question about construction of a small trailer

[4x4prepper]

I took a small trailer in trade and never really looked at it until yesterday because I am getting ready to transform it. The welds look good, a lot better then I could do with an ARC welder myself, it is square, etc.

But, the construction has me befuddled as I can't think why someone would do this.

It has an 8 foot long tongue, 3" tube, 1/4" wall.

It is welded to the 1st three cross members and goes to the middle of the trailer. To the very bottom and end of this they welded the axle! (1 Ton axle? - 2" square)

The axle itself is suspended by normal trailer leaf springs. Is is held by springs with bolted eyelets at both ends, but, no flexible shackle. If there is no way for the spring to move on either end, how does it flex?

If you were going to weld the axle to the tongue, why bother with springs?

I have a solid axle on my log splitter and it came with warning about not towing it over 45 mph because it would flip, I wonder how this trailer did loaded with an ATV hitting a bump at 55?

Is there something I am missing here? I have never seen one constructed like this before and the logic of it escapes me.

[86 slo-vo]

Somebody isn't very smart for doing that. Cut that shit.

[Machinos]

The axle is welded directly to the trailer, AND attached to leaf springs that don't have shackles?

I can't even imagine why anyone would do that but it definitely won't work.

[Benny]

Pics

[4x4prepper]

I will take pictures before I cut it all out, thank you for the replies.

[xmptsunami]

Yeah, we need lots of pics of this. Seriously.

[4x4prepper]

Originally Posted by xmptsunami

Yeah, we need lots of pics of this. Seriously.

Okay, I took some pictures. After taking the pictures and looking stuff over, I think whoever put the springs on is not the same one that did the welding of the hangers.

Reason being is the tongue weld (shown) is nothing like the booger welds you can see on the side plates and the hanger itself on the close up is cut out a bit crooked. The hanger is 1/8 wall tubing, so I can't even re-use that, so it all gets cut off.

I went to Northern Tools and bought a regular 3500 # spring kit to weld on.

[4x4prepper]

Originally Posted by Benny

Pics

Here are the rest of the pictures.