Torsion Axles & How To Shorten Them

Рет қаралды 148,860

4 жыл бұрын

In this video I go over what a torsion axle is, how torsion axles work, how long torsion axles will last, and how to shorten a torsion axle to save a ton of money by buying new axles that are just a little outside of your fitment criteria and making them fit for your application.
If you liked the video and learned something, make sure to leave a like. To follow the rest of the build on this 1967 Airstream Ambassador and keep up with more DIY content like this, hit Subscribe!
Questions? Shoot me an email at TemperMetalFab@gmail.com
Music By: LAKEY INSPIRED goo.gl/fh3rEJ

Пікірлер: 87

@davidgibbs6745 Ай бұрын

I've just bought a new axle for my trailer. The trailer is galvanised and sound but the axle and wheels are shot. There is a T bar bolted to the axle, and I was concerned that there was a shaft running through the box section . What a dummy, that would have meant the suspension would not have been independent. Great video, explained all. Thanks😊

@young11984 2 жыл бұрын

I had always thought the stub axles carried all the way through, never knew they were stubs. Good info

@rogermoring6027 10 ай бұрын

Reason I looked up a video on torsion axles ... I was cutting up a scrap 1 and my torch was freaking out , never knew how they were built. Good informative video, thank u sir.

@lazydog76 2 жыл бұрын

Good job. I always drill ½ holes for plug welds before I weld the spacer in. I install the spacer then weld the plug welds after making sure everything is square. I bevel the ends of the tubes then leave them 3/16 apart then weld the spacer and tubes together. This way it all gets melted together. This is how I do it and it works for me. Good job and it will last forever.

@jivanvelinov663 3 жыл бұрын

I want to mount an alko axle from the caravan to a camper. It is longer than the original and should be shortened by 6 inches. Your video was very useful to me.Great job!

@laurajankowski9208 4 жыл бұрын

Very good how you took the mystery out of torsion axles. Your skills show to modify an existing part to fit your needs and save substantial money. With all the double checks you did, I would be confident of your axle. Thank you.

@TemperMetalFabrication 4 жыл бұрын

Laura Jankowski Thank you!!

@chrisdelapaz2759 2 жыл бұрын

Great job! You gave me tips and tricks for future projects not related. And completely showed how a torsion axle works. Lambert’s comment was helpful also for future projects. I’m glad you chose to do it your way. You’ve helped a lot of people. Including myself. 👍🏼😎.

@TemperMetalFabrication 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much! Love the positive feedback

@patrickradcliffe3837 2 жыл бұрын

I got here from IC Welds channel. one thing you should take into account is the flex of the axle. with that burly insert you have taken a bunch of flex out, and you should adjust you angles accordingly to get a correct tire alignment.

@thesmallengineguy4694 3 жыл бұрын

Very nice job!! Very informative about setting the camber!! I need to widen a torsion axle and the top on drilling the hole and sending a wire through was a big help! Thank you

@whateg01 Жыл бұрын

can get away with doing that way on a small change like that, but if you take a bigger section out of the middle, the height of the end of the level needs to decrease proportionally.

@andrewe7165 3 жыл бұрын

Very well done

@colinwatt00 11 ай бұрын

I love the idea of stud welds. Very smart. My only constructive criticism is to butt the end of your tape measure against the point of measurement rather than bending the tape and estimating the total length due to the radius of the tape. Most tape measures have their length on the bottom for doing this, but it’s irrelevant in this scenario so long as the distances are the same. This is how I do redneck alignments. Lol

@manitobaman5588 Жыл бұрын

Great explanation and demonstration.

@TemperMetalFabrication Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@brich2929 10 ай бұрын

Great vid, brother!

@johnholloway2445 2 жыл бұрын

excellent u know ur stuff diy really apreciate this info good job

@Z22ZINFS Жыл бұрын

Excellent video!

@TemperMetalFabrication Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@MegKampen 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent Video - Thanks! DE

@callmebigpapa 4 жыл бұрын

Liked and Sub'd for putting up a great informative video big thanks!

@flysubcompact 2 жыл бұрын

A 20something guy actually doing fabrication work...that is an odd sight these days. :) You'll do well in our current environment. Great video, BTW. Thanks.

