So today I placed the axle in the location on the frame that made the most sense at this point. I have been thinking about the tongue weight, and based on the placement of the items that will affect it the most i.e., batteries, water tank, fridge, firewood, and cooking gear, I think it’s close. The box area of the frame is 72 inches, making the center 36 inches. So, I set up the axle at 40 inches, behind center measuring from the front. The other factor I need to consider, is that the fridge is located in front of the axle, and there needs to be room for it and the slide out, so it has to be at least that far back anyway.
The next thing I am working on are the suspension arm lengths, and the pivot points. I decided to go 24 inches long, for the brace that runs down the frame on the outside, and 27 inches for the inside. Now before I cut them out, I set the axle on blocks to give me a static ride height to simulate under a load, and give me a rough idea for the angle of the arms (remember, I’m doing this upside down).
For the pivot bushing placement, I am using a threaded rod, which is running through all four inner bushings, tabs, and one washer as a spacer, and nuts on each side. This is to ensure that the pivot bushings are straight, and exactly where they need to be. Once the tabs are welded, I can remove the rod and cut the arms. There will be a cross tube inline with the frame under the pivot brace, the pivot brace will be in two pieces, to allow the tongue to pass through. Everything will be welded in place.
Continuing, I welded the frame cross brace in the frame, and I cut the bushing cross tube in half so the tongue can pass through. That way it will be integrated with the cross brace. I tacked the bushing cross brace, and tack welded the bushing tabs in place and removed the threaded rod. I then I measured and cut the outside and inside suspension arms. Before I did any more with the suspension arms, I went ahead and welded the four corners of the frame to make sure it did not move when I welded the arms in place.
Next, my goal is to notch the ends of the suspension arms (2 inch for the bushings and 2 1/2 inch for the axle end. Unfortunately, I did not get pictures of that. I set up a jig on the drill press, and used a hole saw. The outside arms were a straight cut, but the inside arms had a miter cut on the ends, then the radius. The test fit showed I needed to make some adjustments, but they were pretty close.
The biggest challenge I had, was not having enough hands. Trying to weld the arms in place, took a little creativity. Clamps and jigs are your friends when you’re alone.
Well, I ran out of steam, so I will finish welding the axle end of the arms first, then the bushing side next time.
