S

series3_M57

Member
Hello,
Building an overland trailer. At design stage. Thinking most time efficient build would be a strengthened caravan mounted to a 4x4 rolling chassis with A-frame welded to front of chassis, plus brakes hitch linked to handbrake mechanism on both axles.

I've towed with a braked A-frame many a time and so know the concept will tow well.

However, can anyone advise if using disc brake axles from a disco or defender, is it at all possible to fit the rear calipers with hand brake mechanism to the front and rear axle, from another vehicle?

I need to keep the steering on the front, so fitting rear axle hub / stub to front axle casing is a no go.

Thanks

***From a search it looks like for transit for the rear and possibly Citroen relay rear callipers for the front. 120mm rear, 100mm mounting hole to hole distance front. Will need to check in daylight.
 
Last edited:
series3_M57 said:
Hello,
Building an overland trailer. At design stage. Thinking most time efficient build would be a strengthened caravan mounted to a 4x4 rolling chassis with A-frame welded to front of chassis, plus brakes hitch linked to handbrake mechanism on both axles.

I've towed with a braked A-frame many a time and so know the concept will tow well.

However, can anyone advise if using disc brake axles from a disco or defender, is it at all possible to fit the rear calipers with hand brake mechanism to the front and rear axle, from another vehicle?

I need to keep the steering on the front, so fitting rear axle hub / stub to front axle casing is a no go.

Thanks
***From a search it looks like for transit for the rear and possibly Citroen relay rear callipers for the front. 120mm rear, 100mm mounting hole to hole distance front. Will need to check in daylight.
Click to expand...
That sounds like an exciting project! As you mentioned, the mounting hole distance between the axles might be different (120mm rear, 100mm front). You'll need to ensure that the calipers can be mounted securely to both axles, taking into account any differences in mounting hole spacing.
 
I'd be getting arrested while looking underneath cars in car parks. Looking for the one with most ground clearance and independent suspension. Dragging a trailer with live axles around doesn't very sensible to me (weight and restrictive diff clearance).
 
There is a reason many use a modified Sankey Penman trailer to begin with. Independent trailer suspension depending on design has been proven to overheat and fail in the outback when towing at speed off the highway. Leaf springs whilst old seem to be strong, light and more importantly strong enough for the job.

Re Caravan bodies are terribly made. I suspect they will fall apart fairly quickly.

Legalities of disc brakes axles are I believe a bit vague I heard that they're illegal (system fitted to late Sankeys) anyway in France. Building a trailer has its own issues legally but many do not worry about that.

You can get bolt on calliper brackets for LR axles to add a secondary calliper as a hand brake should be (I believe) a totally secondary system.
 
Your off-road trailer project seems really interesting and ambitious! Using a reinforced chassis, an A-frame and a brake hitch connected to the handbrake mechanism on both axles can be a robust solution, especially for off-road use.

 
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