How Does a Rubber Torsion Axle Work?
Rubber torsion axles are an evolution of the metal-spring torsion axle, which has been around for some time. These axles can offer a significant improvement in ride quality versus a traditional leaf spring. We will understand how it works by understanding the structure and advantages of the following rubber torsion axle.
Basic structure
Rubber torsion axles start out as square-stock tubes, just like any other axles, but that's where the similarity ends. On a normal axle, the wheel would just slide onto a spindle and a bearing on the end of the tube -- with this configuration, the wheel slides onto a stubby spindle protruding from one end of a lever arm, aka the torsion arm; the other end of this short arm rides on a bearing of its own on the end of the axle tube. This allows the lever arm -- and subsequently, the wheel -- to rotate around the tube. This basic setup is also known as a trailing-arm suspension, and you can find variations of it under many cars today.
The structure of the torsion spring
There are three basic kinds of springs: a leaf spring, which resists movement by bending in half; a torsion spring, which resists movement by twisting; and a coil spring, which does it by both bending and twisting.
A bar-like torsion spring runs from one torsion arm through the axle tube, then connects to the other torsion arm and flat-spots on the center of the spring to keep it from rotating in the housing. This allows the wheels on opposite sides of the trailer to move independently, just like the independent suspension on a car. While using a polymer rubber spring instead of metal might seem a bit strange, this configuration has been used for motorcycle sidecars and light industrial applications for decades.
Advantages
A trailing arm suspension will almost invariably give a softer and higher-quality ride than any solid axle, owing primarily to the fact that movement at one wheel doesn't have to affect the other. This is an important consideration if you do a lot of towing over dirt and grass and in inclement conditions since the independent suspension will keep your trailer stable and planted on the road.
Some configurations using pinch bolts can allow you to rotate the torsion arm relative to the spring, allowing for an adjustment in ride height. These axles require minimal maintenance, come in capacities upward of 10,000 pounds, and the rubber springs should give you just as many road miles as a metal torsion bar.
The rubber torsion axle suspension made by HAWAY has a strong load-bearing capacity and stable structure, and we can also provide various types and specifications of simple mounting brackets.
As a professional manufacturer of trailer parts, we always insist on providing customers with high-quality and safe products. We have an experienced manufacturing team and strict quality management system, which can carry out all-round quality control of our products. At the same time, we can also provide thoughtful one-stop service according to the diverse needs of customers. If you want to buy our torsion axle, please contact us immediately!
