Old lowboy walking beam suspension questions?

[seyser]

I have been on the browse for an older lowboy trailer. I found an old Wisconsin Trailer Co fixed neck trailer that's in nice shape but needs running gear work. This has a walking beam suspension that doesn't appear to be of a name brand but built by the trailer company. Can these be rebuilt? It has wear on the tires and I can visually see its not running true. I'm sure the pins and bushings are totally wore out. I have no experience with any of this stuff so trying to see what can be done with something like this? 

-Jeremy

 

[Geoff Weeks]

You sure find (and drag home) the weird ones. Never ever, seen a trailer axle where the center was cut out! I'm sure it has bad tire wear from the axles not being held true. All the forces are going through a single pivot point, with the axle cut it is going to tend to bow up under load, without a full axle it is going oscillate back a forth because not tied to the other side

 You could drop the beam out and rebush, may have to make the bushing, but that isn't going to solve all the other problems.

Looks like it was made that way, but begs the question why? 

edit: I confused you with another guy that had a low-boy with axle problems, Sorry. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Geoff Weeks

[seyser]

Geoff - I appreciate the reply! I'm a novice with this stuff and I understand the concern with not having the axles hooked together as I'm sure that would help make it more ridged. I suppose this does allow each tandem oscillate more.

Let me ask the question, Would this design not be common practice for older built equipment trailers? I know there were many more smaller trailer companies around years ago but I haven't been around many to know how they were built?

[Geoff Weeks]

I have never seen it done like that in a semi trailer, unless it was a "trunnion  axle with tires and brakes on both sides of the walking beam for 8 tires across. Cozad trailers are built like that.