How to Determine New Axle For Homemade Trailer

Updated 07/10/2023 | Published 07/07/2023

Question:

I have an old homemade agricultural low speed trailer. The single axle is from the front of a 1.5 ton 1936 or 37 Ford truck. It has an inner bearing 2788 and outer bearing 1755. The bearings run about 2 inches apart. The wheels and tires are unusable, and the lug pattern is 5 x 8 inch. Im trying to get this rolling again in the cheapest/easiest manner. I think Im down to trying to get reproduction wheels and tires or changing the hub and using different size wheels and tires. Do you have wheels that will fit the hubs I have, or a hub that will fit the spindle?

asked by: Mike

Helpful Expert Reply:

We definitely don't have any of that and I imagine you are going to have a heck of a time trying to find anything that will work due to the age. By far the best bet is a new axle and hubs, which doesn't have to be super expensive. To find the right axle, you will need to know the dimensions of your current axle's hub face to hub face and spring center to spring center; I have added a link below to a video which walks you through how to measure. The other thing you do need to know is the weight capacity of the axle you need, which should match or exceed the GVWR of your trailer. This can be difficult on a homemade trailer so if at all possible, weigh the trailer at a commercial scale.

As for the axle itself, for example, the Trailer Axle with Idler Hubs # e82GR has a 2,000 lb capacity and measures 60 inches from hub face to hub face and 48 inches from spring center to spring center.

I've added a link below to our selection of axles for you which you can filter through by weight rating or size.

expert reply by: Kyle S