Old School Open Race Trailer

[iagsxr]

I've had this rolling around in my head for a while. Was having a hard time visualizing all of it then the other day accidentally ran over a roll of painter's tape with my forklift so it wasn't good for anything else.



It's 6' × 12'. The width is pretty much set in stone as I ordered a 70" spring center axle today. Right now the tool box is 36", runners 9'. Those dimensions are subject to change. The double lines are 2" × 2" × .095. The wheel runners will be .095" diamond plate with a break on the inside edge down 2".





The ruler is axle location at 60%. I may scoot it forward as the toolbox will about double the weight of the trailer. You can see from the last photo 9' runners will be tight. The box may lose 6", runners gain it.



The generator will go on the tongue. That makes a jack a little bit of a cluster. Kicking around a new Honda generator just because of their smaller overall size.

My goal is under 2500lbs car/trailer/tools/spares. The car weighs 770-ish without me in it. 470 on the rear wheels. Rough estimate the trailer will be less than 800.

 

[firworks]

That is an awesome way to prototype! Great idea.

 

[iagsxr]

Scaled down version of this when it's done

 

[bullnerd]

I agree, cool layout method.

Nice racecar also.

I helped a friend for many years with his micro sprint racing. From 250s up to 600s.

 

[kbs2244]

Mini Mod?

 

[theoldwizard1]

Mini Mod?

Not like any I have seen ! Mini Mod are open wheel, but have a body (of sorts) and engines are mounted north-south not east-west. (Crewed for a guy tears ago.)



I have to see the other side ! Is it a chain drive or is the 90° drive ?

Legends and Dwarf cars do not allow chains and mount their engines north-south.

 

[bullnerd]

Its a micro sprint 600.

Chain drive.

Setup exactly like a full size sprint.

They haul!

We ran a Stallard chassis and a Honda engine.

 

[iagsxr]

Its a micro sprint 600.

Chain drive.

Setup exactly like a full size sprint.

They haul!

We ran a Stallard chassis and a Honda engine.

Actually it's a D2 Midget. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference from the pictures.

1000cc. Mine has an 07-08 Yamaha R1 motor on alcohol. 950 lbs w/driver. Chain-drive. Non-winged.

The track I run the most is a flat 1/3 mile. We run it just shy of an 80mph average. I'm not a scientist but I'm guessing that's low to mid 90s at the ends of the straights.

 

[bullnerd]

That's cool, I almost said midget, the engines farther forward than a sprint. The sprints are right along side the driver, really offset.

Very cool car. The micro 600s can lift the front end down the straights!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Is the axle you ordered a 3500 lb axle ? It looks like adding another 2' to the trailer would help alot with the layout.

 

[95vette]

Hello, My neighbor used to run late model dirt and asphalt, he had a trailer just like the large one you pictured, great trailer, we pulled that trailer everywhere worked great. Jim

 

[theoldwizard1]

1000cc. Mine has an 07-08 Yamaha R1 motor on alcohol. 950 lbs w/driver. Chain-drive. Non-winged.

I still would like to see that ! Is there an idler ?

The track I run the most is a flat 1/3 mile. We run it just shy of an 80mph average. I'm not a scientist but I'm guessing that's low to mid 90s at the ends of the straights.

Depends on how tight the turns are. Could be closer to 100.

 

[kerrynzl]

I still would like to see that ! Is there an idler ?

Dirt cars usually have a "reasonably" loose chain and a floating spring loaded twin idler tensioner.
This keeps tension on during power and overrun.
The rear sprocket has an aluminium disc on each side to prevent the chain jumping
They can get quite a lot of misallignment [bodyroll]and the chain won't jump

click here for a pic of the tensioner
http://www.southwestspeed.com/parts/XXX_600DL0002Diagram.jpg

I use a dirt car tensioner on Motorcycle engined formula cars and never had a failure

Back on subject
The OP [being a dirt racer] knows more about weight or cornerweights of their car than us internet commandos.
Chalking up a layout on the ground and parking the car over it....is brilliant

Well done

 

[gearhead1]

Scaled down version of this when it's done

Is this yours? I want to build something just like this. It seems everyone has gone to enclosed trailers, but I do demolition derbies and need an open back so I can get a destroyed car on with a forklift. I'd love to get some dimensions.

