Lowes 3 x 5 axle

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RENEGADEJEEPER

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Hey team looking to see if there are any trailer axle experts out there.
Have 3.5 x 5 lowes trailer.
Putting on 5x5 hub pattern wheels from my 18 JLU.
Need a bit wider and 5x5 axle hob as I would have to have 2 inch minimum spacers and that's just a lot.

Thoughts?
 

zgfiredude

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Just replace the axle with a wider one with the hubs you need.....Tractor Supply type store should have stuff.
 

Sparksalot

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Look at Dexter axle‘s website. you can get a variety of lengths, but pay attention to the spring perch width.
 
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Dilldog

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Look at Dexter axle‘s website. you can get a variety of lengths, but pay attention to the spring perch width.
All the Dexters I have seen ship without the perches welded on. Before you swap over hubs make sure you can source bearings to fit your spindles. Most 5 lug hubs will be set up for a 3K+ axle, meaning the spindles are larger than what you will likely have under that Lowes trailer necessitating a less standard bearing. You would be time way ahead to just swap over to a Dexter. Also getting a Dexter means any bearing house across the country will have both bearings and seals on hand should you ever have a failure.
 

Sparksalot

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All the Dexters I have seen ship without the perches welded on. Before you swap over hubs make sure you can source bearings to fit your spindles. Most 5 lug hubs will be set up for a 3K+ axle, meaning the spindles are larger than what you will likely have under that Lowes trailer necessitating a less standard bearing. You would be time way ahead to just swap over to a Dexter. Also getting a Dexter means any bearing house across the country will have both bearings and seals on hand should you ever have a failure.
Mine definley did. I also upgraded the hubs and bearings, whih was the only reason Idid the swap, to get rid of the tinmy cargo trailer stuff.
 
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Dilldog

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Mine definley did. I also upgraded the hubs and bearings, whih was the only reason Idid the swap, to get rid of the tinmy cargo trailer stuff.
I wonder if its just the stuff my local dealer carries then. Anyway, yeah the small 1" bearings that are likely in that little axle are not something I would trust on a long trip...
 
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smritte

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All the Dexters I have seen ship without the perches welded on
I wonder if its just the stuff my local dealer carries then. Anyway, yeah the small 1" bearings that are likely in that little axle are not something I would trust on a long trip...
Mine definley did. I also upgraded the hubs and bearings, whih was the only reason Idid the swap, to get rid of the tinmy cargo trailer stuff.
I have ordered four dexter axles over the last 11 years. The last one being last year. "IF" the place you ordered it from, hands you the proper order form, you choose all options including perch location and perch width as well as a section for custom things not listed on the form.
One of my buddies has done more than I have and uses whatever his trailer shop has in stock. That may be why some people have not seen perch's welded on. If I was going to stock premade axles, I would do it in common widths with nothing but the spindle welded on. That way its easy to add things. Mine were all custom widths and I couldn't use a standard size. The issue right now is the 3-6 month lead time on custom.

If you do order a custom axle or have perch's added to a premade, make sure they weld them on the proper side. My last axle must have been a Friday after an hour lunch at the beer hall. The axles are suppose to be slightly bowed top out (pos camber) and the front is slightly bent in (TOE IN). The holes for the brake wiring is in the back and the name stamp is normally in the front.

My last one was upside down and backwards. I didn't notice it until I moded it for my airbags. (leaf and air). Cut everything off including the mounts, reinstalled and everything is fine except, the name is upside down and the wiring is in the front. Don't care about the name but had to seal the wire holes to keep water out. It would have been months for another axle.
 
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