FASTdan
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 10:31 AM |
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trailers, 2W vs 4W
We are looking to get a trailer for karting the indy around on (figured this was the most relevant section of the forum?).
Can anyone advise on the pro's and cons of single axle vs twin axle?
any recommendations?
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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v8kid
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 10:59 AM |
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Twin axle more stable single easier to manhandle in the paddock.
Twins carry greater weight which is handy if you panel it and want to carry spares etc but need a heavier car to tow with.
Towing any distance with a van is a pain (no aircon, slow etc) si i guess its down to the towcar and how important manhandling it is
Cheers
David
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 11:00 AM |
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I have a twin axle with indespension units. It doesn't have brakes (although I must be close on weight limits).
so 2 axle:
Pros:
If a tyre bursts and it doesn't matter as much
Sits horizontal and level
rides over bumps nicely
Cons:
more difficult to turn when moving by hand
Cost
Weight (750kg is max unbraked weight for loaded trailer, less for a light car)
I think if you are going to travel distance or on motorways then 2 axle with brakes is the right thing to do. If its just 20-30miles to get things
made up etc. and your car is light then single axle no brakes is a decent cheap solution.
Matt
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 11:04 AM |
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4w definitely for a car trailer unless you put drop down feet at all the corners and I'd be looking hard at the wheel loads and braking of a 2w
one. It might see-saw too and make the tow car unstable on uneven roads
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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dinosaurjuice
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 11:29 AM |
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twin axle anyday. ive towed all sorts with my humble picasso and the heaviest load on a twin axle trailer felt safest!
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dhutch
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 11:38 AM |
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Yeah, we have a single axle 8*4 flat bed, unbraked, sprung to a ton gross.
- That tows great running at around 2/3 load. And fine full laiden with coal on a pallet just forwards the center.
- However with a kitcar you talking about a minimum lenght of 12ft. With a lot of the weight nearer the ends, and a higher center of gravity maybe as
well.
Well, any way, mines a twin axle job and its spot on. Cost me £900 and is covered too.
As said, single will be a lighter, easyer to man handle empty, and ok. But a little touch and go for car, partiluarly long/m.way trips and the
like.
What are you planning to tow it with?
Daniel
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bartonp
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 12:35 PM |
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Wind the jockey wheel all the way down and lift the front trailer wheels off the ground when manouvering and empty 4 wheel trailer - makes it easy to
manhandle.
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Danozeman
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 12:54 PM |
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quote:
Wind the jockey wheel all the way down and lift the front trailer wheels off the ground when manouvering and empty 4 wheel trailer - makes it easy to
manhandle.
Thats what i do. Although mine isnt to bad to move about.
My 2 wheel trailer tows lovely with my locost on but my 4 is better.
Dan
Built the purple peril!! Let the modifications begin!!
http://www.eastangliankitcars.co.uk
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JoelP
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 01:09 PM |
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i can see the benefits of both, but i dont think 4 wheel is essential. If you loose a tyre on a 4 wheeler you still need to pull up and change it.
Stability isnt an issue at all if you stick to the weight and speed limits. Only time i snaked a trailer was ridiculously over weight (ie more than
the tow car) and too fast. Fit a stabiliser if you are concerned.
I would suggest, if you can keep under 750kgs and have good brakes on the tow car, to make one with a pair of 550kgs axles unbraked. You then have
some spare capacity weight wise when at the 750kgs legal limit. Only about £70 each axle on ebay.
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AndyGT
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 01:32 PM |
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What about a braked dolly? I used one a while ago and used it to tow my classic to France. On motorways (in France) I clocked up 135kmph and it was
super stable. It had a steerable axle which might hace helped.
Made by indespension and ex police model...
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Peteff
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 01:33 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by matt_gsxr
I have a twin axle with indespension units. It doesn't have brakes (although I must be close on weight limits).
You need to be sure of this, a young child in a pushchair was killed in Heage by a trailer which broke loose from a car a couple of years ago and the
case is still ongoing I have a big chain on my unbraked trailer which will hold it if it comes uncoupled but it only carries rubbish to the tip. This
became a legal requirement on trailers built recently.
[Edited on 16/3/09 by Peteff]
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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gingerprince
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 01:58 PM |
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I tow my Indy with a single axle braked trailer from Woodford. It's a great little trailer, weights a shade over 300 kilo's so I can
easily move it on my own on my sloped cul-de-sac. It was bl00dy hard work when I borrowed a twin before that.
It fits in my single garage with the car on top, and tows very well up to and beyond legal towing speeds.
The only downside I can see is the blowout issue, on which I have no first-hand experience! *touch wood*
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britishtrident
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 02:15 PM |
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Twin axle close coupled trailers are less stable particularly on rough or undulating surfaces.
The reason is that you get very big variation in nose weight and effective draw bar length as each of the pair of axles crosses bumps and ridges.
The key to a stable trailer is draw bar length this dictates the natural frequency that the trailler will start snaking. Long draw bars make for
stable towing at motorway speeds.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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dhutch
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 02:28 PM |
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On an unbraked trailer, or a older trailer using a undamped spring coupling you need a Secondary Coupling which is a suitably sized peice of
cable/chain to prevent the trailer and car separtating in the event of an incident or coupling failure.
- On a modern damped braked trailer, you need a break away cable. Which in the event of a coupling failure, pulls the handbrake on and the fails,
leaving bot the breaked trailer and car to do as will.
http://www.trailertek.com/acatalog/Safety_Cables.html
Daniel
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britishtrident
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| posted on 16/3/09 at 02:33 PM |
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Ant-snake devices are pretty good -- really just a friction damper. The one I had Scott stabiliser also tranfer load from the rear wheels to the
front wheels of the tow car.
link http://www.autow.co.uk/towbars/scott_stabilisers_prices_196.html
[Edited on 16/3/09 by britishtrident]
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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