How to Determine How Long of a Trailer Axle is Needed When Building Trailer

Published 01/29/2019

Question:

I built a new trailer, it is 7’ wide. How do I figure what size axels I need so I have clearance on sides and tires won’t rub on frame or stick out too far? Is the a general rule of thumb for figuring axel wits the to trailer width? Thanks,

asked by: Terry

Expert Reply:

One thing to keep in mind when determining axle length needed is that trailer wheels have a zero offset which means the width of the wheel/tire that will be on the inside of the hub mounting flange will be exactly half the width of the tires. So you'll need to determine what tire size you are going to use, take the width of one of the tires and add 4 inches and you'll have the hub face to hub face dimension you need for the axle. This gives you basically enough clearance so that the tires will clear the frame by 2 inches on either side of the trailer.

expert reply by: Jameson C