Trailer axle rating (breaking point)

[uncle henry]

I know about all the gvw and all that and how to figure. My questions is when they rate trailer axles i know that they will hold more than what they say. For instance when they rate a chain at 10,000 Lb i know that in the factory they test the chain and it will not fail till they hit 20,000 lb So anyone out there know how they rate the trailer axles? I seriously thought that a 7k axle will hold 14k of weight. yea i know about bending them too. Also that being said, what about the weight rating of tires?

i have had

 

[blue924.9]

firewood is really heavy, the link you were given is pretty accurate, you may or may have not know wood was that heavy especially wet, firewood is entirely the reason i have a 5200 pound axle on my little 5x8 trailer and tandem 7k axles on my 18 footer. and i like the added safety margin

 

[Electronic tech]

It's called a safety factor, or margin.
Something rolling down the highway at highway speeds need a safety margin.
You don't want to load a trailer or truck to its breaking point.
Factor in pot holes and bad roads (at speed) and it's easy to see why it's like that.
Tires are the same way. There rated for weight but also speed.
All trailer tires are rated at 65 mph max, some highways have 70 mph speed limits.
Here in the south, we have to factor in heat in the summer.
Heat is a big killer of tires.
DOT has no problem pulling you over and putting you on the scales. (even small trailers)
These damn mexicans will buy a cheap $600.00 trailer and load them up to where the axles bend. No safety chain or safety pin on the hitch, and no breaks, on worn out used car tires that are bald.
The new inspection law is in effect so "ALL" trailers with 2 axles or rated at 5000 gvw or has breaks, must be inspected before you can get the license tags.
You have to pay the inspection retailer $7.00 and then another $7.00 when you get the tags. $14.00 total inspection cost.
Took my trailer down and had it inspected. All they did way check the VIN and that was it.
They didn't even check the lights, breaks or anything else, just the VIN.
I just replaced the tires on my 5000 lb trailer. Went from 8 ply to 10 ply. (same price as the 8 ply)
I've had to replace 2 of the springs that broke.
If I break another, I'm going to upgrade the springs.
Both springs were on the right side where most of the pot holes are.
Stay safe and don't over load your wagon. We all share the same road.

Thanks for reading my post! Too many people dance around questions on the web. It's nice when people can just answer questions.

 

[Stihl 041S]

And you have to figure speed a LOT!!!
It is velocity squared.
Double the speed 4X the energy.

 

[shamusturbo]

I would agree that the tires are almost always the weak point. After that is definitely wheel bearings and then spindles. In PA, anything over 3k# GVW has to have brakes, a breakaway, and be inspected annually and not every shop has the authority. Federally speaking, if you buy a trailer that is OVER 10k#'s (no matter how you want to register it) It requires combination registration (In PA about $500 versus $200 a year) and a CDL. Most state police officers (Not just DOT officers) (And Ohio, especially**Ask me how I know) are well versed in trailer and weight rating laws. It's only a matter of time before local cops become well versed in it too. The main reason towing any trailer in Western PA is tight lace is because 4 or 5 Easters ago, a tree chipper came loose from a commercial dump truck and killed two little girls and a mother. It turned out that the guy was on unprescribed pain pills but was a result of not closing the pinnel, securing the chains, or hooking up the break-away. Now if you have a marker light out, you are definitely getting shook down.....

 

[sb47]

I would agree that the tires are almost always the weak point. After that is definitely wheel bearings and then spindles. In PA, anything over 3k# GVW has to have brakes, a breakaway, and be inspected annually and not every shop has the authority. Federally speaking, if you buy a trailer that is OVER 10k#'s (no matter how you want to register it) It requires combination registration (In PA about $500 versus $200 a year) and a CDL. Most state police officers (Not just DOT officers) (And Ohio, especially**Ask me how I know) are well versed in trailer and weight rating laws. It's only a matter of time before local cops become well versed in it too. The main reason towing any trailer in Western PA is tight lace is because 4 or 5 Easters ago, a tree chipper came loose from a commercial dump truck and killed two little girls and a mother. It turned out that the guy was on unprescribed pain pills but was a result of not closing the pinnel, securing the chains, or hooking up the break-away. Now if you have a marker light out, you are definitely getting shook down.....

Down here, as long as it's not a DOT inspection. By law any state inspection station is required to inspect small trailers.

 

[sb47]

My trailer is a duel axle 6000lb GVW
It's rated to carry 5000lbs
It has 2/3500lb axles adding up to 7000lb total
It has 1750lb springs adding up to 7000lb total
It has 7.00x15 10 ply load range E tires rated at 2830lb each adding up to 11,320lb

The two weakest links are the axles and springs.
With a GVW of 6000lb and both the axles and springs are rated with only 1000lb safety margin.

The trailer came with breaks on only one axle.
I added breaks to both axles.
It also came with 7.00x15 8 ply tires that I upgraded to 10 ply when I replaced the old ones.
Not much room for overloading.

 

[Stihl 041S]

And all 3500 lb axels are not created equal.....

 

[sb47]

And all 3500 lb axels are not created equal.....

That goes for everything else on a trailer.

 

[Stihl 041S]

That goes for everything else on a trailer.

Zactly!!!

 

[olyman]

I would agree that the tires are almost always the weak point. After that is definitely wheel bearings and then spindles. In PA, anything over 3k# GVW has to have brakes, a breakaway, and be inspected annually and not every shop has the authority. Federally speaking, if you buy a trailer that is OVER 10k#'s (no matter how you want to register it) It requires combination registration (In PA about $500 versus $200 a year) and a CDL. Most state police officers (Not just DOT officers) (And Ohio, especially**Ask me how I know) are well versed in trailer and weight rating laws. It's only a matter of time before local cops become well versed in it too. The main reason towing any trailer in Western PA is tight lace is because 4 or 5 Easters ago, a tree chipper came loose from a commercial dump truck and killed two little girls and a mother. It turned out that the guy was on unprescribed pain pills but was a result of not closing the pinnel, securing the chains, or hooking up the break-away. Now if you have a marker light out, you are definitely getting shook down.....

taint no joke..me thinks..from stories ive heard,,iowa DOT are the worst..just looking crossed at them freaks,,will warrant a few tickets....... they have been Nazis for some time. and yah,,ive had the pleasure, living here....................

 

[blue924.9]

taint no joke..me thinks..from stories ive heard,,iowa DOT are the worst..just looking crossed at them freaks,,will warrant a few tickets....... they have been Nazis for some time. and yah,,ive had the pleasure, living here....................

thats strange, they dont bother us up here in the Northwest corner, there is one guy here that cuts wood for a living, you know the type uninsured, poulan pro chainsaw and stacks ladders on his trailer (covered in bark) to climb up with the running saw and cut something down. he regularly blasts through town with a double axle trailer and the bumper on his chevy 3/4 ton almost dragging the ground, no lights no brakes. i wish the dot would nail his butt just once and take him off the roads.

that being said i probably dont get hassled by them too much because of all the loop holes us farmers get lol