Broken trailer axle

[LeeB]

The front axle on my cattle trailer is broken most of the way in two. Anybody here ever had any luck welding one back together?

[doc henderson]

any pics?  is it straight or have a bend.  can you replace the pipe.  my brother used to modify all kinds of this stuff.  why did it break, rusted, overloaded, hit a big bump?  You can add some metal to the outside.  

[LeeB]

I loaned it to my neighbor and he brought it back yesterday. I just now noticed one of the wheels was cockeyed. Crawled underneath and saw it was about 2/3 broke in two about a foot from the leaf spring. Looks like it has been welded before on the other side. Probably best to replace it but I'm broke. 

[doc henderson]

well what size and weight range a trailer.  up to car trailer size I would be OK.  do you think they abused it, or is it quite old?  Is it a broken weld or torn, ripped, fatigued metal?  what do you use it for?  do you weld?  does your neighbor weld?  

[Magicman]

Turning, especially sharp turns puts a tremendous stress on the tires, wheels, and axles.

[LeeB]

I don't know when it broke or how. I suspect it may have happened when he was parking it or it could have happened when he came across the creek. It's pretty rough. I don't think it was abuse, just a rough life and age. Don't guess I know how to attach pictures from my phone. 

[Magicman]

As doc mentioned, it is probably arched.

[doc henderson]

5 x 10 utility trailer I have no problem with a back 40 farm welder if it is not at max capacity on an interstate highway.  farm use.  A 32-foot gooseneck, I go to the trailer place and buy all new stuff.

[Magicman]

I agree, that axle is probably badly stressed and I suspect metal fatigue caused this break. 

[scsmith42]

I've repaired breaks like that in one of two ways.

Method 1 - machine a piece of heavy wall tubing or solid round bar so that it's a snug fit inside the old axle tube.  Drill 4 holes around 1" diameter through the old axle tube portions so that you can plug weld the new round bar / tubing into place.  Also bevel and weld up the break.

The other way is to find a piece of heavy wall pipe / tubing that is a snug fit onto the outside of the axle.  Same method of plug welding, except that you're drilling the spice tube instead of the original axle.  Also weld all the way around the end of the splice tube to the old axle portions.

The first method works best when the break is close to a spring mount.  Otherwise the second method is easier.

[YellowHammer]

Yes, I have welded more than one back up, the key is to use two pieces of heavy angle iron, typically 2" depending on the axle tube diameter.  Weld up the existing crack in the axle tube, making sure everything is back aligned, then "splint" it top and bottom with the heavy wall angle, so that it can be welded along its length along the axle tube.  Two pieces, full bead, will be stronger than the original round tube.   

It's important to get the camber right, if it has any, and to get the hubs aligned using straight edges on the hubs or brake rotors.  Worst case, forget the camber and just weld everything back to straight.     

[SawyerTed]

A weld repair would be temporary in my mind.  A load of cows sitting on the side of the road with a broken axle is a nightmare I'd want to avoid.  

A replacement axle would be in the not too far off future.  

[LeeB]

The neighbor who borrowed the trailer actually uses it more than I do and he feels he has put plenty of wear on it he is going to replace both axles. The broken one is really in pretty bad shape. Lots of pitting and looks sure to fail again. The back one maybe not so bad.

[Larry]

About 50 years ago I needed a new trailer axle for a heavy boat trailer. A guy gave me a one trip trailer house axle so I thought why not. It was too wide for my trailer and I didn't have the knowledge of how to shorten it. I lived in a small town at the time with a local welding shop with a good reputation. They said no problem and cut out a foot or so and re-welded. They said the camber and alignment was pretty important for ride and good tire wear. I put lots of miles on that trailer without drama.

I would have no problem doing it myself now after watching the shop modify that axle years ago.

[doc henderson]

That is great and what decent folks do.  or you could have a triaxle!  

[moodnacreek]

Put the break back where it belongs. Clean up with grinder and vee out crack. Weld and grind down flat.  Get an oversize piece of # 80 pipe or better and split in half long ways. Have one piece longer than the other. Weld one half on over welded spot, weld the sides not the ends and the same with the other piece. If done right it will last. [welding the ends would cause a hard shoulder that would crack and using 2 different lengths staggers the repair to eliminate another 'shoulder' that could start a new crack]