Trailer Axles

Going off road on a budget.
- 6x4 trailer with 39mm axle.
Trailer will be carrying water, fuel and beer.

If i take it easy, will the trailer last?

pull the wheel bearings out & check for signs of pitting &/or corrosion. Repack with new grease.
Or for cheap insurance I would drop new wheel bearings in, unless you know they aren't very old.
And check the draw-bar welds where it meets the body for cracking. Take a spare pair of axle/spring U-bolts.

Cheers man, i didnt even consider the u bolts!
Done and done :Y:

Muza said:

Cheers man, i didnt even consider the u bolts!
Done and done :Y:

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you're welcome
u-bolts can be problematic on rough roads .... mainly if they are old. Ive seen them broken & Ive seen them lose their nuts layful: Ive had em come loose & let the axle move sideways

Don't take twist top bottles, they open themselves on corrugations and aluminium cans wear through. If you can take crown seal bottles....good luck!

Hell of a lot of variables.
How much can the trailor carry...drawbar weight..springs...tyres...how much you plan to carry..where you plan to go etc.. etc..etc..

Water and fuel ball park figure is 1litre = 1kg.

Often out here it's not off road that kills a trailor or van, it's the damn corragated roads getting there

But the trailer should hold up? I have never had experience with a trailer, i mean i have fixed plenty but as far as their capability i've got no clue.
I just need it to carry 500kg in and out of the bush. Its like this: buy new off road trailer and dont eat or buy reasonable 6x4 second hand trailer and eat haha
It might not be a perfect option, but thats where im at :argh:

A fair few people use box trailers Muza., usually for taking a motorbike/quad & then all the gear (fuel, water, tent, tables etc) packed around it.
just make sure you don't overload it, & have good bearings & tyres on it. I see way too many trailers & caravans on the side of the road, often with the whole hub taken off due to a failed bearing.
And take 2 spares, especially if going 'off road' .. make sure the tyres are a suitable type for off-road conditions where you are headed.
take at least 2 spares for your vehicle as well.

A really smart bit of kit is mount your spare on a stub axle with spare bearing already fitted :Y: this way if a bearing let's go you've got a spare ready to fit wheel and tyre included :Y: don't be complacent and do this without doing the main bearings at a minimum.

In reality there's no excuse for piss poor preparation unless your on the piss, been there done that :lol:. As DED Driver and Madtuna have said, DED Driver mentioned spare springs ower: and MT mentioned variables so this says you know your destination which means you need to plan your trip to make it as hassle free as possible. Finally have fun when you get amongst it all :beer:

Thanks for the advice. Definitely taking at least 2 spares for the vehicle, and i will get 2 for the trailer as well, ive got plugs coming out my ears so should be good i hope.
Yep, was going to take spare bearings, but never thought about the hubs or the u bolts. They arent an expensive insurance really so that is absolutely on the cards.
Thanks again, just needed to hear that it is possible.
Cheers :Y:

Cheers RM Outback :Y:

What tunas getting at i think is are you goin to the outskirts of dunnolly vic on state forest tracks or tearing through wa goldfields,big difference,a normal lightly built 6x4 trailer with slipper springs will not last that long in wa im afraid,i tried to get a normal dual axle into the tanami area,bits were falling off everywhere...... :lol:

Muza said:

But the trailer should hold up? I have never had experience with a trailer, i mean i have fixed plenty but as far as their capability i've got no clue.
I just need it to carry 500kg in and out of the bush. Its like this: buy new off road trailer and dont eat or buy reasonable 6x4 second hand trailer and eat haha
It might not be a perfect option, but thats where im at :argh:

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Impossible to answer...nobody's seen what trailor yet.

Half a tonne is a big ask in a little 6x4 on out back WA crap corragated roads which have been graded down to bed rock.

Towing trailers on dirt roads you will have to drop your speed, drive to conditions and put your beer in your vehicle.

Cheers

Doug

On bad corrogation, remember to lower air pressure a bit in tyres as well. How much will depend on weight but it does help. Another thing to carry is some 2T ratchet straps. I have used them in past to tie and hold an axle in place when U bolts gave way.

Yeah.
i have a $7000 budget.
Out of that i have to register my vehicle, fully service it, get the rear wheel bearings done and get a new intercooler = $2520
Then food/piss/smokes for 3 months = $1500
Fuel = $ 1500
That leaves me $1500 to sort out a trailer. Only looking at a trailer because i dont think the ute would take too much more weight.
So what im saying is do i risk it with a half decent trailer or just buy a heap of jerrys?
At this point the jerrys seem to be the best option haha

Muza, as mentioned by people above, an important question is, WHERE are you taking it?

The W.A Goldfields.
- Who knows what the roads are like. Obviously i will drive to conditions, if it takes me a couple hours extra to get where I am going, then a couple hours it is.
My biggest concern is that 39mm axle, and bending the stubs. I havent bought the trailer yet.

I think i may have worded this wrong (never been good at getting my point across).

*Does anyone know anything about a 39mm axle, and can they confirm its mechanical integrity through previously gained experience?

Muza said:

Yeah.

Then food/piss/smokes for 3 months = $1500
Fuel = $ 1500

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You might have under estimated the budget somewhat.

3 months = 90 days.

1 x $20.00 pckt smokes a day = $1800.00 (not sure what smokes cost)

1 x slab beer a week = $600 (You may have to double that if going west)

$10 for food per day = $900 ( not enough )

$1500 will get you approx 1,000L of fuel @ city prices, a heavy vehicle towing on dirt roads you
will chew through that pretty quick.

Axle will prob be ok if ya dont load it up,if its got slipper springs thats more of a concern on corragations,there cheap,grab a spare pair or look for a trailer with eye to eye springs.....