Wheel spaers on a tralier

1stgenxxx

1stgenxxx

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Location
Hudson
Anyone out there ever used wheel spacers on a tralier? I'm thinking about doing it unless someone has a horror story. I will be sure to tighten them to spec and use lock tight.
 
Wheel spacers on anything puts more stress on the bearings. I don't think it would be a good idea myself. If the tires are where you need to park just run you some tube across them and plate them. I have to park on my fenders to get the right tongue weight.
 
My axles are narow......I can barely fit my finger between the frame and the tires....It has the old 7.00x 15s on it. I not going to buy a new set of them and don't wanna change the axles. I can get wheels for 80 bucks and the spacers for 40 each. I allready have the tires. I will but new bearings all the way around and make sure I keep them lubed up.
 
I think his problem as he states, is the tires are too close to the trailer frame, nothing to do with fenders.

If your having to get rims, you probably can pick up a set with a different offset to make up the difference your looking for, while forgoing the cost and worries of a spacer.

(That said, I have run aluminum spacers with the lugs built in from Trail Sport, they make them in any pattern, without any noticeable increase in bearing/unit bearing wear after several thousand miles on a rig.)

I'd go with the wheel offset first, if your looking for that little bit of clearance.

J.R.
 
family xj said:
How about cutting the axle in half and add an inch or two and sleeve it
Click to expand...

I did this to mine and never had any issues. Been 3 years since and I even crawled under and did a thorough look over about a year ago for stresses and saw no problems. Was ALOT cheaper to buy Northern Tool preset width 5,000# axles, cut, sleeve and weld, than to buy custom 3500#'ers from local trailer factory. Came out close to $250 compared to like $500. Another guy told me he did his that way with no problems and gave me the idea so I did same.
The way I saw it was that with all the leverage, the center of the axle wasn't hauling but like 15%. When I mounted the halves I was able to hold the centers together bare handed under a pretty heavy trailer easily. I trust my welding enough to hold 7 or 800 pounds. :lol:
 
I know plenty of people who have used wheel spacers with no adverse effects....No bearing or hub wear. The only real problem I have seen is them comming loose and if checked frenquently shouldn't be a problem.
 
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