brian_bp wrote:madprinter wrote:I used a Dexter axle on my trailer. I mounted FORD Explorer 14" rims on the hubs. The bolt pattern was the same ,but the center hole was slightly smaller. I enlarged it with a rotory rasp on a drill. The aluminum cut away quickly and it only took a few minutes and turned out uniform. Keep this in mind when looking at rims. Bolt patern AND center hole size.
Good luck, William
Good point.
I have not heard of anyone having a centre hole clearance problem with Ranger (=Explorer) wheels on a Dexter hub; however, I have heard that there are a few different centre hole sizes in Ranger wheels. My guess is that those wheels were from a two-wheel-drive Explorer, and thus did not have the big centre hole necessary to clear the driven front hub hardware of a 4x4.
Actually I have used Ranger and Explorer wheels from 2 and 4 wheel drive vehicles and I don't believe you should have any trouble with any of them on a 2k or smaller axle. What I have found is that the hole is too small when used on the larger hubs on the 3500# axles. There are some lighter hubs with a thicker nose but they aren't too common. Checking never hurts tho.
