What Is a Trailer Arm and Why Is It Important?

A Trailer Arm is one of the most important parts in your vehicle’s suspension system. It provides an unyielding connection between the chassis and rear axle and supports weight and tension forces generated between the rear wheel and chassis.

It also must be durable enough to withstand random hits from rocks and dirt. This is why it should be a function first, form second design.

Adjustable length

Changing the ride height on your rig is no doubt a great way to accentuate the performance of your engine and chassis components. A good way to do this is by lowering the front suspension and keeping your rears a notch or two below the ground. Luckily you’re not alone in this endeavor, thanks to the myriad aftermarket companies in the business that offer solutions to your truck lift problems. Among the best ways to accomplish this is by adding a new, or re-installing your existing suspension components. A well designed and installed suspension system will allow you to eke out every last ounce of power from your hemi, resulting in improved horsepower, torque and the ability to make a smoother transition from the hood to the road.

Adjustable height

Adjustable trailer hitches are a versatile and powerful solution to height issues. They come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and capacities, as well as different materials, including steel and aluminum. Many have vertical adjustment spans as long as 18 inches or more and are rated for 20,000+ pounds.

If your trailer hitch is too high, it’s difficult to load or unload cargo. It’s also difficult to fit vehicles into a tight space and can cause imbalance in your trailer towing setup.

Another issue is that the wheels of a towed trailer may be too large, making it impossible to load or unload cargo without the aid of a cargo ramp. A modular dynamic height adjustable suspension system 100 can raise and car mirror lower the deck of a utility trailer 110 below the center line of the axle of its wheels to facilitate loading and unloading.

To raise or lower the trailer’s deck level, air springs 130 are attached to the trailer’s spring mounts 135 and between the deck of the trailer frame at one end and a squat bar 165 at the other end. Supply lines 140 are attached to the tops of the air springs and attach to an air compressor 160 and an air reservoir tank 155.

The air compressor 160 draws air from the supply lines 140 and compresses the air springs 130 as the trailer 110 is raised or lowered. As the air pressure inside the air springs 130 decreases, the drop axle 125 is able to move lower to the ground. At the ends of the drop axle 125 are vertical wheel mounts 120, which receive mounting points for the center hubs 185 of the trailer’s wheels 115.

In addition to the vertical wheel mounts 120, the squat bar 165 is adjustably mounted to the drop axle at each wheel and to the trailer frame at the opposite end. In this way, the squat bar 165 serves to further stabilize and support the trailer frame at each wheel.

Alternatively, the pan-hard bar 150 may be connected to the drop axle at one end and traverse the width of the trailer frame to connect to the squat bar 165 on the opposite side of the trailer 110 using an adjustable attachment means 187. In this manner, the pan-hard bar can be moved up or down to accommodate changing cargo loads on the trailer.

Adjustable width

A dolly-transport system 100 comprises a center support 106b and a plurality of dollies 104 mounted at opposite sides of the center support. Each dolly 104 can be attached to a swing arm 105 which can attach to the wheeled center support 106b.

The swing arms are adjustable in width and can be a movable configuration. They can be fully retracted to a width of less than 8 feet, and can be in a plurality of positions spaced outwardly from each other, with the outermost position providing a total width of 12 feet or greater, whichever is smaller.

To adjust the side frames, pins 100 are removed and the middle frame 14 is extended until shoulders 84 engage stops 82. This allows the trailer to be pushed inwardly, until it is cradled between forwardmost side support members 36 and 38.

Next, side frames 12 and 16 are extended until the shoulders 84 engage stops 82, which limits outward movement of the side frames. This outward movement can be limited by the weight of the machine being transported, or by additional preventing means such as pins 100.

Alternatively, when the side frames are retracted the machine being transported can be pushed inwardly and the trailer is returned to its narrow configuration. This can be accomplished by first pushing the side frames 12 and 16, followed by the middle side frame 14.

In one embodiment, a frame 800 is connected to center support 106a using fastener car mirror holes 301 and a pair of hinge interfaces 802. The frame 800 can be detachable from center support 106a.

When the frame 800 is attached to trailer 102, the swing arms 105 can be positioned between extended members 904. In this manner, a pin 803 can hold swing arms 105 and frame 800 together.

The swing arms can also be connected to stabilizer rod 600 by matching fastener holes 301 between stabilizer rod 600 and side wall 302 at a junction point. In another embodiment, a fixed support 500 can be connected to side wall 302 by matching fastener holes 301 between fixed support 500 and side wall 302, and then attaching them together with fasteners 804.

A jack stand 106 is located at the front of trailer 102, to support the trailer when not attached to the towing vehicle. This jack stand is supported by a square tube mounting arm 110 which can be inserted into a bracket 108 and held in place by a pin 116.

Adjustable weight

The big M is all about a proper sizing up your load. In addition to a heavy duty hitch and sway bar you’ll also need the right hardware for a trailer. We’ve got you covered. We’ve got a full line of patented trailer and hitch solutions that include the Big M and its smaller cousin. The Big M is the sexiest and biggest on the lot, while the smallest is a close second. We’ve got you covered from bumper to bumper with one of the best sales staff in town. We’ll even help you with your insurance policy. If you’re ready to start the adventure, click here for the Big M or call our friendly customer service team for a quote.