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View Full Version : Trailer Build... mission possible



pureblonde
3rd Jun 2009, 11:34 PM
hey people... i been racking my brains trying to work out how im gonna build a car trailer with a difference... what i want is a trailer that tilts all the way down, pivoting at the towbar... so the approach angle is minimal, you know for hot rods, race cars etc... anyway, i googled many trailers but didnt find any suspension systems that match my needs.
questions is, has any one here seen such thing, or know where i could possibly get some better ideas than my own for this build...
i have the 'will', just looking for a way, maybe a better or proven way than what i have in mind... so it will get made... eventually... try trying to keep trial & error minimal

thanks for any help
Ed :rolleyes:

rod1949
4th Jun 2009, 10:40 AM
Maybe use dropped axles with the use of air or hydraulic suspension... a bit like how buses are able to lower/tilt themselves these days.

jatt
4th Jun 2009, 11:02 PM
long ramps perhaps. Sounds easier to me than trying to reinvent the wheel.

Not sure how much weight the tipper trailers (hydraulic ram) being made these days could handle, but I recon it would be worth investigating. Still need ramps of course.

Maybe a trailer built along the same lines as what sees one on the back of a truck to transport cars. ie a ramped portion as part of the rear section of the trailer.

For lighter weight stuff seen tilt trailers that pivet from the back of the A frame. Have a a shock absorber looking part on the side. Simply drive on. Watched a bloke drive his golf cart on and off simply by carfully driving it on/off. Gravity under the control of the "shock absorber" does the work.

Weight obviously is a factor when considering various options.

Food for thought I guess.

echnidna
4th Jun 2009, 11:21 PM
have a look at big boat trailers

pureblonde
4th Jun 2009, 11:23 PM
definitely not trying to re-invent the wheel, its perfect already.. but i thought this would be a cool project, something different to what you see everyday & a challenge... anything else & you may just as well go buy a trailer, or plans if you need them... with this trailer, if it pivots on the towbar, you wont need ramps, as the trailer it self will be it...
its all about a trailer build, not whats easier to build... the easier part will enjoyed when loading very low cars.
maybe with some feed back from you guys, this could end up being something pretty cool.
cheers

echnidna
4th Jun 2009, 11:36 PM
2 wheeler or tandem?

pureblonde
4th Jun 2009, 11:39 PM
2 wheeler or tandem?

tandem for sure...
drop axles will more than likely be used, or something like it... whatever it takes

DJ’s Timber
4th Jun 2009, 11:48 PM
Not quite what you're after but it's a start

http://www.woodworkforums.com/showpost.php?p=718868&postcount=49

pureblonde
4th Jun 2009, 11:59 PM
Not quite what you're after but it's a start

http://www.woodworkforums.com/showpost.php?p=718868&postcount=49

thanks for the link, but no... what i have in mind is very different... sorry i cant show you anything, links or pictures, its all im my mind and scraps of paper at the moment.

Calm
5th Jun 2009, 12:50 AM
You can pivot the drawbar as in the link DJ showed you but the actual pivot has to be the axles as this is where the trailer contacts the road.

To slope down from the drawbar you will need to "flatten" out the suspension so air or hydraulics of some sort is the only option that would be safe to move with.

You can get/design/make a suspension similar to a hendrickson that will give you a load sharing system to save putting all the weight on one axle while loading but i think the angle for a car to load would be pretty steep.

I will keep thinking

Cheers

pureblonde
5th Jun 2009, 08:58 AM
I will keep thinking

Cheers

Thanks for your thoughts mate... thats what this project is all about, 'thinking' and building something different.

cheers
Ed

VXEXEC350
5th Jun 2009, 07:15 PM
the trucks you see towing a trailer with a forklift on it often use this, there are 2 at work, i will try to get you a few pics next week

pureblonde
5th Jun 2009, 08:09 PM
the trucks you see towing a trailer with a forklift on it often use this, there are 2 at work, i will try to get you a few pics next week

cool... looking forward to it. :wink:
its only until something new is out or a new standard on an existing product, self proven and working that most would agree..."its a pretty good idea and shouldve been made before".

Calm
6th Jun 2009, 12:15 AM
.................. what i want is a trailer that tilts all the way down, pivoting at the towbar... ................................
Ed :rolleyes:

I dont think you can pivot at the towball/towbar and get the back to touch the ground.

Even if you collapse the suspension the clearance between the axle and the floor of the trailer is not enough to allow the back of the trailer to touch the ground without the front lifting up a bit.

So you need to pivot the A frame at the point it meets the frame or at the point near the axle (as in DJ's link). This means the front will lift and the back go down to touch the ground - this also means the angle will be steeper. You could calculate the angle etc to see if it is too steep for you, then a way to collapse the suspension could be worked through.

