Trailer bearings and axles

[Homestar]

Looking online to see what load rating the LM (Holden) bearings are that are on my van. Different sites say different things - ranging from 750 to 1000Kg a set (either of these is fine, the van has twin axles and weighs around 1,300Kg) but the interesting this is they all say the Holden bearings are for 39mm round or 40mm square axles. Everything I've read says that the SL (Ford) bearings suit the 45mm square axle and have a higher load rating.

All happy with that - BUT - I have LM bearings on a 45mm square axle.... 😁

Whilst I'm satisfied the bearings will do what is required of them, I am wondering if anyone else actually knows if the 45mm square axles were made standard to suit the LM bearings...

Even the guy at the traiker place said a 45mm axle has SL bearings and I struggled to get him to sell me the LM sets after telling him what I had.

Just a bit confused, (not concerned)

[86mud]

Hi Gav

Are you 100% sure that you have LM Bearings? Can you take one out of the hub and check the part number on the bearings?

[Homestar]

Yep, 100% sure they are LM - can get the part numbers tonight, but 100% sure. Don't need to pull them out, I have 2 old sets and 2 new sets sitting in the garage - I've only done one side of the van so far. I know the inner diameter size on the outer bearings are 19mm so that's LM.

Also sure the axle is 45mm too (and square [biggrin]) and factory fitted in 1971.

[pop058]

As the ends of the axle are machined, I would have thought the axle size could (nearly) be anything.

[rangieman]

You crack me up mate[bigwhistle]
Your confused over something so obscured [bigrolf]
Id be happy with that set up and wouldn`t lose a second of sleep over it.
There are more important things in your life to stress about like get that heater fitted and report back here asap:bat:

[Homestar]

I'm not unhappy by any means, just got people telling me I'm wrong and that axle shouldnt have these bearings which it clearly does. Yes, the ends are turned down from the 45mm stock, so no reason it couldn't or shouldn't be done.

I'm guessing the 'experts' I've been talking to don't do too much on 46 year old axles... 😁

Oh, and the heater isn't high on my list of priorities sorry. I don't think I'll need it at Corowa in early March somehow...

It WILL be fitted before Winter Wombat though. 👍

[incisor]

Been having similar issues with the suspension bits on my 93 model viscount

Trying to get 1/2" grease able shackle pins

Had several say no such thing till I put one on the counter

Then got an older fellow at one joint and he new about them but said they were discontinued in the mid nineties

So I spent quite some time sorting out the old ones which were okay when refurbished

[Rextheute]

Possibly of some interest .....Al-Ko have most parts / service items available ex Dandenong or Wetherill Park .

[Rextheute]

Axle sizing and capacity

[Homestar]

Axle sizing and capacity

Thanks - that too shows 45mm square axles don’t come with LM bearings so at some point they stopped doing this.

This could be the same info the ‘experts’ are using so don’t know any better I suppose.

Wonder when they changed how they did things?

[Graeme]

Common practice has for many years been to use the larger inner diameter Ford bearings on the larger diameter axles. I can recall when using Ford bearings for their extra load carrying was a relatively new idea.

[Slunnie]

It has probably just become standard practice because there isn't a lot of value in having a 1.5t axle with 750kg bearings.

Mind you, when you see the bending in a small axle that is loaded up, the 45mm axle will be good news for your tyres!

[Albert]

interesting info.
Does anybody know if axles are high tensile or mild steel?
My trailer has had a bend in its 39 mm axle for a few years now, been meaning to try and straiten or replace it for the past 2 years.

[bblaze]

Pull it out and give it a good smack with a 14lb hammer, it will most likely bend like butter
cheers
blaze

[bee utey]

interesting info.
Does anybody know if axles are high tensile or mild steel?
My trailer has had a bend in its 39 mm axle for a few years now, been meaning to try and straiten or replace it for the past 2 years.

Almost certainly mild steel. I replaced a round axle today due to catastrophic bearing failure and all the fittings were just welded to the axle. A 5 or 10 ton hydraulic jack, some decent chains and a hunk of steel beam should suffice to straighten the average round axle.

[alien]

Looking online to see what load rating the LM (Holden) bearings are that are on my van. Different sites say different things - ranging from 750 to 1000Kg a set (either of these is fine, the van has twin axles and weighs around 1,300Kg) but the interesting this is they all say the Holden bearings are for 39mm round or 40mm square axles. Everything I've read says that the SL (Ford) bearings suit the 45mm square axle and have a higher load rating.

All happy with that - BUT - I have LM bearings on a 45mm square axle.... 😁

Whilst I'm satisfied the bearings will do what is required of them, I am wondering if anyone else actually knows if the 45mm square axles were made standard to suit the LM bearings...

Even the guy at the traiker place said a 45mm axle has SL bearings and I struggled to get him to sell me the LM sets after telling him what I had.

Just a bit confused, (not concerned)
It’s been a while since you asked but maybe get a second opinion, one of our local engineers has been building trailers for years and supplying parts and kits also.
My boss did his apprenticeship there and we still use them for work related stuff.
Welcome to Marshall Engineering (http://www.marshall-eng.com.au/), worst case is a wasted phone call.

[Albert]

Thanks guys,
my plan is to replace 39 mm with a 45 mm round.
Press and weld on some flanges and bolt on some LR stubs including brakes and put some semi decent springs on it.
Its only a light duty trailer but I load it up on the farm [bighmmm]

[weeds]

Thanks guys,
my plan is to replace 39 mm with a 45 mm round.
Press and weld on some flanges and bolt on some LR stubs including brakes and put some semi decent springs on it.
Its only a light duty trailer but I load it up on the farm [bighmmm]

Are you fitting drums or disc? And off which car landy?? Override hydraulic???

