Trailer Wheels

[profdlp]

Any reason i couldn't put 13" wheels on here instead of the 12" I have now? I am looking to increase the weight capacity somewhat.

(Stipulating I get the right lug pattern.)

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[lfhoward]

That shouldn’t be a problem. People put larger wheels on trailers all the time on tnttt.com, the teardrop trailers forum I am a member on. It looks like yours is small enough not to have brakes, so that won’t be a consideration. You could flip the axle and give it a lift.

 

[Luke]

Oh I see what’s going on now … Profs trying’ to one up ya

Profs super awesome better than Mr Howard’s build thread … coming soon

 

[lfhoward]

Hey another off road trailer build would be awesome!

But a utility trailer can be darn useful too.

 

[profdlp]

My long term plan (should I both win the lottery and stumble across the Fountain Of Youth) is to upgrade to a larger trailer at some point. Then this one will either become a tiny teardrop or the other one will become a hillbilly camper.

Far Out!

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[profdlp]

...You could flip the axle and give it a lift.

How is that done? The way the axle is on there now I'm not sure where I would gain anything.

 

[LibertyTC]

I'm pretty sure you can go with a 13" rim with correct lug pattern.
Tire wise, the tire shop should be able to recommend the correct load rating based upon trailer weight.

 

[lfhoward]

How is that done? The way the axle is on there now I'm not sure where I would gain anything.

If the axle is bolted to the top of the leaf spring, you could flip it to the bottom of the leaf spring instead. That should get you a couple of inches of lift. If your trailer doesn’t have leaf springs, this idea won’t work though.

 

[profdlp]

Now I will have to go look, since I am not sure.

Someone should have warned me about trailers. It's almost as bad as the Jeep itself - every time I look at it I think of something new I ought to do. I am going to end up with Abraham Lincoln's axe if I am not careful.

 

[klc]

Keep some spare wheel bearings handy. If you work it hard you’ll go through several.

 

[profdlp]

Is there an easy rule of thumb for trailer capacity based on size and the tire capacity? My current tires are rated at 990 lbs each.

 

[lfhoward]

The axle itself also has a weight rating.

 

[profdlp]

There is a white sticker on the axle, though it looks like half the printing on it has been worn away. I can't find any kind of permanent plate on there which might tell me more. (It may be there, but I haven't found it yet if it is. After crawling around under there yesterday afternoon to redo the light wiring I would have thought I would have spotted it...)

On the bright side, the axle is above the leaf springs. I can see that get lifted at some point like you said.

 

[lfhoward]

There is a white sticker on the axle, though it looks like half the printing on it has been worn away. I can't find any kind of permanent plate on there which might tell me more. (It may be there, but I haven't found it yet if it is. After crawling around under there yesterday afternoon to redo the light wiring I would have thought I would have spotted it...)

On the bright side, the axle is above the leaf springs. I can see that get lifted at some point like you said.

If you know where the trailer came from, like Harbor Freight or Northern Tool or something, you can probably look up the axle specs based on the approximate build date.

Glad there is the potential to lift the trailer!

 

[u2slow]

The 5-on-4.5" pattern trailer axle basically tops out at 3500#. In the absence of weight markings, bearing size (or part numbers) could help narrow it down.