Trailer Tips and Questions!

I was wondering where the axle should be in relationship to the trailer frame. Should it be half way from front to back or slightly to the rear.

I built a trailer with tandem axles and I carry a UTV on it, but when I am on the highway and I start to slow down it fishtails, a real problem. Everything is perfectly in line, except I didn't measure from my coupler to the hubs, but rather from the front of the trailer frame to the eye of the front spring hanger which is easier, and everything is still equal on both sides.I have been told that I shouldn't have centered my wheels.

Also, why didn't you put your "trailer jack wheel "on your middle draw bar instead of the left?

I live in a climate where winters have a lot of ice and salt, so my tip is that I solder all my wiring joins and always put my wiring through old garden host to protect it, and make sure I run a ground wire to each individual light rather than let the ground run through the chassis of the trailer.

Can you help?

Oh by the way "a very nice job, very detailed". But I got no idea what a side table bracket is.

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Sep 17, 2014
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Centering the axle
by: Byron

I was wondering about centering the coupler where it goes down over the ball. I guess I would need to measure from the center of the coupler to the corners of the trailer bed to make sure it is centered before I measure from the center of the coupler to the center of the axles. Thanks for the advice.

Sep 17, 2014
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Axle to ball
by: Byron

Thanks Rick, I did some thinking, and I can see where if the front of the draw bar (tongue) where it goes down over the ball is off center it is more important that the axle is centered with that than the trailer frame.

I guess I need to measure from the center of the coupler to the corners of the trailer frame and make sure it is centered first.

Sep 14, 2014
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Trailer tracking
by: Rick Tanguay

You definitely should have measured from the center of the ball to the center of each axle mounting plate to keep your trailer tracking correctly.

Sep 14, 2014
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Where to put your axle on a trailor.
by: Jaco Du Plessis

You measure the length of yout loadbin , the A-frame not included. For every feet in length you put your axles centre a inch backwords off the centre off the loadbin.
Example. If the loadbin is 2000 mm in length you put your axle centre approxamatly 150/200 mm backwords off the centre off the loadbin.

Best Wishes
Jaco Du Plessis

Sep 13, 2014
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How far back to put the wheels?
by: Byron

I checked U-Haul trailers and several others and they have their wheels at least 60-40, maybe closer to the rear. I think my problem is too much weight on the rear cause I have a heavy ramp that swings up on there as well. I guess The answer for anyone who has this problem is to lengthen the draw bar (tongue) or add a piece onto the length in front of the wheels, see my trailer is already built and it would take a lot to move tandem axles back. Let me know what U think

Sep 13, 2014
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Trailer Wheels
by: Byron

I think the ratio is about 60/40 in favor of the rear, and that point should be the center between your axles. The easiest thing is just go measure a flatdeck or car hauler trailer; that should give you the ratio or just use the exact measurements of the one you are building.

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