Un-Mobile home axle fix...

[jeepdreamer]

So the neat little Bantam trailer I snagged has a flaw. Aomewhere along the line someone swapped in a mobile home axle. What makes people do such things is beyond me but there it is.
So...in an effort to eliminate the oddball wheel-deal...does anyone know anything about these things? Can I pull the hubs and spindles and use something less 'neck? Or will I be looking into a complete replacement axle? What is kind of surprising is that despite the backwoods origins...the thing actually pulls well. Tracs straight and hardly know its back there! But I'd like to convert it to 6 on 5 1/2 so it will match my jeep wheels...Anyone?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I would just swap out a completely new axle, built to your specs (width and capacity) and equipped wi the 6x5.5 hubs you need, with or without brakes.

I'm sure someone will know the specifics on those axles but as I recall they were often built with 'one use' in mind, not for longevity.

 

[Robert Bills]

Throw the mobile home axle away - it will not stand up to offroad use (or highway use for that matter as it is designed for one or two tows of a mobile home, not regular use).

You can buy a Dexter axle with any bolt pattern and width you desire. You can also have it equipped with electric brakes.

You can also look around for a "used but not abused" military axle. It will have parking brakes, however there is no cost effective means to convert them to service brakes. You will also need to use spacers or otherwise modify the axle to use the bolt pattern you desire.

I would have used a Dexter 3500# axle on my Bantam, but my goal was to do a "resto-mod" and keep as many original parts as possible so I cleaned up the original axle, replaced the bearings, races and seals, and called it a day.

 

[tclaremont]

There is a seller on ebay that offers hubs that fit on mobile home axles. I am not saying it is a good idea, but they are out there. Even tractor supply company carries trailer axles these days. You might be suprised how inexpensive they are. By the time you buy the specialized hubs you are more than half way to the cost of a decent axle.

 

[KLAKEBRONCO]

Lots of companies build those mobile homes in this area.
So, there are LOTS, of trailers built using them.
Those mobile homes have to weigh a BUNCH, so I sure wouldn't worry about the strength.

If someone sells the hubs to convert them to a regular wheel I would go that route.

 

[tclaremont]

Here is the auction I was thinking of. I have personally dealt with this seller with great success, but NEVER with this particular item.

Mobile Home Axle Conversion Hubs

 

[JKDetonator]

Thinking about swapping out axles on my M100, or Mabel just selling it and starting over. Let me know if you're interested.

 

[KLAKEBRONCO]

Here is the auction I was thinking of. I have personally dealt with this seller with great success, but NEVER with this particular item.

Mobile Home Axle Conversion Hubs

That is the route I would go. No doubt.