What Weight Capacity is an Axle with 8 Lugs

Question:

My trailer has 8 lugs, can you give me an estimate of the axle rating?

asked by: Tom

Expert Reply:

There really is a wide range of axles that could potentially be on this trailer. We carry hubs with 8 on 6-1/2" bolt patterns that can be used on axles anywhere from 5200-lbs capacity, like the # 8-219-4UC3-EZ all the way up to 12000-lbs like the # 8-214-8UC1. The best way to determine the axle capacity is going to be checking the spec sticker/plate that can be found towards the center of the axle. If you can't find a spec sticker, knowing the bearings, races and seals also may provide a general ballpark as to what the rating for the axle is. You can also measure the diameter of the axle, which it sounds like is going to be at least 3" based off of the above information.

Unfortunately the 5200 to 12000-lbs is a pretty large range, so if you're looking for replacement parts for your axle the best way to be sure is to check the sticker, or if you're replacing hubs, you'll need to know what bearings were in the hub so that you can match the new ones up correctly to the spindle on your axle.

I've gone ahead and linked some videos on the hubs mentioned above as a reference, as well as some of the articles we've put together on trailer bearings that cover the most commonly found bearings on different sized axles.

expert reply by: Erik B