Thread: Converting Series 3 rear end into trailer - tech questions

Originally Posted by pfillery

I had thought about keeping the diff but it is fitted with a diff lock and would probably be better removed for someone else to enjoy rather than cut up, plus I'd imagine the extra weight even from the empty housing would be a fair amount. I have a pair of rear hubs cut off the last diff I junked, I was going to go with an unbraked trailer with a straight tube axle, whether I take the spindles off the remnants of the rear diff and have them fitted to a tube or get 2 corresponding plates welded on to an axle that I can bolt my spindles onto, I have not decided yet.

The original idea with the springs was to lose a couple of leaves and rebuild them myself with a shorter bolt through the middle, maybe 3 or 4 of the 11 leaves should be sufficient, and lose the shockies (these are stuffed anyway).

Does anyone have photos of similar conversions that might give me ideas?

I will probably post progress pics as I do it, if it gets that far of course. A bit uncertain what to do with the front.

Ive got a thread on here somewhere thats got a copy of the chassis layout and where I cut/fold them.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/trailers-v...s-trailer.html

So is there any truth to what someone told me that you can't use a hollow axle and have to use a solid one? I thought most axles on trailers were hollow, I can imagine how heavy a 40mm square axle would be if it was solid. Someone has suggested that a hollow axle would be illegal but there appears to be nothing to back this up in the ADRs. Any thoughts? After all a diff housing is hollow. Most old boat trailers have hollow tube axles. I found a really solid piece of galvanised tube (old water drainage pipe actually) with a 4mm+ wall thickness and about the same size as the diff tube - pretty heavy and very solid. Hopefully should suit.

your standard 40/45 mm round/square axles are solid. You can readily buy just stub axles to weld into a suitable tube, so hollow axles are not illegal. The onus is on the manufacturer (owner/builder in your case) to ensure things are adequate and safe.

the only ones I know of to be a tube rather than the bar are the ones with the mounting flanges welded on and those are a rather thick tube.

If you know a good welder you can adapt the mounts from a rover axle (as opposed to a sals) onto an axle, if you want to go for a hydraulic discs on the rear let me know as I'll be stripping the back end of a disco 1 in the next few weeks.

(check your PM's)

I'm doing a similar trailer build - using the chassis, suspension & axle off a discovery 1 with a series tub mounted on top.
Retaining the triple link suspension & full axle with the diff centre removed & blanked.
Here in NSW a home built trailer requires a weighbridge certificate and blueslip inspection before it can be rego'd.
Only a coat or 2 of paint & it will be finished, but its been like that for nearly a year Where does all that time go??
I'll post pix once its done (hopefully not another year)

Originally Posted by Alex 110

I'm doing a similar trailer build - using the chassis, suspension & axle off a discovery 1 with a series tub mounted on top.
Retaining the triple link suspension & full axle with the diff centre removed & blanked.
Here in NSW a home built trailer requires a weighbridge certificate and blueslip inspection before it can be rego'd.
Only a coat or 2 of paint & it will be finished, but its been like that for nearly a year Where does all that time go??
I'll post pix once its done (hopefully not another year)

To qualify for the cheap rego ($52) and no yearly inspection in NSW the trailer must weigh 250kg or less, a landrover ute body and chassis will be well over that amount, so no chance of cheap rego or no yearly pink slips, Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by Tank

To qualify for the cheap rego ($52) and no yearly inspection in NSW the trailer must weigh 250kg or less, a landrover ute body and chassis will be well over that amount, so no chance of cheap rego or no yearly pink slips, Regards Frank.

Thanks Frank - I recently became aware of this, & as a result I'm going to refit the calipers, put overrun brakes on it & register it as heavy as I can with a single axle.