Asher is correct about this. Dexter made about half of the one time use mh axles and if you have one of theirs the brake flange will match a modern brake flange. Let this be your gauge if you can't put a modern backing plate on this axle then don't mess with them.

 

Careful where you go with it. A friend had his impounded here in Alberta several years ago. Of course he was trying to haul commercially with it and got pulled into a weigh station.

BC has started doing check stops on non-commercial trailers over for inspections. Checking things like safety chains,tires load ratings, break-away kits, etc. I'm guessing they probably wouldn't be too happy to see mobile homes axles.

 

Thanks I will make sure to check the flange and see if it has a newer style flange. I am asuming that if it does it will have the backing plate bolted on not welded on, corect??

 

I agree with the people who say to go ahead and use the m/h axles. I've been using them for about thirty some odd years and have had good luck with them. Just keep up with normal maintenance and you should have no more trouble with them than with any other axles.

 

i had them on my 25' gooseneck. i loaded it down pretty doggone heavy and it held up. mine had the welded on braked plate. on mine, i cut the brake off, wleded on a flange and bolted on replacements. finding tires was the hard part for me too, but i ran the load range fs and never had a blowout.

 

A good friend of mine claims he was fined $7,500 in Edmonton after somebody rear ended his triple axle trailer hauling hay.

Ive pulled many MH axle trailers and never had a problem, but that's what he claimed.

So yes, third hand info but I've never known him to B.S me.

 

Unless these MH axles are something I've never seen before, I'd like to know HOW they know they're MH axles. The hubs with the 'open-center' style wheels are not just for use on MH's. I've built a few trailers where the company or owner has specified those hubs and wheels for their weight carrying capacities. All the MH axles I've seen don't have any specific markings on them that identify them as MH.

Not doubting that your friend got the fine, or that there's an issue with the axles in question. I've just never been exposed to that particular axle before and it's got me curious. I'm wondering if some over-zealous DOT officers are determining axle type by the kind of hub it has, (wouldn't be the first time for someone to make up 'road-side legislation'!), or if there's really something different with MH axles.

chaikwa.

 

We had some trailers where I used to work along time ago that had the m/h type axle, and it was factory supplied on the trailers. We fought them daily for 10 years trying to keep tires on them. We kept spare tires and rims in stock at all times. The boss wouldn't listen until he thought one of his drivers was scamming him, and he decided to follow him and all 4 tires spun off at once. The fully loaded trailer dropped to the road on all 4 hubs and made a mess. he finally listed to us and let us replace all of them. Never lost a single tire after that. Before we probably lost 5 a week. Yes, 5 a week for probably 10 years. Probably $125 a setup X 5 X 52 X10 = about $325,000 on tires being scattered all across Texas highways. That'll probably help explain why he went bankrupt twice.

I would avoid them like the plague. Even for just one trip a year. That trip could easily become a nightmare if you start spinning tires off. Especially if one goes across someone windshield.

Take about 20 spare tires with you if your going to drive any distance.

 

There is no need for th trailer anymore. My uncle who is going along just bought a new 28x8 goosneck so we can use that. Works musch better than our idea.

 

Here it is right out of the rule book:

Taken from the "Canadian Legal Information Institute"

901. (1) No axle, axle assembly or wheel, tire, suspension or other hardware of an axle assembly commonly referred to as running gear that is designed and manufactured exclusively for use on a mobile home or other vehicle that is not of a class prescribed by the Regulations shall be fitted to a trailer.

 

Right, I don't doubt you for a minute. But my original question still stands; how do they know the axles in question are for, or from, a mobile home? What is different about them?

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I've heard this question come up a LOT and I'd like to have something to tell people who besides "I dunno".

Thanks!

chaikwa.

 

I know what you mean and wish I know how to tell as well.

I have a small equipment trailer with two 5200# axles that use the same "bud" style rims as MH axles do. I called Standens a local trailer/axle/spring company and gave them the numbers off the axle.

They informed me that the axles were most commonly used in an ATCO office construction site trailers and were NOT MH axles and were fine for road use.

Not sure how to tell otherwise. Also I've never had a problem with my bud wheels coming off. Just need to be careful putting them on and make sure its centered and tighten each one evenly.

 

yes that is a good question, I really have no idea.

I was assuming they were meaning all of the donut style Dayton Rims were the issue, but if they allo some and disallow others I'm not sure.


I wonder how we could find out?

The trailer I have here with MH style axles has the backing plates welded on one axle and not the other...

Maybe that has something to do with it?

Clearly if the backing plate is welded on then they are intended for limited use?

Not too sure, speculation on my part.

Must be somewhere you could phone and find out.

 

The MH axles are illegal here in Missouri. My buddy got busted running them on a car trailer.

 

What did they fine him down there 67?

Do you know how they identified them as MH axles if that hub style is legal on other trailers?