Aluminium Trailer Build Tandem Axle (On a budget)

[ericcs]

Engineering certification is done by the blue slip mechanic had one done for spring upgrade and cost $46 from memory

that's not so bad then, thought there would be more to it!

[shakey55]

Wowzers just called that Snake Racing they want $45 each U bolt, i can't afford to pay $180 fora set and not even be galvanized bugger i have to look into how they are made and make some

plate on top plate on bottom would work but more screwing around and it wouldn't look tidy and could possibly wiggle loose over time

Gazza unfortunately sometimes you just have to spend the money to get exactly what you want. Save the coin, buy the bolts and down the track you’ll be happy you did it correctly.

Good Luck


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[gazza2006au]

Yeah the U bolts are the only way i have allowed a small movement of around 15 to 20mm of the spring hangers just to square up the drive train with the frame so i think by using the U bolts instead of bolts it will allow me to fine tune it and get it perfectly square

They are expensive but i will buy them

[stevej]

there might be others who can do it just that was the first i found

its all that is holding your trailer together so dont do it yourself

[gazza2006au]

The standard in U bolts for this purposes is 12mm i emailed another shop and they got back to me and said they dont make U bolts in 14mm i wanted to step it up a notch, today i picked up 1 meter of 16mm round bar and put it thru the hydraulic press using some scrap off cuts of aluminium from my lathe and it worked

the steel cost $10 a die will cost $15, lock nuts probably $5 and its 12mm vs 16mm custom made U bolts in my back yard

the radius in the test piece is big because i only grabbed what die i could reach for if i make my own U bolts i'll crank up the lathe and machine a die around 18mm to 20mm for a sharper corner i think that die off cut in the picture is 35mm

[gazza2006au]

To thread 16mm bar it needs to be machined to 15.80mm I'm not sure if 16mm radius will fit thru my lathe chuck but i'll check it out

[stevej]

most u bolts are a rolled thread and not a cut thread to reduce the risk of snapping the threads

set up a go fun me page and im sure many here will chuck in enough to buy the proper bolts

i dont want to see that on the road with home made u bolts

[Noelm]

That's how u bolts are made, as long as the material isn't fracturered, it should be OK.

[gazza2006au]

Steve i have a metal lathe if i can fit the rod thru the chuck on the lathe i can cut the threads or i can use a die i think either way would be ok there isnt much force pulling down on the U bolts the force is length wise so it would be a shear snap rather than a strip of the threads i am thinking

Noel yeah thats how i seen it being done on youtube using a die to cut the threads

[ericcs]

they will rust out super quick unless they're galvanised. No amount of paint will seal them from the salt!

[gazza2006au]

Eric im hopping to get everything galvanized minus the axle as i needed to weld the brake mounts on and unsure about getting the machined bearing surface coated than removed every other bit of steel is getting hot dipped

[CT]

So you have MIG, TIG and a lathe. By comparison, I, and a lot of other blokes, remember when we thought we were flash getting an auto darkening mask to use with our cig stickwelders!

[Noelm]

I still have an old fashioned mask, no auto business for me, unfortunately.

[ranmar850]

I still have an old fashioned mask, no auto business for me, unfortunately.

Auto darkening, bloody luxury. I treated myself to a cheap one ( cheap= no skulls or effin flames/crap on it) for my boat trailer buld and included it in the cost. Now the solar battery seems to be dying, they'll do that stored in a shed, I might need a new one for my flat-top trailer build coming up.

[ozscott]

I still have an old fashioned mask, no auto business for me, unfortunately.

A lot of stuff I.dont spend money on. But years ago I bought a 3m Speedglass from the US when we were over parity. No flames. Serious equipment. Never regretted the purchase. Made on Sweeden from memory. Can help the occasional welder weld better and be safer. Some autos don't do so well reacting to HF TIG but this one is great.

Cheers

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