M416 Simple Build (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I LIKE the work you have done on your 416. Do you still have the lunette when you converted to the bulldog hitch. I am looking for one. Thanks for posting so many photos as I am getting ideas on my own trailer.
 
Thanks for the response, I am having difficulity finding the 'parts wanted', and 'items for sale' pages of this board in regards to trailers. Do you have one?
 
Love the build, great looking trailer! :clap::clap:
 
image.jpeg
Took it 600 miles round trip. 250 of them was with 1000# in it. These things are amazing.
 
I suspected that the 500# off road and 750# on road weight specs were pretty conservative #s. How low in the fenders did the wheels go with that half ton load? Do you have any photos of how you mounted the spare tire underneath? And lastly, did having the spare tire weight behind the axle have any effect on the tounge weight, as these trailers are pretty light up in the front. Thanks!
 
It barely moved the springs. It felt the same going home with it in there as it did empty going up

As for the spare, it's a 100 series tire winch that is directly bolted to the C channel cross member and then I have a ratchet strap under there to keep it tight. So far it hasn't budged.

Balance. I ran it empty up there. No fishtail at all.

That said, I extended the tongue 8" and I run an 8" 3" hitch extension. The tongue for backing and storage and the 8" receiver extension to allow me to open the swingout with the trailer attached.

I'm putting some bigger tires on it today. I tried them on with the weight of the motor in there and had no clearance issues.
 
Auto Shop Teacher said:
I suspected that the 500# off road and 750# on road weight specs were pretty conservative #s. How low in the fenders did the wheels go with that half ton load? Do you have any photos of how you mounted the spare tire underneath? And lastly, did having the spare tire weight behind the axle have any effect on the tounge weight, as these trailers are pretty light up in the front. Thanks!
Click to expand...

They float with 500# in them. Have loaded mine with heavy load a lot of times hauling things to our second home. Never a problem in over ten years.

wngrog said:
As for the spare, it's a 100 series tire winch that is directly bolted to the C channel cross member and then I have a ratchet strap under there to keep it tight. So far it hasn't budged.

Balance. I ran it empty up there. No fishtail at all.
Click to expand...

Are you saying you used the C channel under the bed to mount the 100 series winch? Would like to see how it's mounted. I looked at mounting one behind the axle but wanted to use a complete 60 series tire carrier. I ended up mounting just in front of the axle with only drilling two holes in the bottom of the trailer frame. . With the plates on the 60 series carrier there is no need for a ratchet strap. Have you looked into making and mounting a few plates on the C channels to keep the tire from rocking?

I picked up another trailer made from the back of a early seventies Toyota pickup as a easy way to solve the no tailgate in the M416. Didn't include the spare but the stock spare tire winch is there. Because the bed is evenly split over the axle will need to add a tool box on the front to counter balance the a spare on the back. Right now which even end you set down will stay. Probably fishtail like crazy with a spare in the back and no weight up front. Just hope it will be as reliable as my M416. Going to take a few trips with it before I trust it like the M416. Not sure how many thousands miles I've towed the M416 with out any issues. Not sure how much the military paid for the M416 but for $400 it was a steal.
 
I had the 100 winch. That's why I used it. I did same. Drilled it into the frame. Tire is there so no way to get a pic, sorry.

Yeah, a little welding would alleviate need for strap but it's not bothering me under there.

I got my 235/85/16 BFG KO2s on it today. They are pimp.

image.jpeg
image.jpeg
image.jpeg
 
I like the look of the new tires but tire clearance to the fender looks close. Wonder if a spacer on the front spring perch would give more room. I know the front perch is bolted as used the front hole for the tire care and used fender washers on the three other bolts to make up the difference of the thickness of the tire carrier. Didn't have to deal with the shackle end and not sure if that perch is bolted on too. Spacers and longer bolts would be a simple way to get more clearance. Right after I bought my trailer picked up some more rims and new tires and tubes. Back then was only cost a $100 each side. Prices on tires have gone since then. New tires are 7.50 NDT and old ones were 7.00 NDCC.

Did you use the whole 100 series tire carrier of just the winch? Only two holes I drilled were in the main frame rail just in front of the spring perch, nothing on the cross bars.
 
image.jpeg
Just the winch. It is the exact same width as the cross member.


