trailer axle placement

[jacksauto001]

Okay I am building an offroad trailer the frame will be five and a half foot long in 45 inches wide I will have a 12 inch box on the front for electrical and on top of that 19 gallon freshwater tank. With the total tongue langth I am expecting the trailer to be around 8.5 foot long.
The question I have is where should I axle placement be?
I will be towing the trailer with my 2004 Jeep Wrangler Sport.

 

[jeffjeeptj]

My recommendation is ball to rear is x, put axle at 60% back from ball. With front box on tongue, you may get too much tongue weight. Sway/fishtail is no fun, and is due to low tongue weight.
I have had to reload a single axle trailer more an once, due to too much weight, one way or another.

 

[Mark Harley]

http://www.ehow.com/way_5278394_trailer-axle-placement-tips.html

 

[jacksauto001]

Ok so I should mount it 60 40 and when I load the trailer and add the rest of the weight it should be more in the back so I don't have to much toungh weight?

 

[Heinz Modricky]

On a seven foot trailer, we mount the axle 4 inches to the rear and this excludes the drawbar, which by SA law has to have a minimum length of 3 ft 3.5 inches (1000mm). A 60/40 ratio from the tow ball to the rear of the trailer may be insufficient for a stable tow.

Rather mount the axle more to the rear because there is more remedy available to you than with a forward mounted axle. You can counterbalance the nose weight by packing your heavier goods (as close to) behind the axle as possible. Mounting a rear spare wheel also helps in this instance.

To offer a different perspective, think of a boat trailer with it wheels mounted very far back, heavy motors and light nose weight, and all boat trailers tow very well. Trailer design is about the entire rig and its weight distribution rather than just a standard calculation.

 

[onetraveller]

From Dexter Axle. See page 8.

http://l.b5z.net/i/u/6149609/f/Applications_Manual_Complete_Catalog.pdf

Mike