Rubber torsion axles: durability and fixability?

[deepmud]

yeah - I guess the military reference was starting to sound like you had a big contract filled or something

I agree with you that torsion is getting a bad rap - look what one bunch of dummies were doing to A/T's reputation on that trip in Russia? They when to like 11 car tires? more? and because of one problem on the A/T trailer that they continued to beat to hell, they bad-mouthed the A/T trailer and the A/T suspension - but they were driving cars and trucks "like they stole it" and treated the trailer the same way. All the sudden, A/T's reputation is maligned on a national stage when all the facts aren't being objectively presented. At least A/T wasn't naming names when they pointed out their troubles with their rubber torsion axle.


As to dust in the torsion - there is plenty of room in the square tube to get grit in there around the rubber - it's not a solid, molded rubber block with no air in around it - it's 4 rubber dowels that are in the corners of the square tube.

As to heat being absorbed by shocks not the rubber - damn straight. Control of rebound is important to trailer behavior too - yet another reason to run shocks - and get good ones, gas charged maybe.

INteresting to hear the military has a torsion/airbag combo - I like it.


Again - I'd want a small adventure/overland/expedition trailer to have a progressive, easy riding, light, high-clearance axle - a rubber torsion is a very good option for this.

 

[deepmud]

I was looking at a small travel trailer yesterday. It has a rubber torsion axle. Which made me think about whether that is a good or bad thing. I'm reading that some are quite durable but I don't know about the good and bad design variations. But mostly I was thinking about what happens if it were to go bad. With a broken leaf spring, at least, it's easy to replace and inexpensive. With the rubber torsion axle it seems like you would have to replace the entire axle assembly since presumably the rubber inserts are bonded with some fancy stuff in the housing.
Thoughts? A design to avoid in a used trailer?

SO i was re-reading your original question - I tend to think in terms of extreme abuse, and we're getting off-track with our A/T vs Torsion repair-ablity discussion - you are looking at a travel trailer - a camper.

I really LIKE torsion axles for on-road campers. My in-laws have a huge double-axle 5th wheel - I've seen that darn thing air-borne from bumps on a freakin FREEWAY, it's the extreme stiffness/lack of rebound-control of a typical, stiff, crappy leaf spring trailer. That trailer was like 75k grand, too. I am 100% sure that the leaf springs were NOT where the manufacturer spent money.

Where-as, a torsion is pretty progressive, and lets bumps move the wheels without putting too much energy into the trailer. Still could use some shocks, but I have two 2k axles on my car-hauler/used-to-be-camper, and they behave themselves very well when hauling my 3500 pounds of Suzuki.

Repairable? It's a camper trailer, not going to be 100 miles off-road - it's unlikely to fail. Anything CAN break, but the normal failures are likely to be bearings/brakes etc - stuff that is same on a leaf vs torsion.

I'd go for torsion more than leaves on a used trailer. That's my vote.

 

[deepmud]

btw - some rubber torsion spring axles are in two pieces - you can replace just one or the other easily . I found an interesting highway maint. trailer thingy where they discuss wear on the torsion springs, that they can even wear to the point where "pieces are missing" - from the picture, it's LONG TERM wear.
Long-Term Pavement Performance Program Falling Weight Deflectometer Maintenance Manual, December 2006 - FHWA-HRT-05-153

 

[skersfan]

I do not want to make enemies over an axle.

I think the are adequate alternative to the spring/shock set ups. Do I feel they are superior to AT, I can not honestly say that. I have never used one of their trailers, but from my back ground I think they most likely work well. I have never said a negative work about AT. Great quality, the bar to attain in the box trailers. I put my tear drop ahead of theirs and the other competition, of course that is my oppinion, but most that have looked at them echo that remark.

I am harder on my trailers than most, I take them where others never would and I do it to prove the quality, the strength and versatility of them. If things go right in the next couple of weeks, I will become more of a player in the off road trailer market. I look forward to making the best trailers out there, no matter who the competiton is. I have at tough group to battle with and I respect that. But I have most likely built more trailers than AT and SoCal Tear drops over the last 25 years. I did not just show up a year ago. I built them as a major business for many years, Toy Hauler, Weekend Warrior and a host of others were from our original trailers, the expedition type trailers were built in the early 90's for plumbers and electricians. Almost identical in appearance. At that time there were several of us building them. Never designed for off road, but for carrying heavy plumbing equipment and pipe.

