I have aproblem, well, I call it as one.
I noticed the suspension on our van is not releasing fully.
It is working maybe half way up and down, but the van is sitting very low comparing others.
Which is not a problem, as we just been away and travel 90 miles there and back without any problems at all.
Thing is, I would like it working as it should.
As I fixed everything else, I thought I'll may give it a go.
I know on seized torsion bars or suspensions there is always a way to free them up, and make it working again, without spending money to a manufacturer and make his day.
I may get my head around thinking hard enough, but time is the matter.
Can anyone help me out on this and would know what to do do free it up so I can start squeezing a lot grease in it to get It up to specs again?
Or should I just leave it as the van I running niceley without wobble behind the truck, by 50/55 mph.?
My experience of trailer axles is that there's no bringing them back if running low. It's down to the rubbers being compressed and they are not user serviceable.
I wouldn't worry too much. My Abbey ran fairly low but didn't case any issues.
Don't know much about caravans, but if there is rubber support inside the axle where the torsion bar sits, you right, it's not to repair.
Guess whatever I try to get it back up will fail unless spending too much out for it.
The last owner had it on the drive and didn't use it for a very long time.
Leaving it on the wheels. Yuk.
People with no knowledge. Ha ha
It don't cause any issues, and I think how it is it's running so niceley,
So I give you right and just leave it.
The tyres don't catch the wheel arche at all, even loaded, so I put it down as low rider. Lol
Is like this when we bought it.
Not sure why, but tyres needed replacing and other bits and things what needed doing to it pointing the direction off standing a very long time on the same spot.
Well, I can cope with it.
Just thought may get working as it should.
Ive seen a website somewhere where they replaced a caravan axle with an off the shelf item. A beam axle which worked out a lot cheaper than the replacement.
I cannot remember what was involved but i doubt its a simple bolt on job.
How do you support a caravan to remove the axle? As thats probably 99% of its strength and support?
The support is my last problem.
Working for a company where stuff for this is available I can get hydraulic lifters up to 50 tonne each.
So instead using the stand legs I could use them und the frame.
Only problem is they lift it only 50 cm of the ground.
It's just getting a new axle is a lot more as I wanted to spend.lol
I've replaced the axles many times on boat trailers and they are just the same. There's just 4 bolts holding them on. Much easier to replace an entire axle than to mess around with rusty brakes and bearings.
Given that my caravan isn't dipped into the sea several times per week I'd probably wouldn't bother with replacing the axle and just repair as required. That's just in regards to brakes/bearings.
Last axle I replaced was a 1500kg unit and was £350.
There are no torsion bars.
The axle beam is roughly triangular shape, inside this at each end is a smaller triangular section with the suspension arms and hubs attached. The inner section is arranged with the angles of the triangle aligned with the flat sides of the outer triangle resulting in triangular(ish) spaces between them. lengths of rubber bar are pressed into these spaces. when the suspension is compressed the spaces get smaller and the rubber is compressed into them. Eventually the rubber gets permanently deformed. Al-Ko could pull the axle apart and replace the rubber
I doubt any van since the early 70's has torsion bar suspension, my old Dad's 74 Avondale had torsion spring but even that is not torsion 'bar'
So after around 1982, near if not everything runs on rubber and although this is another form of torsion suspension, there is nothing that can be done to DIY 'repair' it
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Topic: Suspension, torsion bar
