Can somebody explain this for me?

[dabar39]

One of my neighbors stopped by today to show me a trailer that was just given to him, he asked me to look at the axle cause he didn't know what he was looking at. I looked at it and told him the same thing, I didn't know what I was looking at either. There is a piece of chain from the rear spring mount to a u-bolt on the axle and from a u-bolt on the axle there is another chain with a spring attached to it going to a mount towards the front of this trailer. Pay close attention to the front of the spring, they are cut blunt and then clamped down by the front hanger. I've seen a lot of strange things done to trailers but this is a first for me. Can one of you guys explain this to me. Dave

[DEAdbEAT_Welder]

by the looks of that trailer I'd say that piece of chain is whats keeping it together hahaha

[Darmik]

Hey that’s pretty cool! It serves a dual purpose the axle won’t get away on ya and you know when you’re pulling a trailer and it hits a bump? Well that chain and spring helps stop the trailer bounce, and takes up some of the shock.

Hey Dabar39 Remember that guy that came into your shop looking for a job and he said that he had 20 years welding experience and all he did was build trailers! Well I think you found one. Because in all my years I have never seen anything like that, So I’m thinking this must be a signature type trailer.

[aametalmaster]

Thats a first for me also. I built 500 and prob worked on 500 more. I guess everyone is an engineer in their own way...Bob

[wireburner]

never seen one like that , maybe it`s like a shock or lev spring ?

[Iron man]

You said the front of the springs are cut blunt and just held by the clamp,
maybe when the trailer bounced or was jacked up the spring could slide out of the clamp without the chain keeping the axel from droping to much

[down19992000]

i think that is some form of torsion/chain suspension arrangement. groundbreaking design. plus if your tie down breaks on what you are hauling you can take that one of there and put it on your load. brilliant brilliant idea

[dabar39]

Iron man, That's kinda what I was thinking, but I still can't figure out why anyone would do this. It also appears to me that the chains were added as an after thought, probably after chasing the axle down the highway a time or two.

I've added another photo and if you look behind the chain, you can see the 3 leaf springs being clamped down in the front spring mount. Also another thing that I noticed is the fact that the rear spring mount does not move, that keeps the spring rigid and it cannot work, add the chains into the mix and there is no reason for the springs as they cant do anything anyways. Dave

[Bert]

Looks like it is an old Army trailer! What army? I'm thinking Iraqi....
I'm going to build one JUST LIKE THAT, and see if it'll pull my friend's brand new softail

[Winger Ed.]

add the chains into the mix and there is no reason for the springs as they cant do anything anyways. Dave

Do ya think the whole arrangement could be some form, or fashion of redneck 'wheelie bars' that come into play when you're racing it on a figure '8' track?

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