ATV Trailer Build

[ferrari99]

I am going to a build a walking beam axle ATV dump trailer (inspired by MUTS and DR Versatrailer). But I have a couple of questions mainly about the walking beam axle suspension. How should I make the centre pivots for the walking beam? I wondering if the pivot in my drawings would be strong enough? and if it is does it need to be able to be greased? Does anyone have any pictures of an operational walking beam setup? Here are the drawings, the mast is for a winch, criticisms welcome...
Thanks in advance.

 

[notme]

theres a few nice ones on you tube to look at, I would think a 3/4 to 1" pin would make an adequate pivot and grease is good stuff!!! only bad thing about walking beams is most have 0 tongue weight on the atv. too much weight is not a good thing either but I do like to have a good 100lbs on my back tires...it helps for traction and braking when you have that big load behind you...now the trick would be to figure out how to put some weight on the tongue but not too overload it when you have a heavy load in the trailer. check out you tube. or do a google search and you will come up with some builds on some of the welding/fabrication forums. I see so many people that think they have to put atv tires on an atv trailer...what a waste of money.. my theory is bigger tires turn easier, just keep the weight of them down! very little tread is needed specially with a tandem like that..

 

[pmsmechanic]

I built a walking beam ATV trailer and just used new rubber rear spring inserts from a 1990 Dodge 3/4 ton pickup for the walking beam pivots. The inserts have metal inside and outside sleeves. I found a piece of pipe that just fit over the outside sleeve and welded it to the frame work and used a bolt for the inside. There is no metal on metal as the is rubber in between. The rubber flexes adequately for walking beam action.

 

[ferrari99]

This is what I have come up with, thoughts welcome. If I make the design of the walking beam the same as in the drawing except mount a piece of 1in pipe on top (to save inserting it into the beam), and then modify the pins so that you can grease it. I made a trial pin to see if I could do it, here is a picture of it. The pin is a bolt with a hole drilled down the centre and another hole drilled perpendicular to the other hole, with a grease nipple in the top hole so that it can be greased.

 

[rutwad]

This is what my dad has on a trailer. It has worked for years without problems.

 

[ferrari99]

This is what my dad has on a trailer. It has worked for years without problems.

It isn't a walking beam though is it? For the purpose it will be used for it really needs walking beams.

 

[rutwad]

Oh, I'm really not sure what a walking beam is. Each axle has leaf springs that attach to the same piece and that piece will rotate up or down so that when one axle goes over a speed bump for example, both axles still carry weight.

 

[ferrari99]

A walking beam trailer has a beam that a wheel attaches either end and it pivots in the middle allow a lot more movement than a standard setup. Here is an animation I made of what a walking beam does.

 

[rutwad]

I would think the setup on my dad's trailer would do just as well. When the front tire raises therefore lifting the leaf spring attachment point at the rear, it lowers the attaching point for the rear axle leaf spring at the front attaching point. So it appears to be the same as the animation except with the addition of leaf springs for additional suspension. It does appear that the walking beam is a simpler setup though. And for an ATV trailer, I doubt the extra cushioning would be needed as much as a highway trailer.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[rutwad]

I would think the setup on my dad's trailer would do just as well. When the front tire raises therefore lifting the leaf spring attachment point at the rear, it lowers the attaching point for the rear axle leaf spring at the front attaching point. So it appears to be the same as the animation except with the addition of leaf springs for additional suspension. It does appear that the walking beam is a simpler setup though. And for an ATV trailer, I doubt the extra cushioning would be needed as much as a highway trailer.

Thanks for the explanation.