The MZSA trailers that came off the assembly line already have the required safety margin. With the right choice of model, you should not puzzle yourself with the strengthening of the trailer. However, there are situations when reinforcement is still necessary. A typical situation - a single-axle trailer was purchased with a maximum load capacity of 600 kg for domestic needs. Such a trailer is perfect for solving everyday tasks - it is compact, stable, and, plus everything, is inexpensive. But when circumstances changed, and the trailer became needed not only for performing everyday tasks, but also for transporting more oversized cargo, the question arises - to buy a new trailer with a higher carrying capacity or to strengthen the existing one?
Most will decide in favor of strengthening the trailer - this procedure will be much cheaper. So how to strengthen the MZSA trailer?
Note that in view of the coating of the body and frame of the MZSA trailers with a zinc layer of 60-80 microns, it will not be possible to carry out welding work on the main structures - upon contact with the electrode, zinc ignites. Reinforcement of the frame and trailer body by hot welding is not provided. To give these elements more rigidity and strength, the bolt method can be used. First of all, when strengthening the body structure, it is worth paying attention to the subframe - it is he who takes on the main load.
Increase in carrying capacity
Single-axle trailers MZSA are not designed for colossal loads. With intensive use, leaf springs lose their elasticity, as a result of which they can burst. When strengthening the MZSA trailer, the springs should be given special attention. How to strengthen the trailer leaf springs? By purchasing and merging identical springs into one working element. So, a four-leaf spring can easily turn into a five-leaf spring. And this is at least a double margin of safety.
The MZSA plant produces a wide range of light trailers, while pursuing one goal - everyone should be able to choose a trailer that would fully meet his requirements in terms of strength and carrying capacity. Therefore, the need to strengthen the structure is the result of the wrong choice of the model.
Models not requiring amplification
The models presented in the table were able to establish themselves from the most better side... Their performance characteristicswill certainly delight you.
| A photo | Model | dimensions | Purpose | Lifting capacity | Price |
 |
Many drivers who have to regularly transport with a towed vehicle heavy loads, especially in rural areas or during construction, are forced to decide how to strengthen the trailer to passenger car do it yourself. A lot of video materials have been posted on the network about how to replace springs on such equipment as MZSA trailers, change springs, install an additional beam and strengthen the frame.
If, when buying a towed vehicle, all the conditions for the future operation of the trailer were not taken into account, it can be improved. For example, there are trailer models that, with a fairly roomy body, have very modest carrying capacity. With a body length of more than two meters, such a platform can carry a maximum of 300 kilograms. Such weak technical capabilities cannot satisfy, for example, a farmer who needs to constantly transport feed, fertilizers, crops or building materials.
If there is a need to regularly transport goods on country roads, then a high ground clearance is required for both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle. In this case, it is better to install large diameter wheels on the trailer. The operation of the road train will become much more comfortable.
To strengthen the trailer, drivers often decide to replace the weaker beam with a stronger one. At the same time, it is not always possible to simply make holes with an electric drill into which bolts could be inserted and new discs attached. Due to the fact that the new pair of wheels does not fit, the beam has to be lengthened.
Experienced drivers who want to strengthen a light trailer are advised to purchase two hubs and axles, for example, from the eighth or ninth Zhiguli model, if, of course, they are in good condition... Mount the parts using bolts. This work will be facilitated by the fact that the bearings in this case will be tapered, which avoids problems with tightening and adjusting the equipment.
For the installation of a new beam, you can take a channel of eight centimeters in size. Marking with a corner or a triangle the right angles at the opposite ends of the beam, carefully cut off with a grinder, check whether it turned out 90 degrees on all edges of the cut part. If the cuts are not accurate enough, they should be sharpened.
In order not to overheat the bearings during welding, the channel should be removed from the hub axles. Mount the hub and channel by welding, observing the perpendicularity of the parts. This is necessary for correct position wheels, without unwanted toe or distortion. Welding must be done both outside and inside the structure, trying not to overheat the metal axle.
You can study the order of these works in detail by watching the video instructions on how to strengthen car trailer... There are also recommendations for changing springs, shock absorbers and working with other structural elements. light trailer.
For small trailers, as a rule, there are two types of suspension - spring and rubber-wired.
