- » Need to lengthen or shorten the wheelbase of your heavy-duty truck to meet your changing needs?
- » Want to modify your wheelbase yet remain NSM compliant?
Make Vancouver Axle and Frame your provider for wheelbase modifications in the Fraser Valley, BC! All of our work is certified provincially and federally, and we are authorized to certify the safety of your vehicle with Transport Canada’s National Safety Mark (NSM). We do wheelbase modifications right–to meet your needs AND meet all NSM requirements. Contact us NOW to discuss wheel-base modifications on your vehicle.
Why modify your wheelbase?
Once you figure out what you want your vehicle to do, your chassis must have a wheelbase that matches the intended use of your vehicle. Safety, performance, and legality should be your priorities.
Get the wrong wheelbase for your chassis and intended use, and you risk the following consequences:
Axle overloading.
This can happen even when your vehicle’s payload is within the limits recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Loads must be distributed to prevent one axle from carrying the majority of a load. If your front axle is carrying most of the load, the performance of your rear axle will be thrown off. Your tires and suspension will then take a beating and will wear prematurely. Your vehicle will also become unsafe, with reduced emergency handling. You’ll violate weight laws, too.
Reduced probable payload.
You don’t want this. That’s why, long before the actual modification, you need to carefully analyze the weight distribution of your vehicle. When you envision your vehicle as a final modified product, your weight should be distributed right. Also consider what you want your truck to do after it is modified. Where will you drive your vehicle? On a highway? Off road? Up steep grades? Identify the weight and dimensions of your chassis before modification: this includes measuring the wheelbase, the area from the front axle to the back of the cab, and the area between the cab and the body. Also get passenger seat data and the OEM amount of weight the chassis bear on the front and rear axles.
Excessive and possibly illegal rear overhang.
This can happen if your wheelbase is too short.
Vehicle can become difficult to maneuver.
This can happen if your wheelbase is too long.
Restricted ability to operate with optimum length of trailer.
Whether you have a semi-trailer or a drawbar trailer, an incorrect wheelbase can have this effect.
How do we preform wheelbase modifications?
The specs of the chassis to be modified usually determine the method we use to extend or reduce the wheelbase of your vehicle. A common method we use is to move the rear axle position by sliding the suspension along the original chassis and then extending the frame at the rear to accommodate the required body length. Although this method sounds basic, it can get complicated.
The other method we use is to cut the original chassis between the axles and either insert a section of chassis frame or remove a section of chassis frame depending on your needs. This method is sometimes the only way to modify a wheelbase given the original build or the scope of modifications you need. Once you modify a wheelbase, the drive line and services must be reworked to fit properly. After we complete your modifications, we always inspect your vehicle to ensure it meets Transport Canada’s National Safety Mark (NSM).