Upgrade red trailer wheels

[donkro]

I'm buying a Red Trailer with 12" wheels. I notice many people have larger car size wheels on their trailers. Aside from aesthetics, is there a functional advantage to larger wheels? Is it easy/possible to convert the 4 lug 12" wheels to say a 5 lug 14" car size?

[Sonetpro]

I am about to start my second build with a HF trailer I won in a contest here.
I am taking a different approach. The wheels are 4 bolt x 100mm bolt pattern. I have been looking on ebay for rims from cars that have the same bolt pattern.
Here's a list.
Car w/ 4-100mm bolt circle including Honda Civic (4-lug); Acura Integra (4-lug); Mini Cooper; Toyota Corolla, MR2, Scion (4-lug); Mazda Miata, Protégé (4-lug); Saturn (4-lug); VW Cabrio, Golf, Jetta II, III (4-lug).

[mikeschn]

Steve,

What are you finding on 4x100? 13" or 14" wheels?

Mike...

[Sonetpro]

Mike,
Thanks to the coffee can burners, you can get them up to 19"
Here's some available in 15" at discount tire
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/findWh ... -100*9-100

[sems]

Hey all: This question didn't get answered (did it?) and I'm sort of curious too about the answer. Thanks! Susan

[mikeschn]

Hey all: This question didn't get answered (did it?) and I'm sort of curious too about the answer. Thanks! Susan

I think that is a hub change question. Try emailing the folks over at redtrailers.com

Mike...

[donkro]

Steve, thanks for you response, are you saying that the wheels from those cars you listed will fit the trailer with no further modifications?

[Sonetpro]

Steve, thanks for you response, are you saying that the wheels from those cars you listed will fit the trailer with no further modifications?

I can't say that as a fact. I'm sure some will and some won't. I just researched the lug pattern. They have the same bolt pattern but all are not going to have the same backspacing or offset. a front wheel drive car will have a positive offset. Here is an explanation.
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoWheelOffsets.dos
You will need to measure the hub face to the side of the tear to see what offset you need to keep the tires the proper distance from the side.
On my Fish Inn I had to use a negetive offset because I used 8" wide rims with p235 tires. I also had to use 11" fenders instead of the normal 9" ones.

[mikeschn]

Does anyone know what size spindle comes on the HF 1175# axle.

I think changing the hub to the 5x4.5" B.C. using one of these hubs is the answer...

http://www.redtrailers.com/ListItems.asp?cat=16

Mike...

[Nitetimes]

There is something I want to point out here that I don't think I've mentioned before. One thing you want to pay attention to is the size of the hub. Particularly the amount of flange around the outside of the studs. Now on most aluminum wheels this shouldn't be an issue because for the most part the part of the wheel that contacts the hub is a fairly large flat surface but on steel wheels if you look at the mounting surface you will see that they have a sort of ring around the outside then a hollow area then the lug depressions that are close to the same depth as the outer ring. This outer ring should sit flat on the hub face not on the outer edge of it. My concern is that if the flange is too small there is a chance the wheels could loosen because what helps keep the lug nuts tight is the tension that you get when the lug nuts pull the inner part of the wheel back to the hub. If the outer ring isn't sitting on the hub flange properly you won't get as much tension, possibly allowing the nuts to loosen or the wheel to crack. Also if the wheel is too much larger than the flange there is a chance that the wheel could wobble which could also cause the wheel to crack. I have seen the center crack out of wheels.
I am not pointing this out to start an argument because I know there are probably quite a few running around just as I described them without out a problem yet. It is just something I thought you all should be aware of.

[donkro]

Red trailer responded to my email inquiry. In order to put 14" wheels on the trailer I'd need to upgrade the axle and the hubs, they sell an upgrade kit for $269. Add the cost of wheels and tires and that upgrade is out of the ballpark for me. I noticed that you can buy galvanized wheels (instead of white) for about $25 each. Can these be polished or chromed for a reasonable price?

[sems]

Thanks all. That clarified things for me. I still have "newbieitis" so I need to have everything spelled out for me.

I really want the bigger wheels, but my husband (and general contractor on this project) just said something like "Maybe we don't need them." I'll have to keep working on him!

Anyhow, thanks again.

[angib]

I noticed that you can buy galvanized wheels (instead of white) for about $25 each. Can these be polished or chromed for a reasonable price?

Never mind 'reasonable price', it isn't possible to do either of these things to a galvanized wheel, at any price.

Andrew

[brian_bp]

...The wheels are 4 bolt x 100mm bolt pattern. I have been looking on ebay for rims from cars that have the same bolt pattern.
Here's a list...

Perhaps I have misunderstood something, but it sounds like the assumption here is that the trailer hub has a 4x100mm pattern like a car. This seems really unlikely. I can believe 4x4", but 4 inches is 101.6mm, and with trailer wheels normally located by the bolts - not the hub bore - the bit of difference would certainly concern me.

Also, all of those cars with 4x100mm wheels (which includes Toyotas and Hondas I have driven for many years) have a wheel offset of at least 30 mm, and more often 45 mm, while trailer wheels are usually near zero offset. This means the car wheels would sit and inch or more inboard of where they are supposed to be.

Of course, all of this does not apply if the trailer hub is really 4x100 mm and offset like a front-drive car hub.

[mikeschn]

Near as I can tell, if you want to use an automotive wheel that has a different offset than 0, you'd have to move your frame rails out, and get the wider axle to match the frame wheels.

And while this might work with a red trailer axle, with a traditional torsion axle, you'd bury the wheel and rim into the torsion arm...



Mike...