How difficult and how much to convert artic trailers from air bag to steel?

[Flat 10]

I believe you can buy such things, but as above really is it just better to wait 5years until I have a tractor with air brakes?

 

[mo!]

Very easy. You buy the springs that are sat in my workshop and slip them in where the airbags are. I was going to do the same, then bought a tractor with air.

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

Very easy. You buy the springs that are sat in my workshop and slip them in where the airbags are. I was going to do the same, then bought a tractor with air.

Hhmmmm how much would said springs be? Enough for 3 axels?

 

[mo!]

Only enough for two. I got them from Totrax.

 

[Surgery]

Would not bother , just make it ridged

 

[Cowcalf]

Would not bother , just make it ridged

then it is a low speed trailer and causes more damage to your farm tracks

 

[Flat 10]

Very easy. You buy the springs that are sat in my workshop and slip them in where the airbags are. I was going to do the same, then bought a tractor with air.

So lift up with teleporter, undo bags and pop springs in? Roughly how much are springs then?

 

[Mursal]

"Pop the springs in where the air bags were"?
Will it be that easy ................
And you cant get a bit of air just to keep the bags up?
If you have no leaks, it shouldn't take much to keep it up, and air will be better on the road. But then, if you need a refit to get the air working, springs might be best?
Did you try it onto a compressor?

 

[roscoe erf]

"Pop the springs in where the air bags were"?
Will it be that easy ................
And you cant get a bit of air just to keep the bags up?
If you have no leaks, it shouldn't take much to keep it up, and air will be better on the road. But then, if you need a refit to get the air working, springs might be best?
Did you try it onto a compressor?

No it won't be that easy you need spring hangers wielded to the trailer u bolts etc nothing is ever easy

 

[Barleycorn]

We're just doing the same thing on a 40' trailer. We scrap the rear axle, as it makes the trailer far more manoeuvreable. We got springs from tortrax, I think they were £125 each. Simple to weld in once you've got the air bags off. Tortrax are getting low on stock, and are not sure if they are going to get any more made as they have been bought out by a tyre firm and are dropping the suspension side.
Looking at how complicated the air system is I would think that after a few years of occasional use on a farm it would cause problems. I am much happier on steel.

 

[Mursal]

Single leaf spring?
@Barleycorn

 

[bobk]

There's a round spring assembly that fits in place of the airbag I think @Hilly knows about them.

 

[Hilly]

There's a round spring assembly that fits in place of the airbag I think @Hilly knows about them.

I don't I think speedstar dose tho, I'd leave air and use a compressor of some sort springs are the work of the devil.

 

[Barleycorn]

Single leaf spring?
@Barleycorn

No it's a coil spring that fits where the air bag was.

 

[Mursal]

Ah that's a good idea, never thought of that.
I was away wrong thinking of the old leaf springs that the air bag replaced on the commercial axles.

Thanks .........

 

[Barleycorn]

Here it is.

 

[Mursal]

Very tidy ...................

 

[Hilly]

Here it is.

View attachment 200986

Dose it lean much with a big load on ? are they fairly strong ?

 

[Barleycorn]

Dose it lean much with a big load on ? are they fairly strong ?

Not tried it yet still converting the trailer, but the chap from Tortrax says that they have had no complaints. He said that they have had one broken, but that was when the farmer drove into a ditch.
Each axle is rated at 10 tons, so with 3 axles remaining, including the dolly, we should have plenty of capacity for straw.

 

[Hilly]

Not tried it yet still converting the trailer, but the chap from Tortrax says that they have had no complaints. He said that they have had one broken, but that was when the farmer drove into a ditch.
Each axle is rated at 10 tons, so with 3 axles remaining, including the dolly, we should have plenty of capacity for straw.

Can you get higher rating springs ?