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Ok I’m tired of seeing my (2) tires being squished and the trailer swaying at speeds. What are my options for installing a 2 axle setup? I’m in Southern California so if you know of good place to purchase that would be great. Do I add just another axle? , buy 2 and install? , bolt on type? , torsion type? Width? Axle drop? Brake type? galvanized? Help?

That's a big question. Probably the cheapest and easiest would be to replace the existing axle, which is probably rusted inside anyway, with a new one of higher capacity. Use higher rated wheels and tires. The OEM leaf spring pack is very stiff (I've never seen such thick leaves on a small trailer spring before), and shouldn't need replacing unless it's sagging.

Due to the larger OD of the tire, the axle would probably not include a drop like the original has, or the hull or fender could scrape the tire.

I'm not trying to talk you out of doing the two-axle thing, but there are plenty of folks here with single axle trailers that tow long distances with them. Highlander comes to mind right away, and he moved himself and his boat on the OEM trailer from near hear all the way to Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean, which is like 2600 miles or so.

But if you do decide to use two axles, you'll need to move the original forward (or back), modifying the spring hangers to take the original plus the new, including a middle one for the equalizer, and purchase a new axle for the rear (or front) plus springs. That's what the PO of my boat did, but I dismantled the spring packs and removed some leaves and shortened others as required to soften them. I neither need nor want 7000 lb worth of suspension when 4000 lb is more than enough.

Mine's a bit of a Frankentrailer, with two mismatched axles (with disc brakes on the rear axle, and empty drums on the front), but it works well. The bearings should last forever since they're lightly loaded, and the tires will age out long before they wear out. Disc brakes are sooooo much better, but the surge coupler requires a different master cylinder (disc is not the same as drum), and a lockout solenoid valve for backing, which I have connected to the backup light pin in the 7-pin round RV style socket on my tow vehicle for automatic operation.

The last picture is a comparison of the Dexter leaf compared to the OEM leaf. I removed one leaf from the Dexter and shortened one other to divide the spans more evenly, and removed two from the OEM pack and shortened and reused the remaining one (not counting the primary, with an eye at each end of course).

Thanks Tom! So I measured my current original drop axle and it is around 88” wide drum face to drum face. It was a crude measurement so if I’m off please let me know. I have several axles with hubs and springs in my backyard. (2) are 6 lug with electric brakes, one of those is same width as boat trailer. The other is longer ( I could cut and weld shorter). And also have (2) 5 lug axles with hubs and springs that are correct width without brakes. Or I could just buy something new. I like idea of having only (2) tires to Maintain / replace, but also like idea of a smoother ride with 2 axles with a balancer in between. And possibility of chaining up a bad axle if I lose a bearing to limp to suitable place to fix lt. Am I correct that dual axles will lessen the possibility of trailer sway? I realize it was mostly due to not enough tongue weight.

Sheppie62 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 9:19 amAm I correct that dual axles will lessen the possibility of trailer sway? I realize it was mostly due to not enough tongue weight.

I can't point to anything authoritative, but there is plenty of anecdotal information to back that up. Same thing with 2- vs 3-axle Class A RVs - those with tag axles (an undriven axle behind the drive axle) claim far superior resistance to bow waves from trucks and from side winds on bridges and flat landscape. Of course, coaches with tags are also heavier, which is why another axle is added, but let's not confuse things with logic.

The PO's of my boat, who are the folks who had the second axle added by a trailer shop, did it to make it more stable when towing with their Dodge Caravan, or so they told me.

So if stability is what you want, it would seem that two is better than one, all other things being equal.

Oh, and in NY, only one axle has to have brakes. The law is a bit fuzzy, but it references 'adequate braking', or other such fuzzy language. So if you have working brakes on one axle, I wouldn't lose sleep over the second unless it's a state requirement. Or your own requirement. And if the axle has the 4-bolt plate on each end for brakes already, it's easy enough to add them.

I think I like the way your trailer is set up. I may copy it, adding a 5 lug axle on back (changing position of original of course) with disc brake kit. Disconnecting drum brakes or putting spindles on. Replace master cylinder to disc type.

Anybody have a comment on these leaf sliders to mount tandem leaf spring? I like that I could move axles to get perfect tongue weight, then attach more permanent once satisfied with balance