DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

so, I picked up one of those camper decoration things from Target on clearance after Christmas with the plan of turning it into a towable camper. Step number one in making this a reality is to come up with a plan for an axle. Since that's too easy, I decided to add more constraints.:lmao:

In an attempt to make this toy camper look and behave as realistically as possible, I want to use a leaf-sprung solid axle that allows the two wheels to turn independently. Now I need help figuring out the best way to do that.

If I just run some threaded rod through an outer tube with some captive bearings, I get my solid axle, but I don't get the independent wheel movement. I could just leave the wheel nuts a little loose, but I don't want to do that.

The next idea is to use a couple stub axles from the front of a B5M. This gets my independent wheel movement, but kills the solid axle requirement.

The last option that I thought up is to combine the two ideas by designing & printing an axle housing that consists of a top half & bottom half, with a vertical wall on each side that I can use to properly mount the stub axles. Then I could close up the halves and it will look and function like a full solid axle. This idea should work out just fine, but it seems overly complicated for what I'm trying to accomplish. Does anybody have a simpler, more straightforward way to build a solid trailer axle that allows the two wheels to rotate independently?

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

Couldn't you just drill out the locker for the ring and pinion? It could be all intact but since there is nothing to grip the axles they would spin independently and everything would still be there to keep it all together.

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

I'm not talking about using something with a ring & pinion... just a straight non-drive axle like you'd see under a trailer. On a real trailer it's just an empty tube that's there to locate the wheels & provide something to mount the leaf springs to. On the ends are hub assemblies that freely spin independently from the axle. That's what I'm trying to reproduce.

Here's a full size one to show what I'm trying to do:
https://cdn10.bigcommerce.com/s-0lrb...00.750.jpg?c=2

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

Oh ok I get what your trying to do now. Sorry don't have any thoughts on that.

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

Following along!

I received the same camper trailer as a gift for Christmas. I’ve been trying to come up with some sort of axle that would work underneath of it.

I was just thinking about attaching an axle to the bottom, but I like your idea of using leaf springs to give it a more scale look.


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Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

I got something like this "semi" axle for a trailer I started making. I believe mine was much cheaper, but that was at least a year ago. It has provisions for leaf springs. I believe mine is a solid axle inside, but you could cut the axle in half, or use stub shafts, and find a way to capture them inside if splitting the axle removes that functionality.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RC-Car-C263...QAAOSw1DtXHujp


You could also do something like a semi front axle and then just fab steering lockouts.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RC-Car-C248...gAAOSwkIBbA3Qy

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/large...ject-me-9.html Page 9, post# 165, it ain't professional, but it worked fine on mine

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

I built an axle for my Bantam trailer with independently rotating wheels. I used various diameter brass tubing internally to create stop points. Then used shanked bolts for the axles with bearings inserted into the layered tubes.

Might be easier to create bearing hubs on the end of an axle. I'm not sure what scale your trailer is, or what size wheels you're going to use, but some old on-road pan car wheels or front buggy wheels, could be trimmed down to just the bearing hub. Then you could use the wheels, you're planning for the trailer, as a template to drill out the hubs for wheel bolts. Hope this makes sense, cause I think I just confused myself.

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

I agree 100%, but there's no challenge in doing it that way. :lmao:


I looked at variants of that, but because those use a solid axle, there's no easy way to split the axle and retain it. If I end up going with a single locked axle shaft, I'd prefer to try making my own, but I do have this one saved as a "maybe":
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Metal-Non-p...r/142253730030

Thanks. That's very similar to how I plan to do the axle if I just go with the standard solid style axle.

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

Yes, that's the one I have! I couldn't find it in my search so I posted one as close as I could find.

For sure capturing the split axle would be the biggest challenge if you chose this option.

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

Any more info on that axle of yours?


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Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

Please do!


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Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

Thanks!


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Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

I made a trailer axle out of some metric tubing, bearings and some Wraith/Bomber dogbone outers. Hardest part was finding the correct tubing since its metric. Another tricky part is CA-ing the outer bearing in without letting it into the bearing itself.

The outer most tubing is sized for the bearings and the inner tubing fits the leaf spring U bolts.
https://i.imgur.com/czV6AGpl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HXeKDQpl.jpg

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

Yeah I know, I had very few options. It was either find a paper thin washer and try to tack weld it on without ruining the bearing or glue it.


The U bold hardware is 1/10 scale from the Gmade Sawback, a lot less than RC4WD and more likely to be in stock. (its a big trailer sized to fit a Wraith/Bomber)

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

im surprised no one just pushed bearings in to the wheels them selfs i used a 13mm bearing pressed in to the hex of the wheel and a 11mm bearing on pressed in to the wheel on the outer side of the wheel the bearings are held in place by the wheel nut no need for fancy axles or custom shafts just 5mm od all thread and some bearings pressed in to the wheels

https://i.imgur.com/Zkxx6XUl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9qeiYXdl.jpg

Re: DIY trailer axle ideas?
 

im using traxxasss tires and wheels but i5 works on alot of different plastic wheels

works great with spun hexs but with just a bit of wiggle they can be pressed in to a good hex

the 5x13x4 is the size i run for the inner pinnion beering in my ar60 axles so i buy them in bulk lol