Bigger Wheels

[toypusher]

Maybe you just need some 'cool' fenders that fit small wheels!!



PS: please excuse the white color, I did not paint them yet!

[PaulC]

Bigger wheels? Something like this?



Just kidding!

Mike...

That almost looks familiar, Mike

[Micro469]

Sorry, I'm sure this is somewhere but I couldn't find it. I like the price of the HF trailers, but hate the tiny wheels. The coolest teardrops seem to have bigger tires with fenders.

Is there anyway to upgrade those to bigger 14 or 15 inch wheels?

Thanks
Dave

I had a trailer made that had 12" wheels . I didn't like the look and wanted the trailer lowerd. I found a place that does axles and had a drop axle made for the trailer for $185.00. I think I got a steal. Pictures in my album...

[Leon]

You can probably aquire all the materials and cut them to fit, then hire a "welder on wheels" to come by and zap it all together. Materials for my frame, all the steel, coupler, springs, axles stubs, hubs and wheels and tires ran me about $350....

Dale

Mine is 2x2 tubing all around and cost me $280, and was built to fit the teardrop and not the other way around like a red trailer. That was with standard car size tires which I later upgraded with the whitewalls which were extra.

[mikeschn]

You're talking about this one, right?



Mike...

[Loader]

Jack referenced Vega wheels, found a set on ebay if someone is interested. I don't know if they would work on the HF trailer or not.

Vega Wheels

[Scooter]

I didn't plan to get larger wheels initially, but it was two years after I bought the HF that I decided to get a torsion axle with 14 inch wheels. So it wasn't as painful. Spent more in the long run, but the HF trailer got the project started early and was easy to upgrade.

[Longrifle Joe]

Many years ago, I built a trailer to haul birddogs. I used angle iron for the frame and had a friend weld it---but more to the point of your inquiry, I found an old Ford Falcon that had been junked, removed the front spindles and bought a piece of pipe the correct diameter and length, and had my friend weld those spindles into the pipe. Gave me an axle the exact width I wanted with the exact wheelsize etc. I wanted. I hauled that trailer all over the Southeastern USA with nary a problem, many thousands of miles.

Just a suggestion, but find a junker with the bolt pattern you want, remove the front spindles and weld them into a pipe the right size. Gives you a sturdy axle. As I recall, I used leaf springs from the rear end of another junked car and simply had hanger brackets welded into the frame----was cheap and worked for me.

Joe

[brian_bp]

I don't know how many cars have removable front spindles now which would be suitable for trailer use, but there is a modern replacement - rear spindles from front-wheel-drive cars. Many of these are bolt-on things, like many trailer axles, so they do not need to be welded to an axle tube (the tube or suspension arm could have matching plates welded to it instead).

The use of modern car components means no interchangeability with common trailer hub and brake components. This suggests that you either use a hydraulic brake actuator (expensive for teardrop), try to use a mechanical surge brake system with the parking brake cables, or go without brakes. I like brakes, but I understand that going without is common in small teardrops.

With spindles and hubs from a small car, suitably sized wheels and tires would be readily available.

[Dale M.]

Many years ago, I built a trailer to haul birddogs. I used angle iron for the frame and had a friend weld it---but more to the point of your inquiry, I found an old Ford Falcon that had been junked, removed the front spindles and bought a piece of pipe the correct diameter and length, and had my friend weld those spindles into the pipe. Gave me an axle the exact width I wanted with the exact wheelsize etc. I wanted. I hauled that trailer all over the Southeastern USA with nary a problem, many thousands of miles.

Just a suggestion, but find a junker with the bolt pattern you want, remove the front spindles and weld them into a pipe the right size. Gives you a sturdy axle. As I recall, I used leaf springs from the rear end of another junked car and simply had hanger brackets welded into the frame----was cheap and worked for me.

Joe

That's the hard way....... You can get spindle stubs at any good trailer supplier, they usually are standard 1 inch bearing size and will accept standard 5 on 4.5 spindles... They slide into a piece of 2x2 x.250 square steel tubing and you just weld the up....



If bolt pattern is not right for wheels you want, have spindled redrilled to exact pattern you want.

Dale

[Micro469]

You're talking about this one, right?



Mike...

Yes I am... forgot I posted here, Kinda suprised to see a pic of my trailer. I like the look of the larger tires.. 15", and having the drop axle makes it look cool without adding any height. Now... to get fenders....

[GregB]

Dale,

Am I missing something or are you saying that I can buy a pair of these spindle stubs and have them welded to the 2x2 tube and I'll have myself a longer axle? I've got the HF trailer and am building wider. I'd love to have a longer axle that I can attach to the leaf springs (although the hub would be a good 14" from the springs) and make my wheels outboard of the trailer rather than building wheel wells.

GB

[doug hodder]

Greg...yes you can pick up axle stubs and weld them into the length you want, note I said INTO..they slip inside the square tube, you'll need a whole new piece..you can't just weld them ONTO, by the time you cut off the old ones, you're axle will be too short, get a new piece of 2X tube...I've built a number of utility trailers this way...but, you don't get camber built into the axle by doing that, it's a true straight axle...might not be that big of a deal on a trailer of this size, I haven't worried about it before, but it won't be there. Doug

[angib]

Greg,

Overhanging the hub from the springs by 14" sonds a bit scary to me, so I thought I'd try to work out how far you could go.

To do this, I've made some assumptions:
- 14" from the spring to the centre of the wheel;
- 45% of the trailer's weight is on each wheel (ie, 10% hitch weight);
- max load is a 3g bump with a 1.5 factor - so 4.5g total.

On this basis the maximum gross (ie, loaded) trailer weight for various 2"x2" tubes is:
2"x2"x11g(~1/8") : 620 pounds
2"x2"x3/16" : 830 pounds
2"x2"x1/4" : 1000 pounds

So unless you're building light, you'll probably bend the axle on the first big bump.

Andrew

[GregB]

Andrew,

That is the 'seat-of-the-pants' conclusion that I came to last night. One big bump and my nice straight axle resembles a ramen noodle. Thank you very much for working it out for me. It is constantly surprising to me how a little lever goes a long way. It looks like I'm stuck with 12" wheels in wheel wells unless I extend the frame and perches outward.

GB