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So this is Squatch's fault...... :D

11K views 25 replies 8 participants last post by  slainer 
#1 ·
:D :lol: :lol: :lol:

My dad was going to scrap this trailer and I talked him out of it!

It's supposedly an old U-haul trailer but it has beat around the farm for as long as I can remember. It is a solid mount axle and I've seen it haul a lot through the years! I remember loading it full of wood as a kid, freezing my butt off while doing so! I was probably 7 or 8? Loading it full of sweet corn, parking it under the grain elevator to catch the crushed corn kernels, hauling rock to fix the drive, dirt, manure......

So, with my increasing confidence with my recent welding project, I was thinking of my next one......... I need a truck but don't want to have one sitting not being used that much. So, a trailer would be handy! Plus, this would be a good base for an adventure trailer. Obviously it needs a lot of work, but behind that parts truck in the picture lays a 2wd LS Pickup rear end with springs. Or, if you look next to the trailer on the other side, there lay two house trailer axles. I want to add the leaf springs and one of the axle types. The house trailer axle shafts could be narrowed and 6 lug spindles added to them. The body would be repaired, lights added, tongue replaced etc.... It's in the planning stages right now but I thought I'd share since I couldn't sleep.

Trailer:



 
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#3 ·
Can't I'm 800 miles away, plus it's dark out. :lol: :lol:

The LS was a 2wd that that cab you see came off of. It had a good motor which is also in that truck you see. Truck frame you see was my 2nd zu, got it for a song! Found out why when the motor dropped a valve. Replaced motor with junkyard motor, think I used dry rotted fuel line or didn't get everything buttoned up right......Had an engine fire. Bought it back from insurance company and rebuilt it with the LS 2wd body and engine. Even added a Calmini lift. Never finished it........

Unfortunately, the LS bed side was trashed as was the tranny in the truck. Guy ditched it in the winter, side swiping a concrete post doing so. Roached tranny trying to get out. I scrapped it but saved the rear axle which I believe has disc brakes. (Ron help me remember, was that an LS option?)

I do have a super rare 86-87 Pup space cab bed in the same general area though. That's option 2. Got it off this truck along with the flares! No pictures of it though.
 
#4 ·
I would go with option 2.

Your dad is obviously a working farmer.

he is also obviously thrifty.

Making do with what he has.

He had to have had good reason for getting rid of the trailer.

You can make a really nice trailer out of the back end of a pickup.
 
#5 ·
Yeah, probably be easier but what fun is that?

Plus making a rare space cab pup bed into a trailer would be blasphemy to the pup guys. That and I could probably sell it (mint) for as much as I would pay for a nice used trailer. :p Or bartering! Also though of using it on my 83 Pup project. Bed is a little different configuration than a short bed Pup bed but could be made to work.

My dad is a pack rat in rehab (that's where I get it.....) He is pretty much down to the cows now and sold all the old rusty machinery when steel prices went through the roof. I told him I wanted the trailer and he saved it back.

I have too many projects.......
 
#9 ·
Cronk said:
Plus making a rare space cab pup bed into a trailer would be blasphemy to the pup guys.
thou art will rot in HELL for doing that :!:

those 86/87 space cabs are insane hard to find.
let alone a 4wd
or yet agen a T\D one :!:
or even agen a rust free one 8)
over all........like a few thousand at the most :shock:

basicaly it would be like making a good RS in to a trailer :shock: blasphemy

its a L\B "cut back at the factory"
to about 2" longer than a normal S\B, so its size is un-to the space cab ONLY
 
#10 ·
I've been blamed for worse. A good trailer is a wonderful thing to have. The box on that one looks pretty good. Mount the pick up springs and gut the rear axle. Use that and if you are really tricky you can even hook up the ebrake to a parking brake handle up front for a trailer parking brake. My m416 has one of those and it's sweet. Great project!
 
#11 ·
That looks like a great size trailer if its solid it may pay to fix it up. You might even look into new trailer parts if you buy them in the right places, they are more inexpensive than you may think. On my trailer project I put a new #3500 axle and 10" electric brakes that match Isuzu lug pattern for about $300.
 
#12 ·
trooper T/diesel said:
Cronk said:
Plus making a rare space cab pup bed into a trailer would be blasphemy to the pup guys.
thou art will rot in HELL for doing that :!:
I'm not a good artist, doubt Satan would buy it. :lol: :lol:

Seriously though, I will save the truck bed. Heck, may even sell it if the price was right! If anybody is looking, let me know.

Slainer said:
On my trailer project I put a new #3500 axle and 10" electric brakes that match Isuzu lug pattern for about $300.
Can you post up a link to where you got those parts? Specifically the brakes, I like the idea of trailer brakes.