Despite the fact that from time immemorial all trailers in Russia were made spring-loaded, we have not observed any positive trends in this area. The matter has not gone further than using the suspension from Moskvich-412. Depending on the carrying capacity, only the number of sheets changes. Such a suspension is poorly adapted for trailers, since it is not designed for “empty” / “loaded” modes. Still, the car has a load constantly. And the trailer either has it (and almost complete), or it does not exist at all. And if a loaded trailer normally goes along the road, but empty, it jumps to the envy of frogs and rattles like an artillery cannonade. Therefore, imported spring packages are used on the correct trailers. They have only one sheet working without load, and the rest are connected only after filling the trailer. In addition, although it is believed that the springs are good at dampening vertical vibrations due to inter-sheet friction, in fact, shock absorbers must still be installed with them. Hence the rather high cost and relatively expensive maintenance.
Rubber-harness suspension and cheaper than a spring one, and practically does not require maintenance. You just need to follow wheel bearings and change the lubricant in them in time. The first maintenance is carried out after running-in (1000 km), the subsequent ones - once either a year or 10,000 km. The range of such suspensions is designed for different loads - from 500 kg to several tons, so that overpayment for "underloading" does not threaten customers. Externally, the rubber-braided suspension is a complex section pipe, from which two curved levers stick out. In fact, this is a complex construction. Inside the outer tube, there are two “thinner” tube segments that act as “fingers” for pendulum levers with wheel hubs. Full rotation of the inner pipes relative to the outer one excludes rubber bands located between their walls. At the same time, the "rubber bands" allow the fingers of the levers to rotate slightly inside the pipe, damping on irregularities. The smooth running of a trailer with such a suspension is influenced by ... the profile of the pipe. If it is square, then there are four harnesses inside, and the suspension is stiff, although energy-intensive. The design with a hexagonal pipe and three bundles is practically equal to it in the ability to withstand the blows of fate, but it works noticeably softer. The rubber-harness suspension has its drawbacks. So, it is repaired only at trailer manufacturing plants. A ready-made rubber-harness "bridge" can be bought only from regional dealers. So don't get carried away fast driving... Indeed, if the speed is exceeded, the manufacturer is not responsible for the breakdown. Meanwhile on high speeds a small hole is enough to damage the suspension.
By the way, the safe speed for our roads with asphalt, according to the manufacturers, is from 80 to 100 km / h, and according to the requirements of traffic rules with a trailer on any roads, one cannot accelerate faster than 70 km / h. But on unpaved roads, in order to exclude unplanned repairs, it is better not to exceed 30-40 km / h, and to move deep holes at all at the speed of a pedestrian.
So which is better - rubber or spring? It is difficult to answer this question unequivocally. A rubber-braided suspension is cheaper to purchase and easier to maintain, a trailer with such a “shock absorber” rides more smoothly, but in case of a breakdown, you can “hit it hard”. There are cases when a lever was pulled out of people (albeit at high speeds and on an uneven road) near Astrakhan and they had to throw a trailer with contents from kind people and go to Moscow for spare parts. The spring is easier. The fastening could not stand - in almost any village there is a welder, spring sheets broke - I found similar ones or even planted a suitable sledge and got to the nearest auto shop. The spring also treats overloads stoically. Well, the body lay on the bridge, well, it turned out to be a peasant cart of the nineteenth century, when no one had even heard of depreciation. But the inner tube at the harness suspension can turn. Especially if it is made of poor quality. But the rubber-harness suspension better passability... Indeed, in this case, the frame is the lowest point of the trailer, and the springs are almost always lowered below the frame.
Hello everyone, dear friends! Today we will focus on trailer springs.
On some models, they are already standing, therefore the only question arises of how to strengthen and increase the load-carrying capacity of the structure.
In other cases, passenger car trailers have rubber-braided (torsion) suspension options.
Their disadvantages are complex maintenance and repair. You can only change the bearing on your own, but the lever or torsion bar will be replaced either at the service station or at the factory where the trailer was produced. The price of such a repair is equal to the cost of a new torsion axle. Therefore, for many, it is preferable to convert the torsion bar to a spring suspension (RP).
Features and Benefits
If you bought yourself a new car or used a trailer on which there is torsion bar suspension, you may want to change the design to a spring one. I will not name the reasons and motives, they all have their own.
Spring devices have objective advantages. They appear as:
Even if on the way you have one leaf out of order, there is nothing terrible in this. This type of suspension allows you to get to a service station or a spare parts store, take an additional sheet and change it yourself.
Many consider RP as a prerogative truck and her trailer. There is some truth here, since it is actively used on:
- tractor trailer PTS 4;
- MAZ;
- Samro;
- Kamaz;
- SZAP.
But no one forbids you to put the RP on a regular single-axle or two-axle light caravan, but only with fewer sheets. By the way, I already.
On trailers, the suspension equipment is located above the bridge. He also takes on the main burden. The springs serve as a load-bearing damper unit. This allows lateral, vertical and longitudinal loads to be taken. The bridge in the trailers is a conventional pipe-like structure, and there are no additional mechanisms.