Cheers
Cheers

opelblues
6th Jun 2009, 12:42 AM
18 years ago we built a trailer for a d3 dozer that was towed behind a bedford truck. the trailer was built in a way that the 3 axles were on a slide seperate from the main frame, this slide could be moved to the front or to the back of the trailer. the distance from back to front was 3 mt. when moved to the front of the trailer the rear droped to the ground. then all that was done then was the trucked was driven forward at the same time the chain drive pulled the axels back to place the load point directly over them. this could bedone with a two stage rams now days or screw drive, we also carried 50 bales of hay on the same trailer, not with the dozer on it at the same time.

VXEXEC350
6th Jun 2009, 09:08 AM
18 years ago we built a trailer for a d3 dozer that was towed behind a bedford truck. the trailer was built in a way that the 3 axles were on a slide seperate from the main frame, this slide could be moved to the front or to the back of the trailer. the distance from back to front was 3 mt. when moved to the front of the trailer the rear droped to the ground. then all that was done then was the trucked was driven forward at the same time the chain drive pulled the axels back to place the load point directly over them. this could bedone with a two stage rams now days or screw drive, we also carried 50 bales of hay on the same trailer, not with the dozer on it at the same time.
That's Brilliant

pureblonde
6th Jun 2009, 09:54 PM
18 years ago we built a trailer for a d3 dozer that was towed behind a bedford truck. the trailer was built in a way that the 3 axles were on a slide seperate from the main frame, this slide could be moved to the front or to the back of the trailer. the distance from back to front was 3 mt. when moved to the front of the trailer the rear droped to the ground. then all that was done then was the trucked was driven forward at the same time the chain drive pulled the axels back to place the load point directly over them. this could bedone with a two stage rams now days or screw drive, we also carried 50 bales of hay on the same trailer, not with the dozer on it at the same time.

Ive actually seen such trailer a couple of years back but never thought of taking pics of it, I just googled it now, and found what youre talking about.
http://www.traileze.com/slidingaxletrailers.html
that idea is pretty cool and i like it, not quite what i was thinking to build but still sweet.

many thanks to every ones thoughts... positive or negative, keep them coming :2tsup:

zuffen
6th Jun 2009, 11:04 PM
In the '60's Rover built a trailer that used the front suspension from a Rover 2000 that allowed the trailer to "kneel" which basically dropped the loading height to ground level.

The 2000's suspension was pivoted at the rear/top and rotated when it hit a bump. Pretty trick stuff and it seemed to work oK.

Have a search uner Rover. I think it had something to do with their Turbine Car from that era.

soundman
15th Jun 2009, 03:37 PM
Vehicle components have a suspension on their site that drops the tray to ground level....all the details are there bit it is stamped wit "not currently available"

I have seen a couple of ideas that involve locking the wheels with the trailer brakes and then pushing / pulling the trailer to operate the action.

I have seen a couple of these.

one slides the tray and drawbar ( pivoting ) on the suspension sort of like the doser trailer detailed earlier.

Another is a single axle design that simply has a pivoting drawbar and pushes the trailer so it pivots on the suspension. This one is very cheap and easy but relies on an evenly balanced load.

yes the drive on pivoting tray, the drawbar needs to be attached at the pivoting centre.....you just drive the car off...... lock in position and drive the car back on to pivot the trailer.

the above 2 are easier with a single axle set up, the first one is better with a high suspension the second is better with a low suspension

A completely different approach that was marketed a few years ago had a tray suspended between and independently sprung outer frame that was lowered by winches or hydraulics ( expensive ans structrualy difficult.)

I don't think any of the above are new ideas by a long chalk.

cheers

pureblonde
17th Jun 2009, 10:19 PM
cheers

thanks for the info, i have seen that site, and rung them once to get advice on their suspension so i can design this trailer and to be sure to get the right results, but were'nt helpful unless you buy from them.
Im thinking of using airbags, best i found so far has a 200mm lift and is rated to 1 ton each... so, i'll be working from there, nevertheless, i'll keep everyone posted... once the design part is done, building shouldnt take too long.

cheers

soundman
18th Jun 2009, 01:18 PM
The aur bag suspension has been used in the back of quite a number of vehicles that are required to squat.
Quite some time ago I worked on ambulances ( F series fords) that had airbags on the back end they worked well but only caused about 200mm of squat.

I recon one of the tilting and or sliding systems is the best idea

cheers

Calm
18th Jun 2009, 01:24 PM
I think if you have an axle from one side to the other you will find the trailer will hit that before it touches the ground, even if it is a drop centre axle.

Watching with interest still.

Cheers

pureblonde
18th Jun 2009, 08:43 PM
Watching with interest still.

Cheers

Great... that just adds fuel to my motivation