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Trike, Paul, Everybody:
The Henschen Dura-Whatever Axle cost
breakdown:
Bare Axle (3500lb rating)______ $
203.13
Shock Absorber Kit__________
50.00
Brakes (mounted)____________
116.50
Freight (Jackson Ctr-Reno)_____
109.40
Grand TOTAL________________
479.03
You can specify ANYthing. Wheel mount pattern, Axle
length, whatever. Heavier-rated axles are incrementally more expensive, but only
like $25.00/thousand pounds or something like that. The trailer will ride a
couple of inches lower than it would with the leaf-spring arrangement, but not
so's to cause any serious clearance problems.
Here's the contact at Henschen:
Jason Wright (937)-596-5138 or (937)-596-6125-X119 hensales@bright.net Note that QDS Henschen is in Jackson Center, OH.
They make ALL the axles for ALL the Airstreams, and have done so for
decades.
When I gave Jason the model/year and dimensions of
the trailer, he didn't just take my word for it; he called over to the Airstream
plant and spoke to someone who knew what i needed.
It helped, though, for them to know that i'm
building a new 'truck', frame, and floor system for this trailer, so i've got
some 'wiggle room'. ALSO - unlike leaf-spring suspensions, the axle does NOT
need to be 'bent' for the camber - that's done at the torsion arms. Believe me,
these folks know what they're doing.
I placed the order over the phone - a weekend
intervened, fortunately, because i changed the wheel bolt-pattern specs twice
between Thursday and Monday. About three weeks later, I got a call from Yellow
Freight asking me where I wanted it delivered.
A brand-new axle, brakes, suspension - shipped -
for under $500.00. A no-brainer, in my book.
Remember, this wasn't MY idea - VAC founder Bud
Cooper did this with his '48 Clipper (and graciously spared an hour or so at
last year's International to show me his trailer, his notes, drawings, and
photos of his shell-off, ground up restoration). Bill Scott needled me about
doing this, too. If you're going to do the job, do it right - and as Wally was
wont to say, "Never Leave Well-Enough Alone..."
Tuna
'48 Trailwind '49 FrankenJeepster '62 Kaiser-Willys 'Forward-Control' 170 WBCCI#8862/VAC Reno, NV |