 

[iagsxr]

Is the axle you ordered a 3500 lb axle ? It looks like adding another 2' to the trailer would help alot with the layout.

3500lb, 4" drop, leaf sprung. Originally I'd planned to use a torsion axle but between the cost and lead time I decided leafs are just going to have to work. It's planned with 205/75r15 Load Range D tires. We'll be well under capacity of the running gear.

I'm kind of stuck on a 6' × 12' footprint. It makes efficient use of 24' sticks of tubing for building and will fit in my shop nice. But yeah, it might get a little longer before it's done.

Well done

Thank you. I've studied the pictures of the trailers you've built for ideas.

 

[iagsxr]

Is this yours? I want to build something just like this. It seems everyone has gone to enclosed trailers, but I do demolition derbies and need an open back so I can get a destroyed car on with a forklift. I'd love to get some dimensions.

Not mine, just a picture I found for reference.

 

[kerrynzl]

3500lb, 4" drop, leaf sprung. Originally I'd planned to use a torsion axle but between the cost and lead time I decided leafs are just going to have to work.

.

With Leaf springs on a single axle trailer, try and lower the front spring eye and raise the rear spring eye [this is easier to do with drop axles]

You want the axle to Arc slightly forward during conpression, causing "roll understeer"

Roll oversteer [where the axle to Arcs rearward during conpression] is one of the biggest causes of swaying.

Torsion axles don't roll steer at all

 

[iagsxr]

My axle from Ebay



I sprung an extra five bucks for greasable pivot bolts.

 

[iagsxr]

Wheels came from Amazon just because I had some gift cards to use up. The tires from one of my vendors. They balanced up really nice. One didn't need any weight at all.

 

[iagsxr]

I'm going to make the wheel runners slightly wider than what I have taped on the floor



The right side wheels are out as far as they'll ever be. They could be moved in several inches.

 

[iagsxr]

I'm pretty much stuck on a 6' × 12' footprint just because it's such such an efficient use of tubing. The car was going to be tight to the back of the toolbox and the car I have now is a little shorter wheelbase than some so I'm going to shrink the box 6".



I screwed together some used 2" × 4"s to get a feel for the proportions on a 30" × 36" box.



I plan to order steel next week and weld together the main frame over Thanksgiving weekend

 

[NUTTSGT]

What do you plan on building the tool box out of ? Tube steel and covering it with some .040 metal...trailer skinmetal ?

 

[iagsxr]

What do you plan on building the tool box out of ? Tube steel and covering it with some .040 metal...trailer skinmetal ?

It'll be framed in 2" × 2" just like the trailer frame. The floor, front and back will be 18ga or thereabouts. The top will be .095 diamond plate. It has to be able to support the tire rack and three adults standing on it. Even if I skinned it with .040 someone would climb on top of it while I'm on the track, just as well plan on it being used as an observation deck.

 

[AMCguy]

This is going to be fun to watch. I'm in.

 

[kerrynzl]

It'll be framed in 2" × 2" just like the trailer frame. The floor, front and back will be 18ga or thereabouts. The top will be .095 diamond plate. It has to be able to support the tire rack and three adults standing on it. Even if I skinned it with .040 someone would climb on top of it while I'm on the track, just as well plan on it being used as an observation deck.

Build it from 2" Angle then glue pre-finished laminated signboard to it. [**** the corners together]
Then cap all the corners with 1" Aluminium angle.

It would be stonechip proof and you can stand on it

I built a complete enclosed using this method.

For the deck, buy 1 8'x4' sheet of aluminium tread plate [approx 0.150 to 0.200 thick]
Get the Aluminium guilotined into 21" strips for nice wide runners.
Get the 6" strip of offcut cut into 4 pieces 21"x 6"

Use these pieces at each end of the runners to get the 9' length you require.



1 sheet of Aluminium and some Signboard, plus those wheels you already have and your trailer will be a class act just like your race car

 

[iagsxr]

I didn't work on this at all over Thanksgiving, forgot my best friend from high school was coming back. We hung out all weekend.