What to choose
A natural question when choosing springs will be what to put on your light trailer. It depends on a number of factors. Quite good Volgovskiye springs, products of Al-Ko and other domestic or foreign manufacturers are also available on the market.
I would like to make a few clarifications here.
Designs may vary in the number of sheets. Reinforced models are made with more leaf springs, but they are stiffer and designed to work under heavy loads. For passenger cars usually choose from 3 to 9 units.
What to choose from this, decide for yourself.
DIY installation
I suggest you find out how you can install an Al-Ko spring with your own hands. As an example, I use a boat trailer and a floating type of spring design.
Although you can put it on any other caravan:
- MZSA;
- Flint;
- KMZ;
- Moskvich car trailers;
- Bee;
- any homemade trailer etc.
Now directly about the installation. This is an approximate instruction, since the assembly differs depending on the type of the selected RP, the trailer itself, the pursued goals of the car owner, etc.
- At the front, the spring is fixed with a lug. The thickness of its metal is 5 mm. Fastening with an M12 bolt;
- In the front eyelet there will be a fluoroplastic spring sleeve, which will have to be changed every 50 thousand kilometers;
- When ordering or making lugs, make sure that the distance between the metal of the lug and the spring is 0.25-1 millimeters;
- The tightening torque is not regulated;
- At the rear, the spring will be floating, with a metal thickness for the fixation point (a kind of closed lug) of 5 mm. Be sure to periodically add lubricant, otherwise there will be strong friction and the spring will quickly wear out;
- The spring with the beam is connected by two metal plates (top and bottom) 1 cm thick each;
It is equally important to correctly operate the vehicle modified by your own hands.
Service
During operation, you need to adhere to some rules for servicing the modernized trailer.
These include:
- The frequency of replacement of fluoroplastic bushings is 50 thousand kilometers. But this is a conditional figure. With active operation of the trailer and driving it under heavy loads, replacement may be required earlier. Monitor its condition and change it in a timely manner;
- So that the spring does not fail at the most crucial moment and does not break, at the point of its connection with the beam, do not forget to check the level of tightening of the bolts. They gradually weaken, which leads to accelerated wear and deformation. This should be done at least once every 10 thousand kilometers. Avoid backlash. The connection must always be tight;
- In the eyelet with the floating part of the spring, grease is applied. Many people use grease, although it is more practical to use graphite grease. To do this, bend the spring plate with a pry bar and add lubricant. Just do not do it with your fingers, otherwise you risk simply losing them. Use a cotton swab or brush;
- The frequency of adding graphite grease or grease is not regulated. Check the status of the node. It must be constantly wet, that is, be in this material. Otherwise, the plates will begin to wear out and break.
Some argue that a floating part for trailer springs is bad. Better to put a silent block there. But this design has clear advantages. No wonder they put her on cargo trailers and cars.
Spring suspension of MZSA trailers is reliable, durable, easy to maintain. Even if one of the spring leaves is out of order, nothing will stop you from getting to the station maintenance or at home. But, despite all the reliability of this unit, there are situations when strengthening of the springs is required. This manipulation allows you to increase the carrying capacity of trailed equipment and make it more stable on the road. Changing the dimensions of the trailer body must also be accompanied by strengthening the springs.
What you need to know about strengthening the trailer springs
Strengthening the trailer spring implies an increase in the number and replacement of "sagging" sheets in the assembly. Before starting work, it is important to remember:
- 1 spring is installed on each side of the axle. They are absolutely identical - the number of sheets, their size and permissible load... When reinforcing the springs, it is important to maintain this identity. You cannot strengthen one of the springs without making changes to the design of the other - this will cause a lot of difficulties when operating a loaded trailer;
- technologically strengthening the springs is a completely simple task. However, you will have to make a lot of physical efforts, because leaf springs, staples and bolt are made of durable thick-walled metal.
How to strengthen the springs of a light trailer
Strengthening the springs of a light trailer should be carried out in several stages:
- Remove the spring from the platform. To do this, unscrew the fastening bolt in the front of the spring (attached to the metal eyelet) and remove the clamp to the beam (4 bolts M12).
- Disassemble the spring: unscrew the central tightening bolt and bend the brackets. Check the integrity of each sheet. It is better to replace sheets that have become unusable or used up immediately.
- Increase the number of sheets in the node. As a rule, it is enough to add 2-3 sheets.
- Assemble the spring in reverse order. You will most likely need to use an extended tie bolt.
- Before installation reinforced spring check the PTFE bushing for wear. Replace it if necessary.
In some cases it is easier to buy
