How to recognize manufactured home axles?

[JFS2295]

Lots of opinions ....


Here are some low quality shots of the axles under my 1984 Hudson 8000lb trailer, originally equipped with Goodyear Utility tires of 7-14.5" size. Axles measure 95" from outside to outside of tires and have no welding in the center of the beams. Brake backing plates are welded to the axle of this well known trailer manufacturer. Single tapered leaf springs too. Hudson still sells tires and brake components for these.

 

[Qapla]

Personally, I would prefer not to have MH axles under a utility trailer. I don't want donut rims at all.

However, just because they are "regular" rims with lug nuts does not mean you are all set.

We have a 16' trailer with dual axles that has "regular rims". Only problem is, no one knows what the bolt pattern is from. It is not a standard trailer pattern. Therefore, we cannot get a spare for it. Some have guessed that it may have GM rims, but not sure on that.

I would stick with a trailer that has standard trailer parts on it. Perhaps that's just me, but we have had problems locating tires/rims for more than one non-standard trailer.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Personally, I would prefer not to have MH axles under a utility trailer. I don't want donut rims at all.

However, just because they are "regular" rims with lug nuts does not mean you are all set.

We have a 16' trailer with dual axles that has "regular rims". Only problem is, no one knows what the bolt pattern is from. It is not a standard trailer pattern. Therefore, we cannot get a spare for it. Some have guessed that it may have GM rims, but not sure on that.

I would stick with a trailer that has standard trailer parts on it. Perhaps that's just me, but we have had problems locating tires/rims for more than one non-standard trailer.

Anyone can measure the bolt pattern. If you do not know how look it up on the web or take it to a tire shop. Tire shops around here have blanks to they can tell what the pattern is 100% correctly.

I am in the same boat as you. Well, used to be. My car haul trailer is 5 lug 15" wheels but runs 4.75 Spacing and Ford Wheels. My last boat I sold was 5 Lug also but ran standard 4.5 Spacing and trailer wheels. Kind of stunk having 2 spares but only able to use one.

Chris

 

[sandman2234]

Well, let me see if I can wade into and out of this posting without stepping in it...
Just for informational reasons, I thought I would mention that I have a trailer, which started life out as a 45' boat hauling trailer via a fifth wheel setup. After getting a little too close to my torches and welder, it is now a 20' flatbed that uses 12' of it as a dump trailer. Any steel used in the rebuilding of it came from out back which gives it a "homemade trailer" and is actually titled as such, since the original title went with the wind years ago. (Trailer was donated to a boy's club where I acquired it) Anyway, the trailer uses 14.5 centerless rims with tires, just like any respectable mobile home would ride around on. The dead giveaway that it isn't mobile home axles might be in the fact that the axles are drop axles, giving the trailer a considerable lower stance. Yes, drop axle spindles can be purchased and could have been added to existing MH axles, but I seriously doubt somebody would go thru that much trouble. There are no VIN numbers other than the ones assigned by my state when I completed the trailer and had it inspected. If the trailer had weighed in at under 2000 pounds, I could have even skipped that inspection and VIN number assignment, but it isn't even close, lol. Bottom line, if your worried about it, or it matters, consider alternative trailer sources that don't use centerless rims. For my UGLY DUMP Trailer, it doesn't matter, and I can easily recoup the $100 that I have in it, at almost anytime.
For people that aren't concerned about it, don't expect them to take less than what they think the trailer is worth because it has 14.5" centerless rims, because those rims do the job just fine for some of us.
David from jax

Anyway,

 

[crazyal]

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?

You're jumping to conclusions. These axles are cheap because the MH dealers have lots of them sitting around. Secondly since they get very little use at the MH dealer one can expect the seals and grease to be fresh.

What I said was in all my years of driving, and there's been lots, the most common problem I've seen is blown tires and wheels that have fallen off (what looks like a bearing failure). All types and brands. If MH axles were as bad as some say then common sense would suggest that they would be the ones you would see broken down on the side of the road. I haven't seen that, maybe you have. Actually boat trailers are the most common trailers I see with bearing failures.

As far as replacement parts go for $100 the whole axle can be replaced. No trying to find parts that fit, just swap it out. But if you look around the internet you'll see there are companies that take these axles, refurbish them, and sell (or rent) them back to MH dealers.