Compact, what else?

[Mitch Johnson]

Hi folks.......I have a 73 compact ll, and have been taking care of some issues in the last year.......ditched the furnace, and had a 20,000 btu forced air replacement installed. That cured the cold issue. Took out the hot water heater before it torched me/and/or the camper with it. Im thinking about installing some sort of on demand unit in its place. And had the brake/taillight/turn signal wiring replaced from stem to stern, it was rotten. Next is the axle. I was towing it this summer, and I was really concerned about the rocking motion, from side to side, when I inadvertently turned the wheel. It was flat out dangerous. So I took it home, jacked it up, and removed the offending axle before I was tempted to take it out again. Ive priced new axles, they are not too bad, really, less than 300.00. The old one was a flimsy thing, and it was a drop axle, about 4". My plan is to re-install a straight axle with brake flanges. It will lift the whole thing 4 in. Then I can put some real tires and wheels on it, to match the 4x4 that will be pulling it. Maybe some custom flairs for the fender wells. Anybody have input on this????? Thanks, Mitch

[Larry&Carrie]

Mitch- I rebuilt a Compact JR this last summer and one of the things I did was build a straight (non-dropped) axle for it. I was unhappy about how low it was.... (see before and after pictures) However, I do have to admit that it still sways (bobble at 70 mph) so have to stay at 65 or lower. I think the solution would be to put shocks on it as I think the sway comes from the shackles on the rear of the springs-- no solution that I know of to cure that and shocks may be the answer. Larry

[Raya]

Could a torsion axle be fitted to a Compact instead of the leaf-spring axle?

And would that help to reduce the bobble? (In other words, is that why the Boler doesn't bobble?)

Raya

[Larry&Carrie]

Could a torsion axle be fitted to a Compact instead of the leaf-spring axle?

And would that help to reduce the bobble? (In other words, is that why the Boler doesn't bobble?)

Raya

A torsion axle in my mind is a lot more stable (yeah that's prob why your Boler - and my Scamp doesn't bobble- up to 75 mph+ ). But, to convert to a torsion axle on a Compact would take some creative frame fabbing, and cost a lot more than just adding shocks.... A simple straight non-drop axle should be obtainable in the $150 range, as where a Dexter is about twice that much....
Larry