Trailer parts & pieces question

So I drug home this today.

Yeah, it's going to need a bit of work...

It belonged to some people my wife and I knew from school, and was a 2nd-generation unfinished project(his inlaws started building it, and he didn't do too much with it). The axles were widened, and thus are sagging, plus they have old "wide-4" hubs.

The frame is pretty good though other than the tongue. He said they had attempted to extend it.

So my plan is to order new 5 on 4.5" axle assemblies with brakes, redo the tongue into something safe, build a ~2' dovetail onto the back, and replace the wood with steel runners for the Miata(and eventually Europa).

I've been searching online/eBay for trailer axles and have found a few sites that look promising, but do any of you have a vendor you'd suggest for trailer parts/components?

I am not sure if you have a Northern Tools store near you but I have bought trailer related things from there on a few occasions.

Edit: Here is a link to their axle section http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_trailers-trailer-parts+trailer-axles+axle-kits

In reply to Anti-stance:

Unfortunately, none are even remotely close to east-central Illinois...but as aussiesmg can vouch for, not much is!

There is a good steak restaurant.

Get the heavier axles, believe me you will want the ability more than you think you will

Those wheels look awful far back to me. If you are going to change the axles, do some maths and double check the mounting points.

As I recall a good rule of thumb is 10% of the trailer weight on the tongue.

In reply to petegossett:

Surely there are places local that are trailer supply kinda places. Maybe that steak house has a trailer supply shack out back.

As GSX stated, the location of the axles looks pretty far back. Once a car is on there, the tongue weight is going to be stupid high. It looks like the location of the front axle is where the rear axle should be. I think its 10%-15% tongue weight is the correct number.

Anti-stance wrote: ]As GSX stated, the location of the axles looks pretty far back. Once a car is on there, the tongue weight is going to be stupid high. It looks like the location of the front axle is where the rear axle should be. I think its 10%-15% tongue weight is the correct number.

Maybe the previous owner only used it to tow 911s and Corvairs? :)

In reply to codrus:

The only thing I think it hauled was a small tractor and some lumber around the farm.

Yeah, I'm going to check the local farm supply stores and see what they have to offer. But I doubt the price will be reasonable.

In reply to aussiesmg: Do you think 3500x2 would be too light?

codrus wrote:

Anti-stance wrote: ]As GSX stated, the location of the axles looks pretty far back. Once a car is on there, the tongue weight is going to be stupid high. It looks like the location of the front axle is where the rear axle should be. I think its 10%-15% tongue weight is the correct number.

Maybe the previous owner only used it to tow 911s and Corvairs? :)

Looking at the way it's built, I would bet a fiver that it was built from a fifth-wheel RV.

Talking about those, if you go see a use RV place, they sometimes have used spare parts (like axles) from dismantled RV they take in exchange. Assuming you have one of those close.

Well, there's a local RV place, but no idea what their used inventory consists of. It's worth a shot though, thanks!

And yes, the axle placement does look similar to what a fifth-wheel would be.

petegossett wrote: In reply to aussiesmg: Do you think 3500x2 would be too light?

Yes you want more, a Lincoln Town Car/P71 weighs over 4000lb alone, plus the trailer weight and you are close to the limit.

Mine struggled mightily with a Suburban, barely handled the Range Rover and the trailer flat refused to take a 2000 F250.

Well then I'm curious what's the fuel mileage penalty going from a relatively light tandem car hauler, to one with 7000lb axles and the framework to haul the load?

It might be a moot point however, as I just got off the phone with a gentleman who is interested in trading his 1-year old Jerr-Dan car trailer for my old pickup. Go figure...

Oh man, you've got trailer ADD.

petegossett wrote: Yeah, I'm going to check the local farm supply stores and see what they have to offer. But I doubt the price will be reasonable.

What I'm finding while trying to source fenders for my trailer project is that local places start seeming a lot more reasonable when you start adding up shipping costs from one of the mail order places.

So there's that.

Not the stuff you're looking for yet, but I plan to give these folks a try for my suspension rebuild and such (ebay store, randpcarriages): http://stores.ebay.com/randpcarriagestrailersales

I had seen their ebay listings and then Andrave endorsed them over in my trailer thread...so that's good enough for me.

Clem

For odd-ball stuff I usually go with Agrisupply, they sell a DIY axle kit that's about as cheap as you can get mail-order.

Some good trailer shops carry DIY axles on hand, pretty much a tube, spring perches, and the two stub axles. Last one I bought locally was very heavy duty (1/4"+ wall thickness) and was @$120.

aussiesmg wrote: There is a good steak restaurant.

No, that is in Indiana.

Any Fleet Farms or Farm 'n Fleets near by? Tractor Supply Company?

In reply to mtn:

Haha yes, the Beef House.

You know there should be a map on the site for recommended restaraunts...

93gsxturbo wrote: Those wheels look awful far back to me. If you are going to change the axles, do some maths and double check the mounting points. As I recall a good rule of thumb is 10% of the trailer weight on the tongue.

I agree, move the axles forward. They are to far back. If you load a car on there you can end up with to much tongue weight. Due to shortening my trailer behind the axles I have to load my race car backwards to get the weight balanced. I don't have a problem with that but just something you should know and you can fix during your rebuild. Yes, get 3500# axles and I don't se why you should not be able to buy trailer parts in central Ill. I bought my current trailer from a place in Decatur, IL.