Production of knott axles for light trailers, spring axles, spring suspension, leaf spring axles.

Brake and non-brake axles with a carrying capacity of up to 5 tons manufactured by AL-KO Knott.

Hello! There are many craftsmen living in our country who prefer to do everything with their own hands. Some even assemble an axle for a light trailer on their own. Therefore, we will talk about this topic today.

Before you start assembling an element of your trailer for passenger cars, I advise you to decide on the choice of design. They are different, which brings some differences to the device.

With a little work with the hub, springs, shock absorbers and other components, you can get an excellent homemade axle, and a trailer with a dependent or with independent suspension will demonstrate performance no worse than the factory models.

Design options

For some, it is easier to order a ready-made axle assembly than to assemble something yourself. But if you know how to do it or want to understand how all this is made by hand, I suggest you just buy or find the appropriate parts and assemble a full-fledged axis from them.

But which one? The axle of the trailer, as a suspension element, is just a tube. It is of two types, depending on the section:

• round;
• square.

If we take identical parameters for wall thickness, cross-sectional area and diameter, then the square versions will require more effort to bend. That is, they are stronger than round ones.

Also, the axle assembly comes with a hub and brakes (not everywhere). Mainly 2 types of hubs are used:

• chamomile;
• block hub.

Chamomile is better priced and repairable, although hub blocks are more reliable and durable at a higher price. They can only be changed as a set. I don't see anything bad here, since it simplifies the replacement procedure and trailer maintenance.

The hubs are welded or screwed on. The latter connection method is actively used on. Accordingly, between the welded and the prefabricated structure, I would prefer the latter because of the more simple approach for repair and maintenance. But it's up to you.

By trucks and less often by passenger cars trailers can come with a pivot axle, where the entire axle is rotated along the vertical axis using a pivot pivot circle.

The suspension or axle used on caravans is:

• torsion bar (with and without brakes);
• spring (with and without brakes).

We will consider them in more detail.

Leaf springs and torsion bars

Torsion models are now in great demand and popularity. This can be explained by objective advantages:

• serve for a long time;
• no difficulties in operation;
• easy maintenance;
• it is not necessary to use shock absorbers;
• are small in size;
• space between the axis and the frame is reduced;
• have a small mass;
• these are structures with independent suspension at the trailer wheels.

Torsion or rubber-band structures are equipped with a rigid mount with a frame. There is a polygonal tube mounted to the frame, inside of which there is a tube of a similar shape, only with a smaller diameter. The free space between them is filled with special rubber bands. They make it possible to ensure the immobility of the inner tube connected to the wheel.

I would not buy such a suspension among used options. Used or used ones already have a noticeably reduced resource, since the long service life directly depends on the condition of the harnesses.

Plus, rubber-band models are not suitable for active operation in harsh conditions. This is an option for those who are going to operate the trailer mainly in the city and on relatively flat asphalt.

If the operating conditions are tough, then it makes sense to make or buy a spring-type axle that is more resistant to loads. It is not afraid of serious overloads due to the longer stroke length compared to the torsion bar counterpart. But keep in mind that you will have to take care of the spring suspension more carefully and more often.

Leaf springs, like the torsion axis variation, are available in Voronezh, Belarus, you can buy it in Moscow, St. Petersburg, contact Chelyabinsk or Kiev. It doesn't matter where you live. Now the width of the assortment is so limitless that you can order a complete suspension or accessories for self-made, is not difficult.

I already wrote about the spring suspension, so I advise you to follow the link and read.

After all, it is also important to collect from yourself what to make an axis from and put on your own light trailer... I advise you to pay attention to the components from Al Ko.

Self-assembly of the structure

Suppose you already have a trailer frame and you have chosen yourself.

Now you need to figure out how all this is assembled and turns into a full-fledged axis as a structural element of your car trailer... Let's take a look at a few key steps.

• To begin with, the beam itself is selected. With a round or square section, it will not be fundamentally important. The main thing is that you take the appropriate dimensions and use the metal high Quality... Otherwise, the suspension will not last long;
• Next, we take the hub axle, on which the hub itself will be installed, and connect it to the pipe. How do these two elements fit together? It will be ideal if the hub axle enters at least a few millimeters with its protrusion inside the pipe. There are more chances for a round section than a square one. Further, it is all welded or bolted. Learn from Kurgan trailers if you want to make a collapsible model. If not, just weld the elements well together. This is done on both sides;

• Here you have a full-fledged axle ready, to which a spring or torsion bar will then be mounted;
• According to the current regulation, the axle of the trailer is mounted to a length corresponding to 40% of the total length of the trailer from the rear;
• Make the replacements exactly, mark the place to place your axle;
• Installation is best done from above, that is, the trailer will have to be turned over and placed on a flat surface. Make sure the spindles hang freely and do not interfere with your work;
• Clean out the section of the frame of the future trailer where you will mount your axle. Measure the distance between the bushings and divide into two equal parts. Don't forget to mark everything with a marker on the axis;

• For control measurement, divide the frame width by 2, and apply the resulting value from the center of the axis. The parallel position is corrected. Only now proceed to the final installation process;
• The connection is made by spot welding along the entire length of the contacts.

Many craftsmen advise taking a spring-shock-absorbing suspension. Although its strength parameters are lower when compared with a rubber-hardened structure, with such a suspension you will get a smoother and softer ride with an empty and loaded trailer.

How difficult this process is, judge for yourself. If you have never done such work, then I would not recommend starting from this stage. It's easier to buy a ready-made structure or initially take a good factory trailer of the type:

• etc.

Thank you all for your attention! Operate only reliable and serviceable equipment, do not endanger yourself and other road users on the road.

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