This morning I got up early and started laying out the frame table. I used to own this jig. Sold it when we closed our shop five years ago with the agreement that if I ever needed it I could get it back. Luckily the present owner remembered that part of the deal.



The I-beams aren't perfect. They were used when it was built and have had a lot of things welded down and cut loose since. The way I want to build the toolbox it's imperative the front part of the trailer's nuts on. I spent t a lot of time getting the front two channels perfect.





Ok, everyone gets the channels are just to jig to right? They're not part of the trailer. I cut a 24' piece into four sections. The front two and the second one from the back in the first picture are welded down. The one at the very end of the trailer is a floater I'll use to locate less critical cross members.

Was going to hit it hard tomorrow and this weekend but I found out this afternoon a customer project I thought I had two weeks to do needs done by Monday.

 

[Aroberson77]

Cool project, I am planning on building a trailer for my car one day. Planning on using a 3500 lb axle with torsion springs

 

[iagsxr]

Had just a little bit to work on this tonight.

Honk if you know why I poked holes in the side rails where the cross members **** in.



Laid out the three critical cross members. The whole assembly's less than an 1/8" out of square. That's as close as I'm going to get it by myself. Need to get some help to run one end of the tape and X it.

 

[jimgood]

Looking good!

Honk if you know why I poked holes in the side rails where the cross members **** in.

To let hot air escape while you're welding maybe?

 

[iagsxr]

Looking good!


To let hot air escape while you're welding maybe?

Thanks!

Yep, I'm a little embarrassed how old I was before I knew to do that so now I feel like I just discovered North America every time I do.

 

[bullnerd]

Is that a Rockwell 10" in the back?

Nice shop.

 

[iagsxr]

Is that a Rockwell 10" in the back?

Nice shop.

Yes, got it from a school auction for $125. Super nice lathe except they flipped it moving it. I had to have a new cross slide shaft, some handles, don't even remember what else made. One of my projects for this winter is to get it operational.

Thanks. It's the building my business is in. Couldn't have it otherwise.

Buddy came out and helped me X my trailer. We had it tacked within a 32nd of square. I welded off all the cross members. Floated around, tried to control the heat. Just pulling a tape on it by myself, it stayed within a 16th. Out of material for tonight.

There's something about this tongue that I don't like, not sure what. If anyone would like to chime in with a better idea I'm all ears. One thing that I do like is that it supports the floor of the toolbox.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Looks good so far. I'm not a huge fan of single axle trailers,but I tend to overload stuff to say the least.
What kind of motor are you running in that car?
I helped build a couple dwarf cars back in the early 90s.

 

[bullnerd]

"Yes, got it from a school auction for $125."

Oh, I forgot to mention....you ****!!

That **** that they flipped it! Top heavy if your not ready for it!

Good luck setting it up. I learned on a Rockwell 11" . Love that little thing. Big lathe features in a small foot print.

 

[stage20]

for what you are doing be glad you went leaf spring. if you have any issues with the single axle it can be repaired on the side of the road. if you break a spring, it can also be found at a trailer supply locally. torsion is hard to service when you are sittin on the side of the road.

excellent start. love to see more.

 

[iagsxr]

This has gotten pretty much pushed to the side. I did cut up the 2" x 2" for the toolbox frame and tongue the other day but that's it.

BUT I have a good excuse. Got the opportunity to run the Chili Bowl, gonna be in Tulsa the 8th-15th. Been completely preoccupied with that.

If you'd like to check out what that's all about: www.chilibowl.com

 

[txvwnut]

Good luck at the bowl. If midget racing had been more prevalent around me(actually if the SMRS would've let a veedub powered midget run) the bowl would've been on my track to race at list.

Get ready for an entire week of dirt racing.

 

[brownbagg]

ok so explain the hot air escape thing.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

While welding, the heat causes the air to expand. The hole is to let the expanded air out rather than blowing the liquid weld apart when finishing off the last side weld.

 

[kerrynzl]

While welding, the heat causes the air to expand. The hole is to let the expanded air out rather than blowing the liquid weld apart when finishing off the last side weld.

Especially critical when welding Galvanised tubing ,even if you grind off the galv where the weld will be.
The molten steel will still cause zinc oxide fumes from the galv on the inside of the tubing [that you cant grind off]