I build an axle a few years ago running defender stubs, discs and calipers.....but I wen electric over hydraulic actuator. When the flanges were welded on they were than put in a lathe and machined parallel. Stubs from a Salisbury are easiest to mount.

[Albert]

I bent my county Sals a while ago so I have a set of drum brakes spare.
Will go hyd override.
Plan is to press on some machined 1/2" plates and weld. I cant fit it back on the lathe after they are welded on so i will have to be happy the way it comes out. will be better than my bent axle that i have now.
I have a set of Ford ranger springs to put them on.
I dont need brakes but if i have them, why not put them on? (Would have come in handy last weekend on a steep mates farm)

After reading Weeds post, im wondering if I would be better off with discs. I have a set, would have to fab up a set of calliper brackets to mount. Mmm need a thinking beer to ponder...
As always, happy to take advice or tips[bighmmm]

[goingbush]

Spinny Things have a good catalogue I use a a reference for trailer parts

download the price list , includes Technical Guide

Spinny Things (https://www.spinnythings.com.au)

[POD]

Are you fitting drums or disc? And off which car landy?? Override hydraulic???

I build an axle a few years ago running defender stubs, discs and calipers.....but I wen electric over hydraulic actuator. When the flanges were welded on they were than put in a lathe and machined parallel. Stubs from a Salisbury are easiest to mount.

I also would have thought that you could have any axle / bearing / hub combination imagineable. I guess the big manufacturers have their standard arrangements.

To run LR wheels & brakes on my camper trailer, I had machined an axle blank to the profile of the inside of a pair of Range Rover stub axles, I pressed (read 'belted') the stub axles on and welded them in place from behind. For disc caliper brackets I took a pair of Rangie front swivel housings and with a 9" angle grinder I cut away every part of the housing except the caliper mount, the stub-axle mounting flange, and the material connecting those two. The resulting caliper brackets bolt to the back of the already-existing flange on the stub axle. A pair of Rangie front discs and calipers fed by an electric / hydraulic actuator. With a fully loaded trailer, the vehicle stops better than without the trailer. That axle has been on some of the worst roads in Aus with nary a problem. Nice to only have to carry one spare set of bearings, too.

I also came up with a system to attach the axle to leaf springs (better for a trailer IMO, simple, robust and no shocks required) without using U-bolts, which are what brings most leaf-sprung trailers undone on outback roads.

[87County]

I also would have thought that you could have any axle / bearing / hub combination imagineable. I guess the big manufacturers have their standard arrangements.

...I also came up with a system to attach the axle to leaf springs (better for a trailer IMO, simple, robust and no shocks required) without using U-bolts, which are what brings most leaf-sprung trailers undone on outback roads.

Hi POD, you've got my attention :) please share more about this non-ubolt system with us.

I'm sure there are a few of us who have broken a u-bolt.

[weeds]

I also would have thought that you could have any axle / bearing / hub combination imagineable. I guess the big manufacturers have their standard arrangements.

To run LR wheels & brakes on my camper trailer, I had machined an axle blank to the profile of the inside of a pair of Range Rover stub axles, I pressed (read 'belted') the stub axles on and welded them in place from behind. For disc caliper brackets I took a pair of Rangie front swivel housings and with a 9" angle grinder I cut away every part of the housing except the caliper mount, the stub-axle mounting flange, and the material connecting those two. The resulting caliper brackets bolt to the back of the already-existing flange on the stub axle. A pair of Rangie front discs and calipers fed by an electric / hydraulic actuator. With a fully loaded trailer, the vehicle stops better than without the trailer. That axle has been on some of the worst roads in Aus with nary a problem. Nice to only have to carry one spare set of bearings, too.

I also came up with a system to attach the axle to leaf springs (better for a trailer IMO, simple, robust and no shocks required) without using U-bolts, which are what brings most leaf-sprung trailers undone on outback roads.

For caliper brackets I just had some profile cut with holes drilled to suit the PCD of the stubs...than spaced the caliper out so they were central on the caliper.

[POD]

Hi POD, you've got my attention :) please share more about this non-ubolt system with us.

I'm sure there are a few of us who have broken a u-bolt.

No worries, it is super simple but I don't think I've seen the idea used elsewhere; (a picture paints a thousand words. I don't have a picture handy, so here's a thousand words)
I used three plates, we're talking 17years ago so memory is a bit sketchy but I think I cut the plates from a length of 12x100mm mild steel flat bar. One plate on top of the axle, one between the axle and the spring, one below the spring. The plates above and below the spring have a centre hole drilled, large enough to fit over the head of the spring centre bolt (I replaced the centre bolts with HT socket-head capscrews, the round bolt head locates nicely in the plate centre hole; the plate needs to be thick enough that the bolt head does not sit proud). The three plates were welded in a stack for drilling, and a rectangular pattern of 4 holes was drilled with a 1/2" drill. The holes are spaced to fit snugly against the sides of the axle one way and the sides of the spring leaves the other way (so the spacing is equal to spring width plus 1/2" one way, axle width plus 1/2" the other way). The resulting stack (plate, spring leaves, plate, axle, plate) is clamped together with four 1/2" HT hex bolts and nylocs. The spring centre bolt locates the plate (and thus the axle) by the head being registered in the centre hole of the middle plate and the nut registering in the same way in the bottom plate.
I have carried four spare 1/2" x 6" HT hex bolts and nylocs all around this country over the past 17 years without ever needing one. Pre-trip check always includes a check of the bolts but they have never budged.