Minuet 6.7 lowrider advice and help

[apltrez]

I just picked up my, new to me, '78 Minuet 6.7 and brought it back from the East Coast to NM. So, I have started to make my list of projects for the restoration and I imagine axle is near the top. I checked previous threads and although I could have missed it, does anybody have a measurement for the correct height from ground to the lower edge of the wheel well? I should also say, with a new axle please. I have seen where ball height should be at 19" with the trailer level. Mine is closer to 16 1/2" with the trailer level. Also my ground to wheel well measurement is is about 23". So I am guessing I need to raise the trailer about 2 1/2" to 3". From the sounds of earlier posts it sounds like a toss between Henschen and Dexter Torflex so I suspect I will start with Andy at Inland to see what he has and what he suggests. They haven't steered me wrong on my '73 Argosy 20' that I am completing. I am sure I will be posting questions on other issues as well

Opinions please.....

Thanks

Greg

[perryg114]

The important thing is the angle of the control arm that the wheel is attached to. Usually if the axel spindle is above the axel centerline then the axel is shot. Sometimes the control arm can get frozen as the rubber insert gets hard and won't allow the wheel to move up and down. Jacking up the trailer and seeing if the wheel drops an inch or two is one test. Rocking the trailer back and forth and looking for movement of the rim relative to the wheel well is another indicator. No movement is a bad thing. If you look in your mirror when you go over a rail road track and the trailer is bouncing up and down or even leaves the ground it is a bad sign. My 81 axels seem to still be giving the trailer a smooth ride. The control arm is horizontal. The plain fact or the matter is, that many new trailers don't have a postive angle on the control arm so why expect them to be that way after 35 years. The axel is not the first thing you need to do but the last thing you do before completing a lot of miles after the trailer is finished. You may spend all that money on axels and never finish a remodel or decide you want something different. You can always put a new axel on the trailer once you know you are going to keep it. Most older trailers have shot axels on them and most do fine because they are not used enough for it to be a factor. If you are ready to put some miles on it, then replace the axel.

Perry

[apltrez]

Thanks Perry,
Since the exterior shell and paint are 9 - 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, and the interior for the most part is a 7 or 8 for condition and dated for fabric etc, there isn't much chance it won't get completed. This will be my 5th vintage trailer project and my 2nd Arg. But your point is well taken.

Greg