@hphillips7425 2 жыл бұрын

Nice job young man 👍🏻

@TemperMetalFabrication 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@anthonyhitchings1051 2 ай бұрын

Thank u so much

@randyfletcher1421 2 жыл бұрын

cool band saw

@jorgepaiba1974 2 жыл бұрын

muy bien amigo bien explicado excelente lo de curvatura el tubo como refuerzo interior excelente ahí esta la vida del eje me gusta su seguridad al ponerle mas soldadura todo lo que se haga en estos casos ayuda y nos evita un dolor de cabeza lo de la curvatura esta bien no lo sabia pero el refuerzo no lo afecta si no seria un elástico y por ahí se rompería felicitaciones soy de colombia

@patrickhayes3099 3 жыл бұрын

Love the content. Please put a Lavalier mic on your birthday wish list. Good audio will make your videos so much better.

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

Great suggestion. Thank you!

@tgriebe 2 жыл бұрын

Well done video. I have family in Dexter. Have you ever replaced a spindle on a Torflex axle? It seems like one could grind off the weld on the end of the spindle and push out the old spindle, then push in and weld in a new spindle.

@TemperMetalFabrication 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I haven’t had much experience on a Torflex but that sounds correct.

@vincentvermeulen2269 2 жыл бұрын

thank you i think i understand cars now

@jamesbagos3459 3 жыл бұрын

I’ve got just the opposite problem. I want to widen a couple torsion axles so your video has been a great help. I have a very competent welder that does all my welding. Do you have any suggestions I can relay to him when I go to have him widen these for me

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, I’m glad the video has helped you! My biggest advice is to measure everything multiple times! Especially your camber angle of the axle because after you cut it, you will no longer have the arch to measure. Just take your time on the fit up so that all of your angles are perfect otherwise you will eat through tires and add stress points to the axle.

@Viralclown Жыл бұрын

Is it possible to rebuild an axle when a wheel is sitting on an angle?

@rogermoring6027 10 ай бұрын

Did you make the bandsaw ? Either way it's badass

@phxbro1 2 жыл бұрын

Is the square tube used as axle and other parts on axle made of regular mild steel or a different type of steel

@TemperMetalFabrication 2 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately I believe that the answer to your question will differ between manufacturer. Axles are typically manufactured with a higher grade steel.

@mfsolutions 2 жыл бұрын

You could always grind the scarf off the inner weld to make putting in the insert. As Construction Engineering & Analysis says below the insert changes the bending characteristics of the axle so the deflection of the axle under load will be totally different than the original axle. It would be worthwhile to put this axle in an arbor press and load it up before and after to see how much the insert affects camber...

@TemperMetalFabrication 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the response Gregory! The arbor press is a great idea. The insert absolutely changes the bending characteristics of the axle. If this axle was going to be constantly under very heavy load, it would have made more sense to spend the extra money on the right sized axle to begin with. The insert provides reinforcement for the welded joint and its heat affected zone. Since the middle of the axle is a high stress point when loaded, I chose to slightly modify the camber characteristics for the extra reinforcement.

@tgriebe 2 жыл бұрын

There is virtually no load the center of the axle - all the weight is carried at the brackets at the ends. The tube just keeps the wheel camber steady.

@mfsolutions 2 жыл бұрын

@@tgriebe Interesting that you should say that... have you studied engineering? and in particular Mechanics of solids? the wheels bear the load at the point of contact with the road... since the brackets are NOT directly above this point of contact there is a bending moment that needs to be carried thru the bracket across the axle... otherwise the bracket must be designed to carry the full bending moment (these are available).

@tgriebe 2 жыл бұрын

@@mfsolutions Yup, practiced mechanical engineering for a full career. Yes, there is a moment because the spindle is cantilevered outward, but the resisting moment arm, which is the entire tube from one bracket to the next has ample length and strength to maintain the camber angle. And yes inserting the splice in the center changes the bending characteristics of the axle tube, but it isn't designed to flex or bend under use. It is designed to hold the camber angle steady under use. In short, I think the work this young man did is perfectly acceptable.

@paularcus2029 3 жыл бұрын

Quick question, how did you keep the camber when you inserted the 6" jointing piece? Surely the 6" straight piece kept 'going straight' (for lack of a better ter? this is the only bit I'm confused with. Any info would help! thanks :)

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

Yes the 6” piece is straight. But since it is smaller than the axle tubing, you can still achieve camber if you measure correctly and tack it carefully. Another way to help is to tack and weld the bottom of the axle first because as the metal heats up, it expands but it contracts 1.5x as it cools so it will pull the camber in even more.

@danielmateescu3354 2 жыл бұрын

I'm looking for a very similar torsion axle for my trailer. Can you please, tell the part # and the manufacturer of your axle ? I would like to get some data for hard to find item. Thank you.

@TemperMetalFabrication 2 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately these axles were manufactured for a specific camper, and I was lucky to find a couple left over after manufacturing. They are not available for private sales.

@futurebalance6134 3 жыл бұрын

Where are you located? I destroyed a 3500lb axle on my travel trailer off road and had it replaced with a 5500lb axle now one side is higher than the other causing the tire to wear quickly on the outside edge.

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

I am located in Dexter Michigan. It sounds like the new axle should have required some mounting modifications.

@patrickhayes3099 3 жыл бұрын

Do you want to take on my modification project? I have not got time to adjust my axle, taking out 12". Depending on your location, it may be worth the time and effort to ship it to you.

@malikbustanji7417 3 жыл бұрын

Hi I have old torsion axle but its too much hard how can make it more flexible

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

Hi unfortunately, once the rubber has hardened and the axle becomes stiff, the entire axle needs to simply be replaced.

@charleslambert145 3 жыл бұрын

only thought...maybe drill before sluggin & do youre rosettes first to hold everything secure for your burn.

@wenzelsstoneponyequine3667 8 ай бұрын

Can you also widen a torsion axel by cutting it in half and adding a sleeve?????

@TemperMetalFabrication 8 ай бұрын

Absolutely

@jehuandreiarellanoreyes597 2 жыл бұрын

Question my buddy ,does this type of suspension need some kind of maintenance?

@TemperMetalFabrication 2 жыл бұрын

Nope, torsion axles require no regular maintenance!

@paulbisceglia6824 3 жыл бұрын

How close can I mount the trailer frame to the swing arm of torsion axle? .

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

As long as the arm clears the frame of your trailer when you hit a bump, you will be okay.

@paulbisceglia6824 3 жыл бұрын

That's what I figured. But I worried about any flex?

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

@@paulbisceglia6824 is it a cambered axle?

@paulbisceglia6824 3 жыл бұрын

@@TemperMetalFabrication its a dexter axle

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

@@paulbisceglia6824 either way, you’ll want to stay somewhere close to where the factory mounts are on the axle. Moving a little bit won’t hurt anything.

@billblecher9215 2 жыл бұрын

Can you tell me where you get the rubbers for them

@TemperMetalFabrication 2 жыл бұрын

The rubber is not serviceable so I am not sure.

@michaeljosop9871 2 жыл бұрын

Tipe of rubber?

@marcelomundacarauschenbach9821 2 жыл бұрын

Hi. I would like to fix a axle

@jacobbroere9531 3 жыл бұрын

The only thing I would add is the way you're measuring. You keep referencing 1 1/8" but that doesn't give you an angle. In my case I want to cut my axle down to 48" to make a trailer for my quad. If I want to keep my gap at 1", over the current 8 foot span, that's an 89 degree angle, but when I shorten it to 48" and I keep the 1" gap, it's actually a 88 degree angle. In your case, only shortening by an inch, it doesn't matter much. But in my case, shortening by 4 feet, I need to keep that angle the same, and ignore the value of the gap. In theory, the more you cut off, the smaller your gap should get.

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment buddy and you are absolutely correct! Using the angle is definitely more precise but also more work. For your application I would agree to reference the angle.

@pabloramirez9844 Жыл бұрын

Why no just cut t plates and move it wherever you need it?

@rogermoring6027 10 ай бұрын

I am thinking he didn't do it that way because of the rubber inside the axle???

