homebuilt Subaru IRS trailer

[deepmud]

I have a 4wd axle sitting at my friends house - I was out there yesterday, and got a picture. You can see how easy it would be to modify to remove the half-shaft.

here's the full pic - it's a good example of how to make a strong, light trailing arm - it's almost organic in the way it curves and tapers. You'd think that the bushings
would bind up but clearly in the range of operation it's not an issue.

 

[deepmud]

Load capacity- I need to make fenders since I've up-sized the tires from the little 13" Subaru rims - however, with really heavy loads, the 13" were really scary-overloaded.

I was getting some pavers on Sunday, and after I got it home, loaded it until the tires touched the deck.

I figured out this is about 120 bricks at 15 pounds each - with a LOT of tongue weight - but this was just to see what it would take to bottom out the suspension.

With about 50 bricks removed, leaving a pile 6 high x 12 each - 72 - so roughly 1100 pounds of load, there is about 1.5 inches of clearance to the deck. I took this load at speed on a bumpy dirt road, with some quick-side-side maneuvers to see how stable it is ( I don't over have this much to load on it) and I was surprise to see the tires never bumped against the decking.

Checked suspension travel

Not as much as I had guessed - but I know I've had more weight with smaller wheels (that never hit the deck )

I think there is another inch of uptravel - it's just hitting the bumpstops as it is now. So like 6 or 7 inches of travel - and I think that might be a bit too much for some applications. The torsion is very progressive, so the first few inches are very soft - it takes stiff shocks to make it behave.

Using it with my 4wheeler - the track assemblies are about 275 pounds each - it takes that load very well - partly because it's pretty tongue-heavy, I think I will be hauling it like that 200 miles south to get the tracks worked on this summer.....

 

[deepmud]

Still a work in progress after all these years. I decided I needed an extendable to tongue to allow for long kayaks (it's way easier to load a double kayak on a trailer than on top of an Expedition).

Out with the old.

Flipped on its back. The hitch donated the reciever tube - it was entirely built of it - nowadays that is 10 bucks+ a foot.

Lined up

And now that it's done I need to take a couple more pics. I hauled another load of bricks yesterday - with a bit higher tongue load than before I had 100x15 pounds of bricks with plenty of tire clearance left (more than 2" before they bump the decking) - and it hauls smooth and level on rough dirt roads.

 

[alfio]

I guess I owe a set of real measurements, like frame width, ride height, etc.

ok deepmud, i'm going to bug you again with this. can you pls give the dimensions for this thing? hub to hub (outer)? also, how far apart are the two brackets with the four mounting bolts (on center)? thanks

 

[cruisertoy]

What years and models of Subaur do you find these axles on? I'm in the planning stages of a m416 style trailer and think these would be perfect given the light loads and desert roads we run.

 

[Bushcoat]

Deepmud:

Ive always enjoyed your posts on alaska4x4network, but since not being able to access the page in a few years, I am glad to see you on here since ive been doing more looking around. You are always innovative, and I love the tracked samurai

 

[deepmud]

ok deepmud, i'm going to bug you again with this. can you pls give the dimensions for this thing? hub to hub (outer)? also, how far apart are the two brackets with the four mounting bolts (on center)? thanks

the brackets for bolting on the assembly are right at 39 inches.

hub to hub is about 54" - as close as I can tell measuring without removing wheels.

edit:
whoops! 56" same as I measured before for Rootmoose on post #15.

 

[deepmud]

What years and models of Subaur do you find these axles on? I'm in the planning stages of a m416 style trailer and think these would be perfect given the light loads and desert roads we run.

agree it will handle less than 800 to 1000 pounds at speed really well. It's from the 80's Suby - the really old ones, like 78-79 will have two separate units, one for each side. They are a bit lighter in load capacity, but you'd have unlimited track-width options. I'd still go for the 80-86 Subaru Wagon or Brat. I know a Brat had a load rating of 800 pounds. I think the wagon was the same.

I should mention my modified 5 bolt pattern had a failure - I posted up on the teardrop trailer board, I'll post here. Could have been ugly - but lucky for me it wasn't Some "what not to do" advice.

 

[deepmud]

Deepmud:

Ive always enjoyed your posts on alaska4x4network, but since not being able to access the page in a few years, I am glad to see you on here since ive been doing more looking around. You are always innovative, and I love the tracked samurai

Thanks. The board - www.alaska4x4network.com - - is opened again. We get spam all the time again but it's worth it to have the higher traffic. I've missed the interesting stuff from places like the U.K. and Russia (that Ladoga! dang I want to do that)....

Samurai is evolving again.....

It's nice having the warm enclosure in winter, even tho' it makes the 'zuk HUUUUGE....

 

[alfio]

hey deepmud,

i finally sourced an old subie suspension and am using it to improve my trailer project. i got a thread going here, would be great to have your input. thanks

alfio

 

[deepmud]

Found some old picture from about 20 to 22 years ago - I built that box with free scrap wood from shipping containers - the frame was free too I found them yesterday so I'm calling it Throwback Thursday....

 

[deepmud]

Ha! I just realized I never posted my ooooolllllddd video of hauling the trailer off-road to rescue my broken 3-wheeler here - it's a kick...

 

[Roaddude]

Ha! I just realized I never posted my ooooolllllddd video of hauling the trailer off-road to rescue my broken 3-wheeler here - it's a kick...

Ha, oh my, reviving an old thread, but that's a hoot alright. I'm not much of a fan of radical rock-crawling or severely technical trails done just for the hell of it, but I'd take my van and trailer on that trail anytime and would love it. Would love, too, to see the images now gone from the parts in 2012 earlier in the thread. Fun to see your trailers.

 

[deepmud]

Photobucket will let you copy the address and paste into your browser - I think.

This trailer is still working hard - I'll be taking it hunting caribou this weekend, hauling my ATV on it then hauling the trailer with the ATV off-road.

Not bad for 35 year old bearings/axle/springs on a 25 year old trailer project. The original green plywood box I built to run across North America and back is rotting away in the woods unfortunately - the trailer is almost always a flatbed, the box put aside.