Adding shock absorbers?

[Bill]

On this forum, many of us have mentioned the pounding taken by a TM, especially if tire pressure is high. Has anyone ever considered the feasibility of adding automotive-style shock absorbers to a TM axle? I'm getting tired of finding loose screws rolling around on the floor when we arrive, and the stove grate bounced out onto the counter. I think shocks would reduce this.

Dexter has a shock kit (K71-175-01), but it is apparently intended only for installation on leaf springs. For the Torflex Axle, the Dexter Axle website doesn't say anything useful, limiting their comments to generic stuff like

"Less transfer of road shock"
and
"Shock absorption provided by the natural hysteresis of rubber"

I think shocks would be a wonderful upgrade if someone with appropriate knowledge and experience thought it through. Padgett?

Bill

[BrucePerens]

Your rubber torsion axle is a shock absorber. Not necessarily a very good one. The alternative is a Timbren axle-less suspension, but those also use rubber components rather than springs and shock absorbers. There might not be room for a conventional shock absorber. Your car probably has strut towers under the hood, the Trailmanor would need the same.

[klpauba]

I like your idea bill. Searching the web a bit and I found this: http://perfectcasita.com/cashabkit.html

Seems like a bolt-on fix for at least some Dexter axles. Maybe it would work.

[tentcamper]

My airstream had shock from the factory mounted on airstreamss torsion type axle that are the same design as the tm axle. I still has screws working loss.

It never figured out why they installed them? Oher then.
for added them for control. Or may be for marketing?

I thought shocks were ment to keep the tires on the road. Resulting in harsher bumps but less bouncing followup from the bump?

PS if you have a wdh, the hitch transfers some of the tv shocks effects to the trailer.

[Bill]

Thanks, klpauba. That looks very interesting, especially since Casita uses the same axle as TM. I will have to eyeball the clearance in the wheel well to see if it might fit.

I asked the rep at Dexter if they make a shock kit for the Tor-Flex axle. He said no, and that you would have to fabricate new brackets to fit. But he also said that Airstream has done it. I'm off to the Airstream site, hoping to get some information.

Bill

[tentcamper]

I not sure the AS shock kit will work if memory serves me right. The shock was mounted almost horizontal, and was between the tire and frame. It was maybe at a 5 or 10 degree slope. The AS axle did not have much or zero angle on the arm. Very near level. All of the arm movement was above level.

[Craigrrr]

I winder if some sort of "air bag" would work

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Craigrrr

I winder if some sort of "air bag" would work

An air bag acts like a spring, but a spring is not a shock. A shock actually absorbs and dissipates some of the energy of a quick wheel movement - and it is sensitive to the speed of the movement. A spring simply stores the energy of the movement, and then rebounds the energy back into the system.

The springs on the TM Dexter Tor-Flex axle are pretty good springs - but it is the shock absorber that is missing.

Bill

[tentcamper]

Bill let us know what you find.

I did look under our TM. It looks like there is room for the AS shock kit. You would need to make an adjust where you connect to the frame for the different angle of the arm. Mabe a standoff on the frame for frame to shock clearence.

[Shane826]

Saw this on the latest edition of Trailer Life magazine, thought you might be interested...