@ForensicCats 3 жыл бұрын

It is 1-1/8" at the length form the manufacturer based on loads to ''straighten out'' the camber... at a shorter length the 1-1/8" is more than likely off the table but don't fear; your loads will determine if the wheels will be parallel upon loading. As far as your center welded tube goes... depending on loading on the axle will determine how the loads transfer via your new ''gusset connection" (you actually did bad on adding that extra filler piece; as it will add a torque reaction down the tube ''lesser'' on three sides. Again, I would not be too concerned unless you are maxing the loads on these axles. This torsion system works under ''compression'' and the resistance of material around the center bar is compressed upon loading... all four corners will rotate as one and push / compress the filler material... But, nothing is for free, it still adds a rotation / torque in the bar / axle... (that is where it meets in the middle and your one side being stronger can come into play... under maximum loaded (say, on one wheel, like mounting a curb, etc. = this will put max rotation on the centerline of this system. You will know if you max out system if deck ''cannot lower any further upon adding extra loading" (means the torsion bar has rotated and compressed material to it's maximum and at that point the bar itself becomes in torque up to the center and possibly to the opposite wheel)... With all that said, you can simply add a "piece of metal onto you your torsion bar at the centerline of the span and if "twist"; you will have an indicator that your loads are greater than the system is capable of (it will act as an indicator of overloading)... Which you the best.

@TemperMetalFabrication 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your detailed response! You are correct about a lot of these facts. Fortunately, I was only shortening these axles a few inches. Like you mentioned, the load of the axles will determine the exact camber, so keeping an estimated camber angle was my main goal. If these axles were going to be constantly loaded to their maximum capacity, I may have chosen a different route. Again, you are correct about the transfer of the load down the tube, but that is getting much more technical than what is necessary. With what these axles will be used for, the minor load that may be transferred though the axle will never be an issue.

@donaldneilson8999 3 жыл бұрын

While this was nicely thought through, I have to wonder why you didn't just buy a brand new and inexpensive Dexter Torflex axle of the correct dimension. Looks to me like you have more time and effort in this project than a new Dexter axle costs.

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

Of course I looked into that. A new axle with the correct dimensions was almost $1,000. I picked up both of these axles, brand new from an rv manufacturer for under $200. Why spend an extra $1800? I would rather save it with a little elbow grease.

@donaldneilson8999 3 жыл бұрын

@@TemperMetalFabrication The brand new model 10F (4K# rating) Torflex axle under my travel trailer was only $420 in Aug 2017, and included spindles, bearings and brakes, delivered to the shop. Good deal, no?

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

Donald Neilson yeah. That’s a great deal. The drop angle and mounting dimensions made my axles much more expensive than normal. That’s why I went this route.

@chrisdelapaz2759 2 жыл бұрын

Donald! And why were you watching this video? I couldn’t help but wonder. Tho your comment and question was almost nice. It really wasn’t.

@thisreal8979 3 жыл бұрын

Wouldn't it be easier to make new mounts on the trailer? Nice jerb otherwise. 👍

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! There are two reasons I didn’t make new mounts on the trailer. First, it would be very hard to make it as strong as the original mounts because the original mounts are on the same plane as the frame. So all the weight goes directly up to the frame rails rather than on an angle if I had extended them. And second, the airstream body covers the top half of the outside edge of the wheel so if the axle is too long, the wheels will hit the metal shell.

@okiedoke6373 2 жыл бұрын

Nope wasn't looking anything on a torsion axle came up on a completely unrelated

@bigbaldfish 3 жыл бұрын

Dude...good video, but get rid of the stupid porn music in the background!🙄smh

@TemperMetalFabrication 3 жыл бұрын

I am not sure what kind of porn you are watching that would have this kind of music...

@brianhaygood183 3 жыл бұрын

I just don't get why someone would make a trailer using axles that will be scrap in 25 years. The trailer I normally use has been in my family for about 30 years and was built long before that. Having it turn to crap in less than that time would be really annoying. I guess people who are 20 years old think this is a great idea?

@snarkylive 2 жыл бұрын

Coil and leaf springs aren't meant to last longer than that either if you're actually using them for work. Leaf springs and leaf spring axles also wear out over time as well, springs sag, and axles lose the bow angle in the middle and they start eating tires. Everything needs maintenance, torsion axles are $150 a piece for 3500# axles, and you get an axle that is better behaved in rough terrain and all the components built together in one piece.