How to Determime Where to Place Axles on a Trailer

Improperly placed trailer axles make the correct load distribution of a loaded trailer an impossibility. This creates an unsafe condition on the road and can make a trailer almost impossible to tow safely. A trailer with axles too far forward could easily be loaded in such a manner that there is inadequate weight on the trailer tongue, which causes severe trailer sway, sometimes to the point of loss of control. When the axles are too far back on the trailer, too much weight is placed on the trailer tongue, causing the rear of the tow vehicle to sag and the tires to become overloaded.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure

Instructions

1. Measure the cargo platform or box of your trailer. Do not include the trailer tongue in your measurement.

2. 

   Determine what 60 percent of the length of the cargo area is. For a 12-foot box this would be 7.2 feet. Mark this point on the trailer frame. This is the center line of the axle on a single axle trailer.

3. 

   Mount the center spring hanger support at this point if your trailer is a tandem axle. This will also be the center point between the two axles.

References

• Build a Utility Trailer

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish