Re: outboard vrs inboard
Whatever was wrong w springs and shackles in the first place? Why do they make torsion axles?Because leaf springs are cheap to replace?Are rubber ones better than springs in any way?Softer ride is all I can imagine,until you hit a pothole!I figured it out,the axle can be lower than the hubs w torsion.
speaking terms of non-marine single axle trailers, there is no comparison. torsion axles ride 100x times better. Personally, I have 6 trailers that have leaf springs, and 2 trailers with torsion. (all very similar trailers, all under 2000 pounds capacity) The two torsion trailers (snowmobile, popup camper) pull vastly better, don't jerk the vehicle around, are quieter, and the ride going over a rough road is as good as the vehicle pulling it.
As far as age, my popup is 17 years old, the snowmobile trailer is 10 years. Neither one has had ANY work done to the axle. Leaf springs on the other hand... I do preventative maintenance on at least one trailer every year.
And yes, torsion axles do allow for a lower ride height, which is why probably 100% of all tandom tilt snowmobile trailers are torsion.