Wheel to wall clearance

[Aaron Coffee]

Currently have about 1/2 inch clearance(can just slide a piece of 1/2 ply between trailer and wheel), if I router the trim at the tire an extra 1/2 should this give me enough clearance. Leaf springs currently have 8" wheels but am going to switch to 12" wheels.

[Creamcracker]

Mine was about 3/4 inch and I put some spacers in got me another 3/8th of an inch.
Philip

[caseydog]

Mine are close, but not that close. Are your wheel studs long enough that you can put a spacer on and still have enough thread to hold the wheels.

In addition, I have 15 inch wheels, but they are 4.5-inches wide, with old-school VW beetle tires.

I have less than an inch between my tires and the walls, and have no problems. I have leaf springs, with a leaf removed for less firmness.

You are probably okay at 1/2 inch, but if you can use spacers or narrower rims/tires to get a little more space, it can't hurt.

CD

[PaulC]

You should always try to be a minimum of 1". That is a good rule of thumb.

Cheers
Paul

[Aaron Coffee]

Right now I have the lug bolts, but I do have screw in studs left over from build #1. Thinking of cutting the trim down by 1/2 in the wheel area(will be hidden by fender anyway)and also using 1/4 spacers.

[Arne]

I'd drive it and see if it rubs that badly...... then worry about it. If it shows little sign of hitting, I'd forget about it. A rubber tire hitting a flat surface once in a while won't cause any damage... but watch out for construction zones.

[Aaron Coffee]

Bought a pair of 12 inch rims and tires today. Put them on and it brought the clearance down to about 1/4 inch. Shoot had been thinking I could just get them to draw me up 1/4 or 1/2 spacers at work and cut them on the laser out of steel, but guess not? What other options do I have? 1 inch wheel adapters? New axle? widen this axle?

[caseydog]

Bought a pair of 12 inch rims and tires today. Put them on and it brought the clearance down to about 1/4 inch. Shoot had been thinking I could just get them to draw me up 1/4 or 1/2 spacers at work and cut them on the laser out of steel, but guess not? What other options do I have? 1 inch wheel adapters? New axle? widen this axle?

How much backspacing does the rim have? Can you get one with less backspacing?

You can use a thicker spacer, as long as you have long enough studs.

Otherwise, you could use that wider axle, or widen the one you have if you can.

CD

[Aaron Coffee]

Been thinking and looking around the net. I am leary of wheel adapters, because of the extra stress on the bearings. Will check new axles at TSC, they seem to carry a couple different lengths. So far lengthening current axle seems cheapest, the welders at work weld cheap, usually cost me a soda or two, and can have another guy mill out a piece of pipe to fit. But was searching on here and someone said that one shouldn't increase the hub to spring distance, is this true or would it matter when we are only talking an inch or two per side. Just off the top of my head would probably widen it 3 inchs or so, giving me an 1 1/2 per side clearance.

I guess if it was all too easy, it wouldn't be fun.

[bbarry]

Just my experience: I don't have much space between my tires and the spring mount channel, probably about 3/4" or so. I have about 1200 miles on my trailer so far with no troubles. I've faithfully inspected the tires and have seen no signs of any rubbing.

[bve]

But was searching on here and someone said that one shouldn't increase the hub to spring distance, is this true or would it matter when we are only talking an inch or two per side. Just off the top of my head would probably widen it 3 inchs or so, giving me an 1 1/2 per side clearance.

It might have been me that mentioned this, that was based on information from a supplier who recommended the spring hangers should not exceed 7" from the hub face. Was he full of it? I don't know, however I didn't doubt him since it seemed to make pretty good sense to me. I would imagine the capacity of the axle vs the weight of the load might dictate the safe margins, but I would rather defer to someone like Andrew with an engineering background.

Burke

[Cliffmeister2000]

It would seem to me that the problems would arise when (and if) you have a flat or a blowout while pulling the trailer. The tire will pancake on the road, and if it stays somewhat pancaked as it travels around, it might remove some trailer skin. I have not experienced this, but it seems a risk?

[Aaron Coffee]

Made 1/2" and 1/4" spacers at work on the laser(steel, didn't have any 3/4" drop), got the young tears fenders today and and a combination of a 1/2 and 1/4 spacer is going to give wall clearance and center the tire in the fender. Now I just have to figure out longer studs, have been looking at jegs and speedway and the more I look the confuseder I get. Have screw in studs now, and they are 1 1/4 and need about 2". Found some 3" press in that I had bought somehwere along the line, but 3" is longer than I would like. Think I will go to auto parts and pick their brains. Any thought Ideas, etc.
Thanks
Aaron
Pictures coming soon!

[Aaron Coffee]

Been thinking again, and am now back to thinking of widening the axle, as it would be easier to beef up the axle than worrying about the extra stress on bearings and wheel studs using spacers. I have access to tubing at work. I have approximately 4 to 5inchs from the spring hanger to the back off the hub.