up and broke the weld aeound the hub. THis trailer had been abused before the logger that had it before me hauled some smaller skidders on it. I just slapped an MH axle under it and ran it a few months till I mad another axle in the shop.

 

[MillWeld]

Here are the axles used for my doublewide delivery in Sep05 QUOTE]

Suppose others do as flusher did and post pix of their, axles, spindles, backing plate, hubs/drums etc. I would do it myself but I don't want to take off my pinch rims because I finally got them just right. So if your equipment is already disassembled take a picture and indicate if it is MH or commercial. It should provide valuable info for newbies to trailers like me and others.
Bob

 

[Diamondpilot]

Personally I would walk from anything without standard hubs, studs, lugs, ect. You really do not know what you are getting and like the last poster stated getting the wheels true is a pain. About the time you get them right they have to come back off.

We had a few boat trailers at the marina made with MH and clamp rim axles. I just now plain refuse to work on them or tow them. Just too much trouble to track down parts for, get the tires on right, ect.

Chris

 

[bcp]

Centerless 14.5 wheels = 95% confidence it is a MH axle.

Welded center of axle = 99.9% confidence it is a MH axle.

Welded backing plate = 99.9% confidence it is a MH axle.


Centerless 14.5 wheels, welded axle center, and welded backing plate = 294.8% confidence it is a MH axle.



Bruce

 

[RidgeHiker]

THANK YOU ALL! :thumbsup: What a wealth of good info!!!

 

[crazyal]

If the leaf spring is just one solid spring it's a good chance that it's a MH axle but about the only way to know for sure is if the axle has an ID tag on it. Is the trailer homemade? If so that's also a good sign that they could be MH axles. If the trailer has an ID plate mounted to it with the mfg name then chances are they are not.

My tri axle trailer doesn't have backing plates on it yet they are not MH axles. I would jack each wheel up and check the bearings out. I also would stick my head behind the wheel and see if I could see the brake shoes and/ or an ID tag.

If the price is right I would buy a trailer with MH axles. Around here you can get a whole axle for $100 so if you broke something you could swap out the whole axle cheaper than it would cost to repair non MH axles. Plus they sell the MH tires mounted on wheels for $25. It's always nice to have spares.

For all the talk about how bad MH axles are the main problem I see has nothing to do with MH style axles. If the owner doesn't take care of them then they will fail. I have seen far too many trailers missing a wheel because the bearing blew out and the whole thing fell off on the side of the road.

 

[brokenot]

For all the talk about how bad MH axles are the main problem I see has nothing to do with MH style axles

But earlier in the same post, you also said you'd buy a trailer equipped with them if the price was right.

You also said complete axles can be had for $100 and spare rims/tires can be had for $25.

So if the cheap price of replacement axles and rims/tires factors at all into a person's consideration when choosing an axle, does that not indicate issues with the MH component's quality? Why be concerned about the price of replacement stuff...unless you're fairly certain the replacement stuff will be needed?

How, (after taking the above into consideration), could all of the talk about how bad they are be dismissed as having nothing to do with the MH style axles themselves?

Additionally, wouldn't those same individuals that allegedly just don't take care of things properly also have the same types of problems with service-type axles....if the *real* reason behind the problems being experienced were the result of the end-user and NOT some problem with component quality?

 

[RidgeHiker]

As far as I am concerned if there is any question about the quality of the axles that could compromise safety it is probably not worth whatever cost savings there may be.