Removing all wheels from Dexter axles

[CAmark]

With the wealth of knowledge on this site I somehow got confused about removing both (or all) wheels at the same time and causing "unwinding" of the rubber cords in the Dexter axle. This didn't seem at all logical, but I searched our forum to no avail...I PM'd Bill to search his "gray-matter" data base - he could recall nothing on the topic but suggested I email Christine Bachman at Dexter and ask the experts...through Christine's quick response I learned there is not a problem removing all tires at one time and, with Christine's permission, copy her response here in case anyone else gets as confused as I did.

If the trailer is properly supported by the trailer frame with both tires
totally suspended off the ground, the axle will not care if you remove none,
one or both wheel/tires. Taking the wheel/tires off the hub can not cause
damage to the suspension as long as it remains suspended in the air. If you
were to lower the axle/hubs to the ground you still wouldn't likely damage
the rubber cords but this is NOT good to sit the trailer directly onto the
hubs or hub-drums as they are not designed to support the weight directly
onto those components.

Removing the weight of the wheel/tire from the spindle can not damage the
rubber suspension in the axle.

Mark

If I understand the torsion axle they are using, the only piece that goes all the way from one end of the assembly to the other is the outside tube. The cords and inside axle pieces don't go both ways - it's truly an independent suspension.

Well not independent but separate springs anyway. It's still a beam axle.

Originally Posted by larsdennert

Well not independent but separate springs anyway. It's still a beam axle.

IMO, if the beam axle were sprung and attached directly to the wheels, then I would consider that a solid axle. But in the case of the Torflex axle, the beam is only there as a support piece for 2 independently sprung wheels. If 1 wheel goes up, it doesn't affect the other, except for maybe some weight transfer of the TM......similar to a independently sprung auto setup. But the TM would probably not be considered a "fully independant suspension" as many auto makers advertise, since it does have the beam connection.

My .02 cents worth.

Chap

Touche!