Determining if Higher Rated Axle is Needed for Big Tex Landscape Trailer
Published 11/14/2018
Question:
Hello, I have a Big Tex 5 x10 landscape trailer with 4 ft sides. It currently has a Dexter 3500 pound axle. Im about to raise the sides so its 5 feet high all the way around. Will the current axle take the weight? It has a 5 stud pattern wheels. Should i upgrade or will this be ok? If not what would a complete upgrade cost me? Thanks in advance.
asked by: Clint
Expert Reply:
As long as you don't exceed the 3,500 pound capacity of the axle on your Big Tex trailer with the higher sides (and additional cargo weight) you shouldn't need to upgrade anything. It is hard for me to say though whether or not its capacity will be exceeded without knowing how much the fully loaded trailer will weigh after raising the sides.
The only way to know this for sure would be to simply have your loaded trailer weighed or to try and track how much weight you are adding to it once those sides are raised (at least the first time you load it up). If you find that you will be exceeding the 3,500 pound axle capacity then it's possible to replace it with a higher-rated unit, but there is a catch.
An important thing to keep in mind is that the trailer will always be limited by its weakest component. For your application this simply means that upgrading the axle will only increase your trailer's capacity if it was the weakest link to begin with. For example, if you install a 5,200 pound axle on the trailer but its tires still have a combined capacity of 3,500 pounds or the frame itself is only rated for 3,500 pounds - you will still be limited by that lower number.
I have attached a link that will take you to our available selection of trailer axles if needed. To pick out a replacement you will need to measure from the base of one wheel stud to the base of the other wheel stud, along with the length from the center of one spring seat to the other. The new axle will need to have matching dimensions.
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Electric Trailer Brake Assembly - Self-Adjusting - 12" - Right Hand - 5,200 lbs to 7,000 lbs
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