In honesty I feel the axle most likely did fail, but what really caused it and why no warranty was applied for with it, (according to Dexter)

And I would assume the axle in the picture was never overloaded either. Anything can fail, most everything does, but to contionusly badmouth a huge company that has had two failures in our market is not really fair. We do not tow these with bunny rabbits and doves in them, we beat the heck out of them. Some more so than others and some when testing other products do everything they can to make them fail, others possilby not to the limit.

Trust me I make no money from Dexter, although for the past year they should owe me I agree.lol

 

[deepmud]

Trust me I make no money from Dexter, although for the past year they should owe me I agree.lol

#1 - I like the torsion axle - so your concerns of "enemies" are unfounded. Don't worry be happy

#2 - before your posts, I never associated A/T's rubber torsion with Dexter - so I'm not sure how much you've helped. Certainly you are right that one failure shouldn't damn a product like they did - hence my mention of that trip in Russia. You've read it?

#3 - realize we drifted way off of the original question for THIS thread - should this person be concerned about used travel trailers with torsion axles. (hell no)



It was interesting to see an example of wear tho' wasn't it? That yellow trailer looks like it gets a LOT of miles. Like 10's of thousands per year = and it didn't FAIL - it wore out.

 

[ntsqd]

snipped....

#3 - realize we drifted way off of the original question for THIS thread - should this person be concerned about used travel trailers with torsion axles. (hell no)
.

Concur, even if the plan calls for Forest Service roads and mild trails in the future. I would still look at adding shocks regardless. I don't think that I'd use gas charged, just a regular quality twin-tube. Torsions have high rebound damping issues (rapid rising spring rate), w/o a really trick damper you may be adding to the problem rather than helping it.

 

[awfulart]

Dexter torflex failure ?

My Dexter Torflex axles seem to have failed. My trailer is now about 1'' above the tire. The tow in does not seem to be affected and my 7000lb GVW Alpenlite has never been over loaded. I am getting too old to repair myself so will need to get it done. However, I may just sell the trailer since Dexter wants a big price for an axle and I am not sure the trailer is worth the investment. I just want to make sure there is no other solution I have read that these axles never fail and maybe there is a solution other than replacement. Wishful thinking? Perhaps!

 

[deepmud]

My Dexter Torflex axles seem to have failed. My trailer is now about 1'' above the tire. The tow in does not seem to be affected and my 7000lb GVW Alpenlite has never been over loaded. I am getting too old to repair myself so will need to get it done. However, I may just sell the trailer since Dexter wants a big price for an axle and I am not sure the trailer is worth the investment. I just want to make sure there is no other solution I have read that these axles never fail and maybe there is a solution other than replacement. Wishful thinking? Perhaps!

pics!

and sorry you're having issues - but mileage? If nothing else, you can help others making choices of their own.

How much ride height did it lose?(how much clearance was there when new?)

Does it hit the fenderwell now?

"repair" for a torsion axle is usually "replace" - which might be possible with a complete assembly for a reasonable price - seems like you'll lose move than the cost of the repair if you sell it.

 

[awfulart]

Torflex Axle Failure

When I purchased the trailer it had approximately 3 inchs clearance . Now less than 1"
The trailer is 8 years old and I suspect this has been a gradual thing. I am going to jack it up and remove the wheels so I can get a better view. Your right about loosing more by selling but if I buy new axles I will still have Torflex axles. I am no mechanic but I wonder if there would be a way of adding shocks and or leaf springs. Dexter does have a lift kit which tells me perhaps my problem is not unique. I just don"t know if these axles have failed totally or have just settled and a lift kit would suffice. The lift kit only works on side mounted axles. Whatever that means I guess I will find out.

The trailer probably has less than 20,000 miles on it . If I buy another trailer I don't think I will buy one with Torflex axles.

Thank you for the input.

 

[AspenTrails Trailers]

Give me a call at 951 692 0958. I will see what I can do for you. The axles are expensive, but I get them at a pretty good price, and I can order them for replacement of original equipment.

Are you carrying anything in the trailer, meaning is it loaded when measured.

The axle has a drop system, meaning upt to 45 degrees down tilt, 15 degrees and 0 degrees. This is how you measure the drop. All of mine come with the 45 degree down tilt also know as a 6 inch lift.

But they will sag with the weight of the trailer. I have over 18K on my trailer and a whole lot of it has been off road. Whacked a rock and rolled it up into the wheel well on Kokopelli, thought I had bent the drop system, but as I towed it, it returned to the normal position. A regular axle or pretty much anything else would have been destroyed. Stupidity on my part for sure.

If I can help you in any way let me know

Bob