For a few years in the early '70’s, legislation favoured tandem axle trailers with a very wide axle spread for maximum weight general haulage. Could anyone post any clear photos or diagrams showing the suspension set-up of this type of trailer for a modelling project I want to do?
fodenway:
For a few years in the early '70’s, legislation favoured tandem axle trailers with a very wide axle spread for maximum weight general haulage. Could anyone post any clear photos or diagrams showing the suspension set-up of this type of trailer for a modelling project I want to do?
Be very careful typing spread axle into Google 
But if you have a look through the bubblemans thread. I am sure you will find some pictures there. I haven’t time today as there are 60 plus pages and I get sidetracked 
Here are some pics but not much detail I am afraid
Regards Pat
Thanks for trying lads, unfortunately I can’t see much to help in those shots. It’s details of the layout of the suspension, torque arms, balance beams and springs I’m after. I’d still appreciate your help…
hi fodenway
I will do u a drawing and post it so u have the correct layout
Roger Haywood
sinbin31:
hi fodenwayI will do u a drawing and post it so u have the correct layout
Roger Haywood
Thanks Roger, much appreciated!
I think this one gives about the best idea of the springhanger and leaves
Hi Again Fodenway
It would be much better for you if you contact York Trailers they have a very good set up on there web site and im sure if you contact them they will be most helpful they always were to me back in the 70s and 80s . go to http:// www.yorktransport.com/pdt_mech.htm. good luck.
Roger Haywood
Hiya Fodenway. Hope this i’ve found in my collection of brochures may be of use.
Its from York Trailers, and is for the Freightmaster model of frameless box-trailer.
Thanks, Roger, for the link to York Trailers (now in India, under the Tata banner - what a shame!). I’ve contacted them in the hope of a reply.
And thanks to GB1 for the cracking pics of the York suspension - quite different to the Crane Fruehauf and Boden set-ups, which don’t seem to have any obvious balance beams, but I suppose they must have had some kind of compensation arrangement between the axles to even out the loading stresses. Seems like I’ve opened up a can of worms here!
fodenway:
Thanks, Roger, for the link to York Trailers (now in India, under the Tata banner - what a shame!). I’ve contacted them in the hope of a reply.
And thanks to GB1 for the cracking pics of the York suspension - quite different to the Crane Fruehauf and Boden set-ups, which don’t seem to have any obvious balance beams, but I suppose they must have had some kind of compensation arrangement between the axles to even out the loading stresses. Seems like I’ve opened up a can of worms here!
I can’t help with any technical drawings but have you tried contacting Crane Fruehauf or their sucessors . We ran a number of C/F widespreads in the mid 70s/early 80s and they were far superior to any other suspension on the market maybe you could try that avenue for what its worth — sorry I can be no more help best of luck Bewick.
The spread axle set up is just the same as the ‘normal’ Tandem except the suspension has been divided down the middle and has a link bar attached to the bottom of each inner hanger bracket. If you are scratch building the suspension just make up two sets of single axle set ups and join with the link. If you are using a kit tandem running gear just cut one side off at the center hanger and make up two new hangers in a mirror image then fit to the cut off side and again once fitted to the chassis at the required distance add the link bar each side. That’s all the real manufacturers done, the York set up above is a little more complex but CF kept it as simple as I’ve explained. Franky.
Frankydobo:
The spread axle set up is just the same as the ‘normal’ Tandem except the suspension has been divided down the middle and has a link bar attached to the bottom of each inner hanger bracket. If you are scratch building the suspension just make up two sets of single axle set ups and join with the link. If you are using a kit tandem running gear just cut one side off at the center hanger and make up two new hangers in a mirror image then fit to the cut off side and again once fitted to the chassis at the required distance add the link bar each side. That’s all the real manufacturers done, the York set up above is a little more complex but CF kept it as simple as I’ve explained. Franky.
-Thanks Franky, you’ve described it exactly as I’d figured it would be. It seems that keeping it simple, without the rocking balance beams of the York system, worked perfectly well for Crane Fruehauf. Having spent a few years as a fitter in the nineties, I can certainly vouch for their system on regular tandem bogies - dead easy to work on.