Determining Capacity of Mobile Home Axle to Use on Trailer

Updated 10/03/2019 | Published 10/02/2019

Question:

Im looking at taking some axles off a old mobile home to use on a trailer Im working on, the axles are 3inches in diameter, they have 5 leaf, leaf springs that are 25 3/8 long, and each on is 3/8 thick, the equalizer is stamped with a 7 and a C behind it, and 14.5 wheels with a 5 bold pattern, 5 on 5 1/2 maybe, I was wondering if you can tell me what the capacity of these axles are, Im thinking at least 5k but Im not sure

asked by: Martin S

Expert Reply:

Unfortunately there's not a way to pin point the axle capacity based solely on its diameter or the size of its suspension components, although with a 3" axle you're probably looking at something that has at least a 4,400 pound rating (but it could be substantially more than this as well).

If you can locate an axle tag or some identifiable information on the axle such as a serial number we might be able to find some more detailed information.

With all of this being said, I do recommend that you look elsewhere for a trailer axle. Most mobile home axles are really only designed to be used once and aren't rated for constant use/travel like you would see on a trailer. They also usually have strange/unique dimensions in terms of the spindles so it's usually really hard to find replacement parts like hubs, brakes, or even wheels to fit the bolt pattern.

We do have a large selection of higher-rated trailer axles available, which I have linked below. We also have the Timbren Axle-Less Systems that tend to work really well for home-built trailers because of their versatility. These systems, such as with the 7,000 pound # TASR7KS01, feature independent suspension units that will fit any frame width (often eliminating the need for a thru-axle altogether) and offer a smoother ride compared to traditional axles.

I have attached a couple short video demonstrations so you can get a better idea of how they install and operate.

expert reply by: Chris R