ID This Axle...

...and help me figure out how to adjust it if possible.

This is the axle under a home built utility trailer I have. I got the trailer from a friend whose buddy built it for him. He thinks the axle is from "some dodge minivan." 

I'd like to get a little more ground clearance under the bottom of the axle. I use this supporting mountain bike rides sometimes on gravel roads/ fields/ semi-rough trails. It would be nice not to bottom it out all the time and to get it a little more level on the hitch of my Jeep without running a stupidly dropped draw bar.  It looks like i could rotate part of the axle assembly to gain some height but I'm guessing that it won't stay that way with any sort of load in the trailer. But then, I don't really understand how an axle like this goes together, hence my thread.

The easiest way to do this may be to throw on the tallest cheap tires I can get, but I thought I'd ask the hive first.

The easiest way will be run to a tractor store and grab a straight trailer axle and some perches and pop it in.  

I agree with Patrick, get a straight axle. That axle in any other position is going to put some twist to the leaf springs.

That's kind of what I keep coming up with too. But now you're talking a $300 project by the time I buy axle, springs, wheels, and tires. Not sure it's worth that. The whole trailer is a little...worse for wear.

Guess I'll just keep dragging it across stuff until I break something and have to fix it anyway.

Can you cut the drop off the end of the axle and weld on a straight mount for the wheel?

That hub is bolted on. I'd just remove it, then cut of the riser and weld a flange to the end of the tube that has a bolt pattern matching the hub.

Or, get a straight pipe and weld flanges to the ends to accept the hubs and wheels.

Bigger tires.  

Everything else is just an expensive science project. 

It's just a trailer, I would flip the axle over and mount it on top of the spring if that's not enough lift go under the spring.  These tires are just rolling along not powered so I wouldn't worry too much about spring wrap.

If you do flip it you'll likely find the trailer will wonder around due to Positive camber.  You'll need to heat the top of the tube in the center until red 1-2 inch circle then quench it fast that should shrink the top of the tube and give you Negative camber.  Then check your toe and shrink as needed

Blocks.

In reply to 44Dwarf :

Hey that’s how I cambered the Lemons mustang axle, oh...I’ve said too much.

ultraclyde said:

That's kind of what I keep coming up with too. But now you're talking a $300 project by the time I buy axle, springs, wheels, and tires. Not sure it's worth that. The whole trailer is a little...worse for wear.

Guess I'll just keep dragging it across stuff until I break something and have to fix it anyway.

I would just buy an axle and hubs to match the wheels you have,  Reuse the springs and everything else already on the axle.

Northern Tool Axle

You could make longer spring shackles.

adding mount blocks or long shackles raises the body of the trailer, but it doesn't do anything to raise the distance between the low axle and the ground. I suspect the only viable option is taller tires or a new axle entirely.  Neither of which I'm willing to pay for. Yet. I suspect a pair of used 32x12.50s is the cheapest way to get it done and just adjust the fenders to match. I could get a 3500lb axle with hubs from Etrailer for $226.

I just went outside and looked, MY chrysler van rear axle would hold the wheels another 90 deg.to the rear so the hub is trailing the axle,also has a flat area for the spring mount. this alone will raise it 4-5 inches. complete springs to hubs no wheels.

come get it!!

It looks like you could cut the spring pearches off the axle and weld new ones on the opposite side to flip the axle.  The brake drums appear to have a symetrical bolt pattern so you could flip the drums on the axle to gain the clearance and get the bleeders the right way, if you care about the brakes...

If it is a minivan axle, there may not be any camber to it..but a little could be added per above.

I bought a new set of springs from jc Whitney, added a set of 31” tires, and made my trailer a hoss. Most utility trailer springs are crap so that the trailer doesn’t bounce too much unloaded. Get heavy springs and tires you can deflate and inflate as load dictates and you will be able to do almost anything with it.

1/2 inch steel plate to move the brake drum towards the center line of the axle.  4 holes to bolt it to the to the existing mounting point, and 4 holes to bolt the drum assembly to the steel plate.