what would i need to upgrade from 3,500 lbs tandem axles to 5,000 lbs tandem axles

Topic: Axle upgrade?

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Posted By: Cyclops69 on 12/17/13 08:29am New to this forum and joined because I am going to upgrade the axles, rims and tires. I am in the research part of this project and am looking for whatsoever info that may aid. I use my 28 1000 surveyor about 8 months out of the yr for work all over the nation. I am on my second aptitude beam and am tired of buying tires . Took the rig to a calibration and she weighs 7400 pounds minus about 550 of tongue weight. This puts me right at the chapters of the 3500 pound axles that came on the trailer. Looking for maybe 5000 pound axles or 4500 pounds with 6 lugs hubs so I tin can as well go to a higher load range tire on a bigger rim. This is the first of many upgrades I have planned and arguably the well-nigh important and so any help as far as type or manufacture or bargain to buy from will exist helpful

Cheers in advance

Distressing forgot to mention the TT currently has AL-KO torsion axles

* This mail was edited 12/17/thirteen 08:40am by Cyclops69 *

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Posted Past: donn0128 on 12/17/13 08:46am If your using information technology that much y'all might consider upgrading the entire package to a morride suspension system. Far superior components that you currently have.
If not, go with 5500 pound axles and the. You could install a decent LT tire to boot.

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Posted Past: Cyclops69 on 12/17/xiii 09:00am Thanks for the info I will look that upwards. I tow almost ten to 15 grand miles a twelvemonth and live in it for most viii months of the year. I'm sure that the road weather are what is bending my axles. I 95 through NYC is horrible and I x through Louisiana is a rotten stretch with some bad freeway hop so some sort of upgrade is needed badly. Over again thank you for the help

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Posted By: ScottG on 12/17/thirteen 09:41am My TT weighs the same as yours merely has 5200# Alko axles. They have performed neat over nearly 50K miles and I would suggest them as an upgrade.

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Posted Past: powderman426 on 12/17/xiii x:00am if you don't have shocks, that would be advisable equally they really assistance cushion the blows.

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Ron & Charlotte
WD8CBT since 1976
32' Gulfstream Ameri-Camp & 05 Ram QC LB

I started with aught and I still have most of it left

I never fail, I only succeed in finding out what doesn't work

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Posted By: time2roll on 12/17/13 10:05am Don't forget new springs. I moved from 1750# to 2200# springs on my 3500# axles and it rides mode better.

As long as you are getting consummate new I would opt for disc brakes for simply a piddling more. Dexter will fix you lot up.

On edit:

Looks like y'all will need to weld on some bound hangers if you intend to go to a jump suspension.

* This post was edited 12/17/xiii 02:10pm past an administrator/moderator *

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2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
675w Solar pictures support

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Posted By: NYCFive1 on 12/17/13 ten:50am Travel advice. You lot could avoid the Cross Bronx State highway (I95) going through NYC.

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NYCFive1

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Posted By: Cyclops69 on 12/17/13 10:56am

NYCFive1 wrote:

Travel communication. Yous could avert the Cross Bronx State highway (I95) going through NYC.

Lol yeah unfortunately I learned that lesson the hard way. Non to mention the unbelievable loftier tolls for the Delaware memorial bridge the jersey turnpike and th GW. At present I become around on the mode to and from Connecticut.

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Posted By: B.O. Enough on 12/17/thirteen 01:41pm

smkettner wrote:

Don't forget new springs. I moved from 1750# to 2200# springs on my 3500# axles and it rides way better.

Equally long as y'all are getting complete new I would opt for disc brakes for just a footling more. Dexter will prepare you up.

Torsion axles don't use springs.

B.O.

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Former Ram/Cummins possessor
2015 Silverado 3500 D/A DRW
Yup I'm a fanboy!
2016 Cedar Creek 36CKTS

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Posted Past: 69 Avion on 12/17/thirteen 01:55pm You may want to consider Flexiride Axles from:

http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/p-2313-5200-lb-flexiride-torsion-beam.aspx

The prices are decent and the Flexiride axles employ and adjustable splined torsion arm. Any you apply, yous demand to make certain all the measurements are correct for the mounting arrangement.

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Ford F-350 4x4 Diesel
1988 Avion Triple Axle Trailer
1969 Avion C-eleven Camper

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Posted Past: wrvond on 12/17/thirteen 06:00pm moot mail

* This post was edited 12/17/thirteen 06:10pm by wrvond *

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2022 Keystone Cougar 24RDS
2017 F350 Lariat 6.7L DRW

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Posted By: Midnightpumpkin on 12/17/13 07:53pm A little history to begin with.

On our first trip with this trailer, a 2007 model Rockwood 8315SS, purchased in October of 2006, my get-go stop was at the scales. The weight on the 2 axles was 6640 pounds, which is 95% of the axle ratings, and does non business relationship for side to side weight differences. This also represents a 92% loading factor on the tire ratings.

Early on summertime of 2009, I upgraded the tires to ST205/75R15 LRD. In doing this, I noticed cracks where the mounting brackets were welded to the axle tubes. These were Alko-Kober rubber torsion axles. I contacted Alko-Kober, they were very anxious to transport me new axles, at thier expense. They did non want to work with me to upgrade to a heavier axle. I took the replacement axles and installed them in Sept of 2009.

At present 3 years and 25,000 highway miles after, summer of 2012, there were definete signs of tire wear on the insides of the tires.

At the time of the original axle failures, Alko-Kober gave me the consummate specs on the existing axles.

I took these specs to Dexter Axle, and asked them to quote a 5200 pound axle, to replace the 3500 pound Alko-Kobers. Dexter sent me a very through and complete specification on a replacement beam.

The replacement 5200 pound axle has much larger spindles, and requires a half-dozen lug hub. So the upgrade involved not only replacing the axles, only the rims and tires every bit well.

I chip the bullet and ordered upwardly the dexter axles, new rims and new MAXXIS ST225/75R15 LRD tires.

On Monday 11/26/12 I took the trailer to a friends shop and we swapped the axles. It was an easy swap, two mounting holes on the Dexters lined upward with ii of the mounting holes used past the Alko's. After getting the front end axle in verbal location, we drilled two new holes in the side mount flanges on the trailer to adjust the Dexter mounting brackets. The entire process took 7 hours to accomplish.

We wired up the electric brakes and mounted the new rims and tires.

The result was that the trailer now sits ane inch higher than it did before, clearance from the top of the tire to the wheel well peak is greater than the recommended 3 inches.

The new limiiting cistron on weight is now the tire rating of 2540 pounds per tire for a full of 10160 pound chapters. Now the 6640 load represents 65 percent of the tire rating and 64 percent of the axle ratings, a nice comfortable margin of rubber!

I have only towed the trailer a short altitude with the new setup, the trailer suspension did not seem overly stiff and information technology towed nicely as it always has.

Time will tell if this was money well spent, but for my personal peace of mind, knowing that I am no longer towing something that was loaded to the very max, it was worth the investment.

BTW we like this trailer a lot, or we would not have made this investment.

If anyone is interested in more details, PM me, I will share the Dexter spec and any other details you may be interested in.

This upgrade was done one year ago, I am very very happy with the consequence. We accept towed it over 7,000 miles since the upgrade, tire wear is negligible.

John U

* This post was edited 12/17/13 08:00pm past Midnightpumpkin *

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Midnight pumpkin

2014 Silverado 2500 Crew cab, regular bed, 4:10 gears, 6 spd, 6.0L Gas
Integrated Brake Controler
Reese Dual Cam HP

2007 Rockwood 8315SS Travel Trailer
Loaded Weights:
Trailer Axles 6640#, Hitch Wt 920#
Combined Gross Wt, no passengers, 13,855#

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Posted By: Cyclops69 on 12/18/13 04:34am Thank you for the post John U. That is exactly the situation that I am in. PM coming your mode

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Posted Past: MUDDYNOLL on 12/twenty/13 07:20pm I suffered the same problem as you this yr. I95 bent my rear axel on my 2011 keystone Passport 2910BH. I knew if I merely replaced the axel I would be in the same position once more as we travel long distances. Trailer weighed in at 6900 lbs. loaded on the scale. GVWR is 7200 lbs. Axels were 3500 lbs. with 1750 springs and xiv in. wheels and tires. I Upgraded to 5200 lb. axels, 2500 lb. springs , and fifteen in. wheels with load range D tires. As stated above gained most an inch in ride superlative and it tows much better. I likewise put Dexter heavy shackles and wet bolt kit on as well. You likewise get larger breaks with the axel upgrade so they don't have to work equally difficult either. Price Most $2,000 to do the whole thing. Me and a buddy did the swap in a couple of hours. Not a hard job at all.

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Posted By: Highway 4x4 on 12/21/xiii 10:29am One of the deciding factors on my Wind River purchase was the 5200 lb axles. many of the TT'southward still utilise the 3500's. I call back that any TT with a UVW of 6000+ should have 5200lb'southward on it. I was going to upgrade the axles on my previous TT only decided to purchase the 5200 axles with a new TT on them.

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2014 Ram Cummins Laramie, Crew cab, 4x4, Loaded, Snugtop camper
2014 OutdoorsRV Current of air River 250RDSW
Large spoiled Bernese Mountain Dog

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Posted By: MUDDYNOLL on 12/22/13 04:34am I concord. After going through the expense of having to modify them myself, that will be something I will look very closely at before buying some other ane. The manufacturers subtract the tounge weight when calculating the suspension weight requirements. This allows them to apply cheaper components. When I weighed my camper the weight was the aforementioned with only the trailer wheels sitting on the calibration with the TV off the scale, as it did unhitched with the full tounge weight and wheel weight on the scale. That tells me that the intermission should exist rated to take the total weight of the trailer or a higher weight, not less. When you hit a span joint or road deformity at highway speed the full weight of that trailer is sitting on the suspension components. If they are non strong enough to handle all of that weight then things will bend or pause as some of united states of america have unfortunately establish out the hard fashion.

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Posted By: 69 Avion on 12/22/xiii 08:14am Having prophylactic torsion tandem axles instead of leaf springs makes this situation even worse. A rubber torsion tandem axle trailer volition accept the entire weight of the trailer (less the tongue weight) on 1 beam when the trailer goes over steep bumps similar going out of a severe inclined driveway. Some rubber torsion axle manufacturers recommend using axles at one.25 times the load required for the weight of the trailer to recoup for this upshot. The leafage spring tandem trailers will accept an equalizer that eliminates this event for the most part.

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