Walking Beam Suspension Plans – 8K w/ Torsion Axles

Walking Beam Suspension Plans – 8K w/ Torsion Axles

Put a walking beam style tandem axle suspension under your 5000 – 8000 lbs capacity trailer. Plans are engineered for the benefits of torsion rubber axles in a load sharing combination for a better ride.

Free Digital Delivery — Right Now*

$ 19.99 - Complete Plans

* Plans are in a computer document. You may Save them to your computer immediately after Payment.

Description

Description

Suspension upgrade!  Switch to a walking beam style with these suspension plans and improve your trailer ride and load management.  These plans are an innovative variation of the walking beam going one step further by combining torsion axles for even better ride quality.

The Walking Beam suspension has been around for a long time and it’s somewhat common on are on big trucks, huge trailers and industrial machinery.  Now you can put it on your trailer and reap the benefits.  Suspension plans are available in 2 sizes for smaller trailers — these, rated at 5000 to 8000 pounds capacity, and our smaller version rated at 2000 to 4000 pounds capacity.

Suspension Plans Engineered For Smaller Trailers:

Bringing the benefits of the walking beam suspension to smaller trailers is one goal of this design.  Though an 8000# trailer may not seem smaller, compared to 60K or 100K, something to pull with a car is “smaller”.  The other goal is fitting torsion axles in a true load sharing condition so they function in tandem.

The walking beam is complex in some ways, but we simplified it for these DIY suspension plans.  Read about the design.  Then, for the engineering details, please read the Case Study for the Twin Torsion Engineering by the Engineer.   Finally, to see the walking beam suspension in action, check out this post and video.  With lots of miles since then, the benefits are definitely worth it.

Feel free to add this suspension to any of our 6000# or 7000# utility trailers instead of the axle specified.  For instance, the 6’x12′ Utility Trailer.

Add To Cart

Specifications

Specifications

Walking Beam Suspension Plans – 8K w/ Torsion Axles

Close Up Front View Of The Suspension

  • This design is NOT a trailer, just the suspension system for a trailer.
  • Walking beam suspension has a pair of matching torsion axles giving a total capacity range from 5000 lbs up to 8000 lbs.  Build it to meet your needs.  Options are in the suspension plans.
  • The design adapts to trailers of most any width.  It’s as simple as making the right offset.  Formula is in the plans.
  • Height option has 2 mounting locations to adjust for trailer size, travel, and ground clearance.
  • 5″ axle step height differential — not including torsion arm suspension motion.  It’s like 5″ suspension travel, but really it’s 2.5″ up in front and 2.5″ down in back (or vise versa).  For a speed bump or pothole, it means the trailer only moves half as much as the bump is high.  And really less than that with torsion axle compression action involved in the dynamics.
  • The lower mounting hole in suspension plans increases the axle step height differential to 6+ inches.
  • Some pieces are best to cut out via laser or waterjet.  CAD files for those parts are in the plans download.  Just send them to your vendor.
  • Suspension plans allow torsion axles with various arm start angle options to give more ground clearance or lower trailer deck height.
  • Plans include complete drawings and instructions as well as CAD files for the special parts.  Download the whole package in a single .ZIP file.

Add To Cart

More About The Design Features

More About The Design Features

Benefits Of Adding Torsion Axles

The walking beam suspension has a lot of road smoothing benefits all by itself.  Normally they appear with springs, but for this application, we are going one step further — combining it with the softer ride benefits of torsion axles.

Torsion axles have a good ride, but they don’t load share in tandem very well in normal applications.  The walking beam, other the other hand, by definition is a load sharing platform, so this new suspension design combines the benefits of torsion axles with the walking beam.  This suspension is the result, and now you can build one with these plans.

Suspension Plans Side ViewThe suspension plans are Engineered by Synthesis and beefed up to not only handle the loads, but also to distribute the load appropriately to the trailer frame.  The last thing you want is to change your suspension and end up with a frame problem.  This mounting beam covers that, and this suspension will definitely smooth out the ride.   Build yours and change the way your trailer tows.

Construction Requires Metal Cutting, Drilling, Welding, Precision Setup and Some Outsourced CNC Cut Parts.

Videos to assist with the setup and alignment are here to watch as well.

Add To Cart

Maximize Your Project

Plans from Mechanical Elements are an awesome start to a great project.  Here are even more resources!

Reminder:

Maximize Your Project

Reviews (0)

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Walking Beam Suspension Plans – 8K w/ Torsion Axles”

Good planning is the beginning of a successful project.
Great Plans Are Available Here!

We Found These For You . . .

Article
Winner of the Visa Gift Card
We have a winner of the $100 Visa Gift Card!  We sent out the Photo request, and you responded.  Now the drawing, and the winner.

Read The Article

Article
Your DIY Project Story
What is your DIY project story? We’re interested in your DIY project.  If you purchased plans at MechanicalElements.com, then we would love to see what you built.

Read The Article

Article
Trailer Hitch and Drawbar Classes
As a convenient way to help with safety, trailer hitches, balls, and receivers have categories or load rating groups called classes.  Each trailer hitch class has ratings for how much it will carry.  A look at the ratings for each…

Read The Article

Article
Looking At Car Hauler Trailers
Where do you get plans for true, tough, Car Hauler trailers.  After a ton of market and product study, we are stepping in and stepping up.  Our niche is engineering better plans for DIY, so read on to learn about…

Read The Article

Article
NATM Trailer Safety Answers
I really thought I was done with posts about safety chains.  We have several of them on the site, but I found a video that begs for comment.  I really like the video and subject matter – from the Compliance…

Read The Article

Article
Review of the Folding Trailer Tongue
On a recent trailer, I experimented with a new folding tongue design.  Now it’s time to review — What do I like?  What would I do different if building another?

Read The Article

Article
Trailer Deck Material
“I’m building a new trailer and I’m wondering about what deck material to use?  So many choices, all with various advantages and disadvantages.  I probably don’t even know all the available choices.  How do I decide?”

Read The Article

Product
Hoist Winch Pole Plans

Meet the "Winching Pole".  It’s a simple, mechanical, Out-of-the-Way Hoist Winch to make lifting with a gantry crane easy.  No chains in the way.  No climbing up for a come-a-long.  Plans also include a simple load leveler.

Product
6 ft x 14 ft Trailer Plans

Get your 6x16 Utility Trailer Plans here, then build your own 7000 lb. capacity tandem axle workhorse.  These plans include all the details and instructions.  Build it, and make it better than you can buy it.

Article
A Scary Trailer Along The Road
When things get weird, we all want to see them. While it's fun to laugh (or be shocked) by yourself, it's even more fun to share with friends. If you see rattle-trap trailers on the road, snap a shot or…

Read The Article