Clearance.

You can't think of this like you would a traditional leaf spring setup with 2 axles. In that case when one side stuffs the 2 axles cause articulation.

In the case of a trailer, unless the hitch is bound up, the tire won't stuff into the fender like in a truck. It will just go up over the obstacle because there is nothing there to force the spring to flatten.

As I said, I installed a set of these on my trailer with the 1000# load and drove it and banged it around and no rubbing.
 
wngrog said:
View attachment 1241727 Just the winch. It is the exact same width as the cross member.


Clearance.

You can't think of this like you would a traditional leaf spring setup with 2 axles. In that case when one side stuffs the 2 axles cause articulation.

In the case of a trailer, unless the hitch is bound up, the tire won't stuff into the fender like in a truck. It will just go up over the obstacle because there is nothing there to force the spring to flatten.

As I said, I installed a set of these on my trailer with the 1000# load and drove it and banged it around and no rubbing.
Click to expand...


Not sure I understand your reasoning. The leaf spring/shackle/stocks are there for the same reason as two axle vehicle. I load a 1,000# in my M416 the leaf springs flatten and the shackles rotates back and up. While towing I hit a bump and the springs flatten even more. I got a smoking deal on a FJ40 tub and frame. Guy needed it gone because of his HOA. Part of the deal was I had to take the homemade trailer it was on. That had no shocks or springs. Just a hub/spindle welded directly to the frame. It didn't have fenders but if it did movement and tires rubbing the fender wouldn't be a issue. But it bounced like crazy. Took back roads going as slow as possible. Doesn't matter if a two axle vehicle or single axle trailer if you have leaf springs and shackles your going to have movement inside the wheel wells. I consider my springs to be in good shape but with a heavy load my clearance in the wheel is reduced to if I have bigger tires then the NDT 7.50 16" I would be looking for a way to lower the axle from the frame to increase clearance.:meh:
 
I'm sorry I wasn't clear.

Yes. The leafs work. They compress. The shackles work too.

What I'm saying is that you can get away with very little clearance on a trailer based on the fact that you don't have a stiff frame making the axle stuff up into the fender if one tire goes over a rock.

Think about an FJ 40 going up a ramp.

Front driver tire goes up. Passenger rear tire gets stuffed.

Back a trailer up the same ramp and it flips over because there is nothing forcing the axle up into the fender.
 
I wonder if the springs are shot, I wonder how much stuff that trailer carried before you got it. A friend who build my trailer frame has a M416 trailer and last year when to a air bag system.

I have a home build M416, made of steel trailer with a wood box on it and fully loaded, I am only at 1200lbs. I had to special order springs and was able to get 700lbs springs and mine still bounces all over the place.
 
Last edited:
Your talking about articulation while off road which is completely different the just flat towing and hitting a pot hole. If loaded correctly 90% of the weight is on the axle. With a 500# trailer and 1000# load that's 1350# on the axle. Hitting a pot hole you don't think a spring will flex and wheel will move further into the wheel well?

"Yes. The leafs work. They compress. The shackles work too."

Question, when your springs compress does this reduce your clearance in the wheel well? When a spring with a shackle in the back compresses the wheel moves back and up. Your new tire looks close to fender and was just suggesting a easy way to lower the axle and create some more clearance.:meh:
 
Yes. They flattened out quite a bit with the 2F in there which is way way more weight than my RTT and a load of gear and even firewood

Just to be sure before I bought this size tire I put them on my trailer while the 2f was still in there. I live on a super rough road and there was no rubbing.

My point is that the way i set up my M416 with a good spring pack and new shocks and a longer tongue I won't bounce around empty or full. Now with the radials I can run less pressure in the tires if it ever gets real rough, but after my last trip I feel real comfortable saying that I don't need much tire clearance because they don't move much.

Look at a car hauler trailer. They have about 2" of clearance and they are set up that way.

The only thing I could foresee happening with less fender clearance is if a stick or rock gets picked up and carried around by the tire it could damage the fender easier than if I had 4" of clearance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

roma042987
Another m416 build
Replies
4
Views
2K
roma042987
roma042987

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom