Bent axle

[FitzFolly]

Kript,
IF Park's axle is in the original mounting position and has this current sagging problem, then he turns it over, won't he make the problem worse? Can a trailer/frame shop put camber back into an axle?
Thanks,
Fitz

[timsch]

Alan, A brace at the center would not allow the axle to bend to the straight point as Bill had stated so it would not be a good thing to do amongst about a million different reasons of moments and stress that I wont go into. Denny, a 3500 lb. axle is good if you changed everything, like the springs and such. The old leaf springs on the Apache would not support the over 2000 lb. limit either so either adder leafs need to be added or new, stronger springs installed with the 3500 lb. axle.

[Kript]

Kript,
IF Park's axle is in the original mounting position and has this current sagging problem, then he turns it over, won't he make the problem worse? Can a trailer/frame shop put camber back into an axle?
Thanks,
Fitz

Not likely. It sounds as if the axle has been abused/ fatigued to the point of no return.  Maybe a home repair job, and not original.
Fire will take the strength out of one. If I were he, and wished to travel
any great distance, I would be looking into a new one. But if it only goes
locally, and babied, may last along time. As long as the tires are wearing on the inside, it can not be good.

[timsch]

You can not flip the axle over. The spring centers are on one side so they would not bolt up if the axle was flipped. It's just not worth it, it's messed up and needs a new one, otherwise it's wear a set of tires every two years, not have the full tire surface making contact to the road and possibly a blow out which will destroy an Apache from the wheel well back if enough of the tire lets go.

[Parkland]

I noticed the thing about not being able to flip the axle today.

In the past my Apache must have had a blow out and alot of the tire let go and what Tim said can happen, did. But not as bad as it could have been.

I'll get pics of the noticeable fixed damage. What Tim said help make me discover the cause of the damage that it had.

[cobbfmly]

We installed flat tire skids on our Royal.  We are hoping that if we ever get a flat that the skid will give us enough warning to get stopped before pieces of the tire causes damage.

These were not "easy" to find.  The first person my husband spoke with at the local RV dealer/repair shop didn't know what my husband was taking about.  My husband then spoke with the owner who knew what my husband was talking about.  He went into their stock room and came out with a very dusty set of them.  They cost all of $12.

[Denny]

Alan, A brace at the center would not allow the axle to bend to the straight point as Bill had stated so it would not be a good thing to do amongst about a million different reasons of moments and stress that I wont go into. Denny, a 3500 lb. axle is good if you changed everything, like the springs and such. The old leaf springs on the Apache would not support the over 2000 lb. limit either so either adder leafs need to be added or new, stronger springs installed with the 3500 lb. axle.

Of course you are right Tim.  I did indeed replace the springs with 3500 lb. ones.  That was a nominal cost.  It was worth it to know that I don't need to worry about axels, hubs, or bearings now that they are all new components.

[timsch]

Thats great Denny, but I wanted others to know that an axle alone does'nt get the job done without the springs.

[DDLTexan]

Alan, A brace at the center would not allow the axle to bend to the straight point as Bill had stated so it would not be a good thing to do amongst about a million different reasons of moments and stress that I wont go into.

Thanks Tim.

Here are more odd questions and I will ask them anyway so that I will continue to learn each day.  Is the pipe (that is the axle) just a regular piece of steel pipe?  
Or is it something special that is make ONLY for axle situations?  
Has anyone ever spot welded a smaller piece of pipe against the side of the existing pipe to help it out if the axle is fatigued?  
I know that you can add on an additional helper leaf spring to make leaf springs stronger on some utility trailers but I have always wondered if you could spot weld on a smaller pipe to the side of the existing axle to give it some additional strength.  

Very curious and wanting to learn . . . . . . . ?

[Parkland]

When Gerry came and looked at the axle he said something similer. We jacked the axle up with a bottle jack and it curved up, he said we might beable to weld a peice of pipe in a A shape to it to reinforce it.
We know someone in the city that works with axles and has a shop in his yard and he might beable to do something. The guy happens to live on the street I found my Apache on. I found it by deciding to go with Gerry to drop something off at his house for something to do

[Parkland]

Can someone please show a picture of how the axle is actually supposed to be? I'd like to see an actual axle that isn't bent. I'd really appreciate it .

[Parkland]

These are the clues as to why I think my Apache had a blow out that caused damage from the wheel well and back.


Maybe these are marks from the tire hitting the wheel well?


It looks like the wheel well was fixed at some point.


It must of been taken to a body shop and got fixed.


You can see the area of where it was all fixed where the different color paint is.


This thing is also bent.


Could this all be from a bad blow out?

[timsch]

Yep, sure is Park. Who tows your apache for you?

[Parkland]

My moms boyfriend Gerry tows it for me.

I'm glad I know all this about the axle and what it can cause. I am going to try and get it fixed.

[Parkland]

I'm sure not getting a new one! I'll see if I can get this one fixed by a guy that knows what he's doing. His business is with axles.