Air lift trailer ramp design

[Hayden B.]

Good afternoon, i have a 2007 interstate dla40 20ton tag trailer that currently has 8’ manual lift ramps that i firmly believe Hercules himself would have trouble lifting. With that being said it requires two people or a machine to lift them.

Im looking for design ideas an possibly a material list of how i can build my own. As I have not ever seen a air setupnin person.

 

[Steve Frazier]

I can't tell for sure but the right ramp looks like it might have lift assist springs? Are they in good shape?

If not the photos below are what I'm referring to. You can add several until it gives enough assistance to be manageable. I have them on our trailer at work, the ramps are almost as big as yours and I can manage them myself.

 

[heymccall]

 

[crane operator]

You just as well fix the trailer jack while you're putting the springs back in.

I think your beavertail would be awful short to add air cylinders to. You need quite a bit of room underneath for the cylinder. There's pictures on here somewhere of a trailer or truck that had air cylinders added if the springs don't help enough.

 

[crane operator]

I think some of the new trailers use air bags to lift the ramps, but I've never seen one in person.

 

[Hayden B.]

It does have springs but either not enough of them or they are worn out. I was leaning on going with a airbag setup just not sure of the bracketry used on the ramp portion. As far as the underside of the trailer ive got a decent understanding of how the bag and linkage rod/pipe needs to mount. My trailer dimensions are 26+6’ beaver tail. And it is a air brake trailer with a air tank mounted under the trailer.

 

[Acoals]

The springs can fail but yet be visually intact.

 

[cfherrman]

It's cheaper easier faster and better to replace the springs

 

[1693TA]

Those springs work very well but will both fatigue and lose tension over time. They are easily replaced for just a few dollars and a little time. I've had two sets on my skid steer trailer in 27 years; The originals, and one replacement set when one spring snapped. I replaced all four instead of only the original broken spring.

 

[gwhammy]

I ended up with three springs on each ramp on my heavy trailer. You can adjust how much tension they have by the spots they rest against. I have them where they will hold the ramp off the ground some but can be pushed down and will stay. I saw a set on a freinds lowboy that has the adjustable spring built into a tube the ramps are welded onto. Huge heavy set he has no problem lifting. I have looked at air ramps but my trailer like yours sets low to the ground on the back and looked to hard to make a pivot work without dragging it off.

I did see on the other day a guy put a winch at the front of dovetail and had a folding stand down at the bottom to pick his ramps up with.

Is that a 69 firebird behind the tree?