Trailer Axle Arc/Bend

reils_99

Cadet
Joined
Sep 21, 2009
Messages
7
I'm looking at a used boat...I noticed the trailer axle has a slight upward bend or arc...almost cresent shaped. The owner says this is normal and called a cambered axle. Is this true or is it bent? I can't find anything about a cambered axle on the internet... could it have another name i.e. torsion axle?

Any help would be appreciated...


Thank you Sean
 

MTribe08

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2008
Messages
680
Re: Trailer Axle Arc/Bend

They are made that way. I put a brand new 3000lb axle on my quad trailer and it had an arc....I also just bought a boat with a dual axle trailer that had arc's in both..I called the trailer company and they said it was intended to be that way to counter the load of the boat. Many "light" duty single axle trailer's are straight. Here are some pictures of my axles..some thought they were bent as well...But both are shaped the exact same way.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=347428
 

Mark42

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
9,334
Re: Trailer Axle Arc/Bend

They are made that way. I put a brand new 3000lb axle on my quad trailer and it had an arc....I also just bought a boat with a dual axle trailer that had arc's in both..I called the trailer company and they said it was intended to be that way to counter the load of the boat. Many "light" duty single axle trailer's are straight. Here are some pictures of my axles..some thought they were bent as well...But both are shaped the exact same way.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=347428


Yep, MTribe08 is right on the money.
 

captharv

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
187
Re: Trailer Axle Arc/Bend

Many "light" duty single axle trailer's are straight.
Then, my torsion suspension, disk brake, 5200# axles are considered "light duty"; they are perfectly straight.
 

Mark42

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
9,334
Re: Trailer Axle Arc/Bend

Curved axles are common. But neither of my 2000lbs trailers have curved axles. Just depends on who made the trailer or replaced an axle.

If the axle is normally straight, any downward bow indicates an overloaded condition.
 

rentprop1

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 30, 2008
Messages
358
Re: Trailer Axle Arc/Bend

I have a small landscape / utility trailer and the axle is curved like that :D
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Re: Trailer Axle Arc/Bend

Cambered axles are very common these days and the theory is that as load is added to a trailer with a straight axle there is a tendency for the wheels to go from perfectly vertical to tilted in at the top. To compensate for that the axle is bent or cambered to have the wheels tilted slightly out at the top when the trailer is empty but perfectly vertical when loaded. Whether or not an axle is cambered or not depends solely on how the trailer is manufactured and its rated load capacity. Torsion axles are a totally different design and use a swing arm at each end.. Each of the arms is embedded in a rubber insert in the axle itself so it is in effect, a rubber suspension. There are no leaf springs.
 
Top