Wheel spacers- I need more space :-(

[CARS]

For some reason, I can't add

I set the body on the trailer and I have about 1/8" between the tires and body... Not good.

I would be fine with 1/2" clearance. The lugs are long enough to get me there but how good of an idea would it be to use spacers??

Here's a pic of the hub. Note that it isn't a flat face like most hubs, it has "bumps" on them where the threads are. That means that the ring type spacer probably wont work. I was thinking more along the lines of large diameter washers.

[GeoDrop]

Can you solve this problem using a wheel with a larger offset?

For some reason, I can't add

I set the body on the trailer and I have about 1/8" between the tires and body... Not good.

I would be fine with 1/2" clearance. The lugs are long enough to get me there but how good of an idea would it be to use spacers??

Here's a pic of the hub. Note that it isn't a flat face like most hubs, it has "bumps" on them where the threads are. That means that the ring type spacer probably wont work. I was thinking more along the lines of large diameter washers.

[caseydog]

Using spacers is okay, but your bolts need to completely pass through the lug nuts when tight. You can replace the bolts with longer ones, if necessary.

I had a similar situation, and I went with 15-inch wheels, but they are narrow, with shallow backspacing.

BTW, are those hubs okay? You may need to replace them -- they look pretty rough.

CD

[CARS]

I had the thought of different wheels, mainly because I wanted 13" or 14" wheels instead of these 12's. I started looking and was overwhelmed, so I put that thought aside.

The hubs spin fine and was planning new bearings after I sandblast the frame. Just haven't found the time.

Maybe after I sandblast the trailer, paint it, and permanently mount the body I will use spacers to move it around and in the meantime look for some bigger wheels with less backspacing

[CARS]

What if I do more than replace the bearings and just replace the hub??

Then I could go to a much more common 5 on 4 1/2" bolt pattern. That opens up all most all automotive rims as an option! Just need to see what my axle diameter is.....

[bobhenry]

I beat the lugs out of a hub once on the road.
( finger tightened lug nuts )

I walked into a mom and pop farm store and set it on the counter and crossed my fingers and out from under the counter came a complete hub assembly bearings dust cap and all right at $25.00. They had both 4 and 5 lug pattern.

I grabbed a small tub of wheel bearing grease and 3-4 cotter pins and installed the spare and was back on the road in 8 - 10 minutes

[dh]

Normally I would recomend a wheel adapter, which could give you 1''-3'' of spacing with or without changing lug patterns. They could be machined to deal with the ''bumps'' as well. However, that hub looks pretty beat.

[CARS]

Why does everyone say the hub looks bad? Sure, it cosmetically looks like crap, but even without the wheel on it, the hub spins effortlessly!

Fine, I will replace it....

One of the reasons the tear isn't done yet is that I am simultaneously doing a brake conversion on the tow vehicle. My '68 Dodge Dart. (well, that and I ran out of money...)

In the 60's, the Dodge/Plymouth A-body cars had a 5 on 4" bolt pattern and very, very small brake drums. I am converting my 9" front brake drums over to 10" discs. The 10" discs come from the '73 and up Dodge car line so it is a basic bolt-on swap. The '73-up cars went to a 5 on 4 1/2" bolt pattern so I need to buy new wheels for the car.

Since the car is now 5 on 4 1/2" and I can get 5 on 4 1/2" hubs for my trailer's 1" axle I can get away with carrying one spare tire!!!!! Woo Hoo!

Still need to find a rear end for the Dart with the same pattern, but I should be able to afford one in the next month or so. Only so much "fun money" to go around!

(note to self, make sure the spare fits the trailer, not just look good on the car. That would suck to have the right backspace for the car and not fit the trailer!)

[caseydog]

If the hubs are safe, you don't have to replace them. They just look really rough in your photo.

But, like you said, if you replace your hubs, you can choose a bolt pattern that gives you more wheel options.

CD

[dh]

Slow, I'll roll the dice and use deductive reasoning. No break, and that hub has been there a while, so I'd deduct it wasn't recently converted to a non break application, so rule out automotive hub. He mentions sandblasting the frame, so I bet it looks like the hub...

An old donar frame with a torsion axle???

Now, what vintage? Lug bolts, stud bumps??? CARS mentioned a liking for airstream a while back, Air stream's been using torsion axles for a long time. Am I even close?

[CARS]

It's an old pop-up camper frame. No brakes, tortion axle. Cheap.

[bobhenry]

It's an old pop-up camper frame. No brakes, tortion axle. Cheap.

Pop up trailers are heavy heavy heavy and the one I got hold of had rather stout hubs and suspension. I would not be the least bit concerned with using what is shown in the pics. A simple bearing inspection and repack if all looks good. You are probably wanting new tires perhaps a different series or profile would give you the needed clearance. Perhaps a visit to a good tire store would yield an answer and save ya some $$$$ to.

[Dale M.]

My only thought is if hubs cleanup and are acceptable to use is replace lug bolts with studs and nuts.... Always hated bolts, studs make it easier to hang spacer on and wheel on and start nuts....

Another solution to spacing tire/wheel out is custom made wheel with a "backspace " that gets you the clearance you need and not have to deal with spacers...

Dale

[CARS]

It's an old pop-up camper frame. No brakes, tortion axle. Cheap.

Pop up trailers are heavy heavy heavy and the one I got hold of had rather stout hubs and suspension.

This one is light. Becky and I lifted it up and put it on jack stands yesterday for blasting. The axle had a tag on it that says 1200 capacity. It might be too stiff. We will see what I weigh in at before I do anything with the hubs. If I come in at half that weight it is going to bounce like crazy.

If that is the case, I will just order a new axle a couple inches longer with 5 lugs.

If I was counting my time in modifying this trailer, it would have been cheaper to buy the TSC trailer

[dh]

Pop up frame was my second guess. Thats why I'm not a detective


If I counted the value of my time to be what my employer does, by the time I'm done, counting time spent researching, searching out bargans on parts, and building I will have been able to have bought a monster 5th wheel, and a TV to pull it. Then I'd have to get another job for gas money.