Wheels and Tire Help

[bharding]

Hello,

I am new to the forum and I am in the planning stages of building my teardrop trailer. I am using Tony Latham's book as the foundation for my plan. I am going to build my own frame (5x10) with the help of my neighbor who is a welder. The chassis is probably the part of the trailer that I have the least experience and knowledge about. My plan is to use Tony's chassis design with some slight modifications. I am going to use an articulating hitch and a Timbren suspension. I would like to use car, or in my case truck tires. I am going to pull the trailer with my Toyota Tacoma. I like the idea of using the same tires and rims as the tow vehicle so that you only have to carry one spare. I just can't figure out if I am choosing the right hubs. I sent an email message to etrailer.com and asked them...they gave me some good advice about the brakes and suspension type but were pushing for me to use trailer tires. I know (at least I think I do) that car and truck wheels have different offsets than trailer wheels. I just want to make sure that I am choosing the right hubs in order to use the same size tire and rim as my truck. My Tacoma has 16" rims and the tires are P265/70/R16. My plan for the chassis is...

- Timbren Axle-Less Trailer Suspension System - Spindle w/Brake Flange - Regular Tires - 2,000 lbs
- Dexter Nev-R-Adjust Electric Trailer Brake Kit - 10" - Left and Right Hand Assemblies - 3.5K
- Easy Grease Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly for 3.5K Axles - 10" - 6 on 5-1/2 - Pre-Greased - These have the same lug pattern as my truck

I am just concerned about the wheels being to close to the chassis frame. I think for regular axles you can use spacers to move the tires and wheels away from the frame. I am not sure if there is any option like that for Tibrens. I would appreciate any help and advice on this subject. I plan to start my build around the 1st of February and would like to start ordering parts.

Thank you,

Brian

[Onajourney]

Using spacers on any spindle should be fine. They also give you the ability to run any wheel on the trailer. I have 1.5" spacers on Flexride torsion axles with 35" tires.

[dmdc411]

I'm not a fan of spacers for use on a vehicle. But on a light weight trailer, I think it's OK. I use 1/2" spacers to gain clearance with the camper side walls. My tear weighs in at 1000lbs.

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[swoody126]

frame clearance is the initial issue to resolve

pardon my ignernce butt IIRC those suspensions appear to have little to no support that would keep the spindles from twisting as a result of the increased leverage and forces that would result from over sized tires and spacers lengthening the lever effect

this is not something I KNOW in your case butt is something i would rather resolve prior to ordering/buying/installing/having a failure on the road

i raise the issue because of what i learned from my Wrangler days when i bought a fairly low mileage YJ w/ huge tires mounted on offset wheels

when i went to the front end shop complaining about the slop and wonky steering they are the ones to tell me about this issue

when i put standard offset wheels and tires that were the same size as were available from the factory on the Jeep my problems never returned

the offset and weight and the extra leverage were more than the spindles n hubs were designed to handle

just an old fuss budget i guess

sw

[tony.latham]

I don't have the answer you're looking for. But make sure your Tacoma rims will fit over the trailer's protruding axle hub.





Tony

[gudmund]

.... good point Tony!!! ..... just because it is 6 lug set-up = doesn't mean they are going to fit...... for years Toyota used the same lug pattern as GM -but- with the 'standards' of years ago being changed over to metric - I don't know?? they may have all changed to 'their' own sizes & lug patterns??,..... I do know that GM has changed their's... example: a friend had a set of wheels off his '18 Chev Silverado for sale - so I was interested in them, they being GM = they should fit = and yes they were the same lug pattern and size -BUT- the center hole is bigger on my Chev Colorado than his Silverado = they wouldn't fit. (we could put the Colorado wheel on his Silverado but couldn't put the Silverado one on my Colorado) (nor will a wheel off a newer '15 Colorado fit my older gen Colorado. New one's have a 'metric' sized 6 lug pattern diameter, where my older gen. Colorado still uses the old 6 lug 'standard' sized pattern - which is something that needs to be checked out on Toyota's...... And now day's almost every PU/truck company is using a 6 lug pattern on their 4wh drive set-up's = Ford and Dodge both also .... but as far as them fitting each other?? 'Maybe', but probably not!! = need to check it ''all" out ahead of time.............. the 6 lug pattern could be of a different sized set-up, along with the center hole probably not fitting......

[bharding]

Thanks for the help and advice. I didn't realize the wheels and tires would be so complicated. I think I will have to buy the suspension, brakes and hubs with the Tacoma lug pattern and then use one of my existing truck wheels and tires to see how it is going to work (or not work if that is the case). I appreciate all of the responses and I am sure I will have a million more questions before this build is done.

Thanks, Brian

[gudmund]

you need to do some research on the 'trailer side' of lug bolt patterns also to see what is available....... they only use/offer 'certain' common sized lug bolt sized patterns.......

PS talking about using 'wheel spacers', I did plan to go that that route once 'in case of a flat' - I purchased one (still on the shed shelf) that could be mounted to my 5 lug trailer hub set-up (Ford 4.5in pattern). I than test mounted it on the trailer hub which did allow me to mount my 6 lug spare from my '17 Chev Colorado to it - worked fine. "But" after a lot of thought = I 'bagged' the idea of ever carrying/using it being with "my luck", the flat would probably happen in the middle of darkness/raining along some shoulder-less road side - decided to just carry the extra weight and have keep carrying the separate spare for each..........along with a tubeless tire plug kit/air pump being I do have some 'experience' in plugging 'many-a-tire' from when I worked in my dad's shop (I also remember plugging a tire at a rest stop, I-40 freeway in Arizona in '78 - upon getting out of the car = heard it hissing, '''hurried''' in getting the tire plugs/tool's out that I just happen to have with me from having just closed my dad's shop after his passing, thus getting it plugged before it went totally flat - had about 14/15psi left in it as I slowly drove to the next service station/exit getting gas/air -- have always carried a tire-plug kit since along with a air 'compressor' (or bicycle pump-which does not work very well airing up car tires, but have yet to have to use another since...............)