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off-road trailer suspension
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:59 am
by Vulcanised
in the very near future (when i get the SAS done if i can squeeze more blood from the stone) i'm gonna make a small off-road trailer to take stuff camping. Not a camper trailer, just a little 500kg capacity thing that i can throw tents and eskies into. I'm going to use the wheels i currently have on the Deo if they don't sell by then...... and i'm going to make it with coil springs and shocks...... i'm after ideas for suspension that will work well off-road and give me plenty of clearance underneath. I'm going to put electric brakes on it mainly for off-road use..... i have a couple of ideas floating around my head on the suspension...... like an "A" frame set up or independant swing arms....... shit like that. Any ideas guys?
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:04 am
by cj
For something a little different have a look at the T-Van. They do trailers for the Army and have designed an asymetric suspension with good travel.
http://www.tracktrailer.com/
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 9:42 am
by bogged
cj wrote:For something a little different have a look at the T-Van. They do trailers for the Army and have designed an asymetric suspension with good travel.
http://www.tracktrailer.com/
isnt the Tvan $30,000-40,000? and a 6+mths wait?
Obriens trailers sell something about 4x4ish for $2000 with jerry holders and toolbox
www.obrienstrailers.com.au/

Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 9:45 am
by cj
bogged wrote:cj wrote:For something a little different have a look at the T-Van. They do trailers for the Army and have designed an asymetric suspension with good travel.
http://www.tracktrailer.com/
isnt the Tvan $30,000-40,000? and a 6+mths wait?
quote]
Yeah but he was looking for suspension ideas and I was suggesting that he have a look at the suspension on it for a different approach.
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 12:19 pm
by sootygu
I am in the middle of making a trailer and made my own suspension. Manage to get all the steel as of cuts which cost next to nothing and fabricated it. Brakes and axles are avaialble from any trailer parts supplier.
There are a few trailer manufactures that use this set up and is easy to make.
Cheers
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:27 pm
by Vulcanised
sootygu wrote:I am in the middle of making a trailer and made my own suspension. Manage to get all the steel as of cuts which cost next to nothing and fabricated it. Brakes and axles are avaialble from any trailer parts supplier.
There are a few trailer manufactures that use this set up and is easy to make.
Cheers
that looks similar to the idea i had for independant suspension........ what did you use for bushes? i was going to use factory bushes out of a Nissan to make it easier to keep spares since i'm using the Nissan suspension on the Rodeo.
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:34 pm
by DamTriton
Early 80's Subies have a transverse torsion bar rear suspension with semi-trailing links that mount to the suspension tube. Able to vary ride height by winding the center join of the torsion bars. Bolt the suspension member to the chassis of the trailer and hook up some shockes and you're done.
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 6:11 pm
by Vulcanised
GaryInOz wrote:Early 80's Subies have a transverse torsion bar rear suspension with semi-trailing links that mount to the suspension tube. Able to vary ride height by winding the center join of the torsion bars. Bolt the suspension member to the chassis of the trailer and hook up some shockes and you're done.
would be plenty of dead early 80-'s subies about..... it's worth looking into as well
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 7:44 pm
by DamTriton
RoeDao wrote:GaryInOz wrote:Early 80's Subies have a transverse torsion bar rear suspension with semi-trailing links that mount to the suspension tube. Able to vary ride height by winding the center join of the torsion bars. Bolt the suspension member to the chassis of the trailer and hook up some shockes and you're done.
would be plenty of dead early 80-'s subies about..... it's worth looking into as well
"..I'm not dead yet!!!!"
The only way to kill them is with a well adjusted sledgehammer.

Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:12 pm
by Vulcanised
what are the parts like to buy second hand?
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:18 pm
by Hoonz
if ur going sas ... why don't u use the front end out of the deo?
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:34 pm
by Vulcanised
Hoonz wrote:if ur going sas ... why don't u use the front end out of the deo?
Sold it all

well.. the diff and ball joints and spacers....... haven't sold the hubs yet....... could do something with them.....
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 12:04 am
by vSAHARAx
Have just made a trailer myself for my senior Technology studies project, i stuck with good old 9 Leaf off-road elliptical springs greasable shackles the whole box and dice, i also bought 10" mechanical discs as the trailer joint recommended discs are loads better when it comes to handling mud and water and stuff. Although saying that i went to the caravan and camping show in brizzy a couple months back and they had this trailer there with independent airbag suspension with compressor and air tank, was a really good idea, this allows you to adjust the trailer to sit level with the tow vehicle or pump it up for max ground clearence when needed, next time i build another trailer ill deffinetly give it a look although not sure how $$$$$$ it is but hey if your gonna do it, do it properly! When i get my computer back ill send through some photos of how it was set up.
the website for that air suspension is
www.airbagman.com.au
Cheers Troy.
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:19 am
by sootygu
RoeDao wrote:sootygu wrote:I am in the middle of making a trailer and made my own suspension. Manage to get all the steel as of cuts which cost next to nothing and fabricated it. Brakes and axles are avaialble from any trailer parts supplier.
There are a few trailer manufactures that use this set up and is easy to make.
Cheers
that looks similar to the idea i had for independant suspension........ what did you use for bushes? i was going to use factory bushes out of a Nissan to make it easier to keep spares since i'm using the Nissan suspension on the Rodeo.
Used standard 60 series bushes with steel sleeves, the bolt goes through the sleeve.
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 1:52 pm
by mickbeny
Hi all...Is independant suspension really nessesary on a trailer ??.
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 5:58 pm
by Vulcanised
mickbeny wrote:Hi all...Is independant suspension really nessesary on a trailer ??.
the only reason i was going to utilise independant suspension was for under trailer clearance..... no axle to get snagged on stuff