Trailer Ramps / Leg height

LD1 · Jun 16, 2013

mikehaugen said:
wow! those things were way off the ground before. I would guess someone put bigger tires on it at some point, at the rear of the deck seems pretty high off the ground as well. Can you see any evidence of "lower" the axles to clear the bigger tires? Nice truck and trailer btw.

Nope. I believe the tire size is original

Diamondpilot · Jun 16, 2013

LD1 said:
Nope. I believe the tire size is original

What about a axle flip?

Chris

LD1 · Jun 16, 2013

Springs are already under the axle.

I dont think anything has been modified, except maybe the ramps were added from another trailer??

I couldnt lower the trailer even if I wanted. As it currently sits, the GN is in its highest position. So if I lowered the axles, the trailer would have a downhill slope toward the back and look funny.

I dont know how it compairs, but with the trailer hooked up and level, from ground to center of the ramp pivot pin is 24"-24.5". The ramp legs were 17.5"-18"

andrehoude123 · Jun 16, 2013

Our 14k trailer ramps legs touch the ground when trailer un loaded if I can I put the
backhoe all the way up front to lift the back end and close up the ramps if we have a 4 wheeler and the back hoe and I can't go forward enough to lift up the back end I get in the truck and go forward a couple feet and it kicks the back end of the ramps up and then I just folded the rest by hand same thing for unloading it unfold them and back up and the ramps just drop right into place

cockeyedMFer · Jun 25, 2013

LD1 said:
Yes truck and trailer are sitting level. Heres some shots. You can see the peice of 3" tubing is what I added. So you can see how far off it was before. With the tube, they are 3-4" off the ground. View attachment 322742 View attachment 322743

Also had to modify the assist springs. The doubles that were on it were broke. So I ordered new ones, but the peice that connects the two halves together was too short to touch anything, AND they were about 1/2" too wide to fit. So I cut them in half, and straightened what was left. Basically making two single assist springs per ramp. They work great now. You can see where I heated and bent it, that is where they were connected to eachother, and just too short to touch anything...

View attachment 322744

I need to replace one spring on my equipment trailer and its the same setup as yours, but with a wider ramp and hinge bar. Where did you get your springs, and do you have any tricks for installing them?

My ramps won't fold all the way flat against the deck to take tension off the springs so I'd have to compress the spring and support the ramp while inserting the hinge bar. How many hands does that take?

mikehaugen · Jun 25, 2013

cockeyedMFer said:
I need to replace one spring on my equipment trailer and its the same setup as yours, but with a wider ramp and hinge bar. Where did you get your springs, and do you have any tricks for installing them?

My ramps won't fold all the way flat against the deck to take tension off the springs so I'd have to compress the spring and support the ramp while inserting the hinge bar. How many hands does that take?

If it were me I would put one end in a vise and compress the other end with some kind of bar and tie the ends together with multiple wraps of bailing wire or something, then install them and cut the wire. It would have to be some thick wire obviously, and a lot of wraps to help insure that it doesn't come apart on you. In fact if you do it right maybe you could have it take the tension off the wire when you lower the ramps.

LD1 · Jun 25, 2013

Mine dont start applying tension until they are vertical (or slightly on the downhill side of vertical). So If you have a way to support the ramp in the vertical position while lined up, there should be no tension.

I got the springs the same place I got the bolts. But I dont remember what website that was.

cockeyedMFer · Jun 25, 2013

LD1 said:
Mine dont start applying tension until they are vertical (or slightly on the downhill side of vertical). So If you have a way to support the ramp in the vertical position while lined up, there should be no tension.

I got the springs the same place I got the bolts. But I dont remember what website that was.

Just did a quick search and found some here. Ramps & Ramp Springs

Will have to look at mine more closely to see where the tension eases off.

To get back on your original topic, mine is a 12k equipment trailer with fenders, and the ramp legs are usually about 4" off the ground. Rarely do they touch ground when loading unless I manually tilt the trailer deck with the jack. The trailer doesn't seem to stress it though.