Squatch said:
I've been blamed for worse. A good trailer is a wonderful thing to have. The box on that one looks pretty good. Mount the pick up springs and gut the rear axle. Use that and if you are really tricky you can even hook up the ebrake to a parking brake handle up front for a trailer parking brake. My m416 has one of those and it's sweet. Great project!
I'm sure you have! :wink: I give you credit for fertilizing a seed that was growing rather slowly! I've sit on the trailer for a few years now and pretty much put off as just another idea until you posted those expo trailer links! I've spent hours and hours trolling through them for ideas and have plenty. The parking brake idea is brilliant! Ramair has talked about an actuator to makes it so you can tap into your hydraulic brakes on your rig, need to dig more on that too.

I like the idea of the pickup axle more and more after I think about it. One thing I thought about is if I kept the axle live I could use it to drive a generator which in turn would charge a battery cell. The cell could be a backup power source. Also, I know this sound goofy, but if I used an old cub cadet starter generator combo and had a crazy wheel on the tongue, I could use the electric starter to move the trailer around when not hooked to the truck. Laugh now, but I know it would be hand on more than one occasion! :lol: :lol: I'm sure through trial and error, I can come up with something. The good thing about using the truck parts, they could also be used for trail spares.
 
#13 ·
OK, now I have access to a 2nd gen isuzu pickup truck bed and may start with it for now. It's close and I can start it now instead of later. The old trailer above will come into play at some point though. I was thinking of building a light weight frame that the bed will bolt to. The bed and frame will act as a unibody, minimizing weight.

Looking at axles idea, I kinda like this design.

http://www.timbren.com/axle-less1.htm

It looks easy enough to mimic. Figure I have enough scrap steel laying around that I can get something along the same concept. Instead of using the rubber cushions, I'll use two of the lowrider air bags that I have at home.

For spindles, I was thinking I would be different. I have a good set of spindles from a 2wd pickup. Why not use them for my axle spindles? Number one, I already have them, two, they are 6 lug and lastly, they pretty darned solid. I can just lock them into position.

Anyone have any input on how this setup would perform off road, not that I would use it off road that much, just curious. I'd say they ought to work independently of each other, not real sure though. For load carrying, I figure the air bags should be tied together to keep equal distribution of load.

My goal is doing this on the cheap using as many parts I can get cheap or already have on hand.
 
#14 ·
I have seen other trailers designed with this type of trailing arm suspension. They have great clearance. The concern usually is the availability of parts in the event somthing breaks. With a traditional leaf spring solid axle setup you can get parts to repair them at basically any trailer store or even hardware store. If you plan to use it off road and on long trips consider simplicity...

-C
 
#15 ·
That's a good point. A standard assembly can be picked up pretty easily. Must have spares!

I do like the removable design and will likely make mine removable as well. If I found a 3rd spindle assembly, maybe I could make a bracket to bolt to the trailer tounge or front of the trailer with a spare.

Keep the feedback coming!
 
#17 ·
No matter what bed or old trailer box you choose to use I would build a simple ladder frame to attach it too. This will reinforce the bed and give you some solid, square (if built properly) mounting locations to build your new suspension off of. Also by building a separate frame the option of converting to a dump body trailer becomes an option.

I would use leaf springs over torsion axles if you are even considering taking it off road. Torsion axles have very limited ranges of motion.

I like your goofy generator idea. You could in theory mount a set of batteries under the bed, mount a charge controller in a box on the tongue (for easy access and weather protection) and mount your generator on a fabricated bracket driven off of the drive shaft flange. This could keep the battery bank charged providing power at camp or during power outages assuming you also add a solar trickle charger to maintain the charge while parked.

I like using the Isuzu axle for the matching hubs, possible spare parts, ability to rig a manual parking brake.

I like using a modern trailer axle for the sake of having trailer brakes (needed over 3000lbs in most states), ability to get matching hubs at a price, and knowing that most trailer parts are available anywhere in the country in stock. The bearings are of a few standard sizes, same goes for the hubs and with a set of bearing buddies they basically repack them selves full of grease as you fill them.

There are benefits to all of your ideas...
 
#18 ·
slainer said:
On my trailer project I put a new #3500 axle and 10" electric brakes that match Isuzu lug pattern for about $300.
Northern Tool has a huge selection of trailer parts, axles, and goodies.

www.northerntool.com

Here is a 6 lug axle kit with springs, hubs and all for $320. It is a 6k capacity rated axle so you would be able to load it down like crazy and be fine.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200330495

Good luck!!
 
#19 ·
Another idea is to see if Bansil will post a few pics of his trailer and axle set up. Mostly reused zoo parts and very nicely done. Pretty simple as well.

Mike I wasn't aware of the range of motion limits. Good info.

Just another note along those lines. "Trailer" leaf springs tend to be short so they also have limited travel. Reusing a set of old Trooper leaves and taking out a leaf or 2 (if needed) might work better for an off road trailer.
 
#25 ·
Good point... Go for it!! :lol:

I'll join the fray... I think you should plan to use a four link suspension using a set of Rodeo link bars so that if you tear yours up on a trip you can cannibalize the trailer and leave it behind to be fixed later...

Just a thought.
 
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