Announcement posted by Couplemate Trailer Parts 11 May 2022

Couplemate Trailer Parts manufactures caravan and trailer axles in our Brisbane-based workshop. We custom manufacture all axles to suit specific customer requirements.

There are three processes demonstrated in the video below:

The axle in the video above is a 3t Axle turned on our CNC lathe for an electric braked trailer. We also machine 3t unbraked setups used in agriculture.

When measuring axles, there are two critical measurements and should not be confused:

Any other measures bring inaccuracies due to the large variety of hubs, drums and disc rotors.

If you are having trouble or are concerned with taking the correct measurements for your axle, send us a photo of your setup, and we will help you through it. We also have a good video below which demonstrates how to measure tyre backspace.

Many industry professionals are convinced that the quality of imported steel is different from Australian steel.

Australian Steel is made to a standard, whereas the price of imported steel varies according to the price paid. Sure, we can get a lower price for the steel we pay and become more competitive. However, there is no guarantee of this steel’s quality which is not something Couplemate is willing to risk for axle builds.

It is standard practice for overseas steel manufacturers to add ship steel to virgin steel during axle production to cut the steel price.

We often get asked to cut an axle and make a shorter axle. You would think this request was reasonable. However, we have found that the end of the axle was different sizes when putting these axles into our CNC machine. Because reliable sizes are hard to maintain with this practice, we opt not to reduce the size of existing axles.

How undersized axles can cause fatigue in axles and suspension systems.

Question: How can I tell a good axle?

Answer: Run your thumbnail over the bearing profile on one end.

https://www.couplemate.com.au/vibration-fatigue-caravans-boat-trailers/

Answer: Run your thumbnail over the bearing profile on one end.

If the bearing profile feels lumpy, then the axle has something similar to a sine wave when viewed close up. This axle has lumps and troughs; your trailer bearings do not seat properly in the troughs.

Less than 25% of your bearing is sitting on your axle profile, where 75% of the inner bearing surface is not touching the axle. These axles have been machined too quickly with too much surface speed on the cutting tool. On many occasions, a finer finishing tool is not used.

A perfectly finished axle will feel relatively smooth under your thumbnail.

Good quality Japanese bearings play a vital role in trouble-free holidays.

Customers frequently come to us with bearing problems. On many occasions, these rough caravan axles destroy bearings.

Whatever decision you choose to go with, if you purchase your materials from a reputable business that offers a warranty and stands behind its products, you can’t go wrong.

Better still, purchase Couplemate axles as we stand by our product with a warranty.

Finally, if you found the above information informative, Buy Australian and please leave a review below. Thank you.