# Great trailer axle cheap



## coffeecreek (Mar 25, 2013)

Just wanted to share what I've used that worked great and didn't cost an arm and leg.
Bought early nineties model rear axles, five lug pattern, for Dodge Caravan from salvage yards. These have round tubes for the axle, I cut the tube and inserted pipe, two inch i think, to make them as long or short as i wanted. #5000 trailer springs fit perfect and I also used the brakes system to install a surge brake for the trailer. Parts are easy to get from any auto parts house. I have a #3500 welding machine mounted on a tandem axle trailer I built out of these and have pulled it from Alabama to Washington state and back plus many other long trips and never had any issues. The three best things about them is they're cheap, easy to install brakes and with a litte welding you can make them any lenght you want. It took me four or five hours to cut and weld and install all new bearings/races and new brake shoes. 
Hope this can help anyone needing to build a custom trailer for their smoker. I'll attach pohtos as soon as I learn how from this IPAD.


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## 05sprcrw (Mar 26, 2013)

That is a pretty slick idea, I just built some axles for my cooker trailer and  I will say buying all new materials did not make for a  cheap set of 3,500lb axles.


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## rasimmo (Mar 27, 2013)

Those axles are great to work with. We have used several of them to build horse drawn wagons. With a manual master cylinder you can have brakes at all four wheels on them.


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