Spacers...

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Are 1/2" thick x 5 on 4 1/4" wheel spacers easy to find???

[dhazard]

I Picked up some spacers from a Big O tire shop a few years ago.

[dahoon]

Dean,

Any auto parts worth their salt can get those for you. I'll make a note and check for you and give you part numbers on Monday night, unless I can find in in the catalogs this weekend.

Mike

[Podunkfla]

Are 1/2" thick x 5 on 4 1/4" wheel spacers easy to find???

Well yeah... Just run some same thread nuts down the studs first... as long as your lugs are long enough.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Brick,
Talked with my neighbor... manages a Les Scwaub Tire Store.
He didn't advise the use of spacers, but says they're out there.
I asked if they're one piece or what like you described.
That got his attention...
Said they need to be one piece to get the clamping pressure on the wheel.

I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone, using spacers...
Besides wanting more tire clearance, my nice wheels for my original build don't set right on the hubs that are on this abandonded build I picked up down south...
The hub face is an inch larger in diameter, than the hub face on the Flexi-Ride hubs and the "dish" in the wheel is what contacts against the hub face on this other build, leaving a gap at the anchoring points.
This axle supposedly came off of a jet ski trailer and has lug bolts, instead of studs and lug nuts... I'm guessing that's a "water" thing, but I hate 'em.
My neighbor said I could easily switch from bolts to studs, but I'd need to have Kevin turn these hubs down, to get the wheel to set correctly... But that would leave the tire even closer to the wall than it is right now.
Doug advised me just to go with new hubs...
So much for saving time on this "quickie" project...

[Podunkfla]

Said they need to be one piece to get the clamping pressure on the wheel.

Dean... Huh? I don't understand what he means? All the "clamping pressure" is at the lug bolts. The strength of the wheel center provides the rest of the rigidity. Being bolted against a flat surface, like a hub face, doesn't add all that much. So I have to disagree with him. I'm sure you can get lots of other opinions too. The only thing you really lose is the center hole of the wheel going over a hub. All the load is being transferred just to the lug bolts... Which is no big deal on a lightweight trailer. in my humble opinion. Of course, I wouldn't prolly do this on the front end of my car. Hey, where's Andrew when you need him?

I have done this a couple times to get clearance, in the past. Never had a problem.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Brick,
I know woodworking, I'm OK with metalwork and I know enough about electricity to keep from getting shocked most of the time, but I'm lacking when it comes to the auto mechanics part of it... Have to ask many questions.
Was just pointing out what someone, I'd say... "Knows their stuff", said.
I too, had the thought... "Hey, this isn't a front end of a car with an engine setting on top of it."
Which leads me to my next question about wheels and tires...
OK, on a trailer... Is it better to have toe out or toe in?

[Podunkfla]

Brick,
I know woodworking, I'm OK with metalwork and I know enough about electricity to keep from getting shocked most of the time, but I'm lacking when it comes to the auto mechanics part of it... Have to ask many questions.
Was just pointing out what someone, I'd say... "Knows their stuff", said.
I too, had the thought... "Hey, this isn't a front end of a car with an engine setting on top of it."
Which leads me to my next question about wheels and tires...
OK, on a trailer... Is it better to have toe out or toe in?

Dean... From my knowlege... None. Straight tracking. The toe-in on the front end of vehicles is to compensate for the wider turning radius of the outer wheel. As far as I know, this doesn't apply to a fixed axle trailer... which is just following your hitch ball, offset half the width of your trailer to each side. I hope this makes sense?

[madjack]

Dean, haven't you ever watched the cutaway car demos on Sunday...Brick is correct, it is basically a turning/steering thing on the front offa car...most trailers have some toein becuase the axle is bowed in the middle...this is a weight bearing thing...as more weight is applied, the axle straightens out, eliminating the towin on the trailer wheels....
madjack

[Podunkfla]

Dean, haven't you ever watched the cutaway car demos on Sunday...Brick is correct, it is basically a turning/steering thing on the front offa car...most trailers have some toein becuase the axle is bowed in the middle...this is a weight bearing thing...as more weight is applied, the axle straightens out, eliminating the towin on the trailer wheels....
madjack

Madjack... Hmmm... Methinks you are refering to "camber & caster" settings there? "toe-in" is a different animal...

Here's a pretty good explantion: http://www.s10extremist.org/tech_articl ... camber.htm

This one may be a little better: http://www.artsautomotive.com/thealignmentstory.htm

[Gage]

I see you caught it also Brick. Dean, the simple reason for no toe-in/toe-out on a trailer is that will cause wear because the tires will never be going straight.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Hmmm...
The Flexi Ride axel I have has a tad bit of camber... Tires lean out at top, but no toe in or toe out that I can see...
Well the axel that's on this other build has about the same camber, but it also has some toe out. I know toe out and toe in affects tire wear and I was surprised to see the toe out on this trailer, but it's there, no adjusting it without a heat wrench, that I can see. Only thing I can see, is to flip the axle around and go with toe in.
Can't swap my Flexi-Ride... It's for a 5' wide, the other one is a 4'er
I guess I could order a new axle... Man I gotta good deal on this thing!...

[Nitetimes]

Said they need to be one piece to get the clamping pressure on the wheel.

Dean... Huh? I don't understand what he means? All the "clamping pressure" is at the lug bolts. The strength of the wheel center provides the rest of the rigidity. Being bolted against a flat surface, like a hub face, doesn't add all that much. So I have to disagree with him. I'm sure you can get lots of other opinions too. The only thing you really lose is the center hole of the wheel going over a hub. All the load is being transferred just to the lug bolts... Which is no big deal on a lightweight trailer. in my humble opinion. Of course, I wouldn't prolly do this on the front end of my car. Hey, where's Andrew when you need him?

I have done this a couple times to get clearance, in the past. Never had a problem.

On aluminum wheels that is true, but on steel wheels the wheel is pulled in around the lug nut as it tightens. If you look at where the marks are on your drums/rotors you will see where the wheels are supposed to contact a solid surface. I have seen steel wheels spaced with washer, while it will work they will eventually crack. I took 4 of them off a trailer once and they were all cracked.
Use caution doing it this way is all I will say.

[Steve_Cox]

Are 1/2" thick x 5 on 4 1/4" wheel spacers easy to find???

nope

[dhazard]

Dean, can you talk Kevin into making a plate out of 1/2” steel with studs and holes to convert the axle to studs and space the tires out at the same time?