I've had several trailers with them, ummm atleast three come to mind. Never had much problem just performed regular maintenace. Also had those trailers pass safety inspection with no issues or questions.

One thing I notice is that there are people who run the ancient old "Mobile Home Use Only" tires which as allready staed is a no-no...... remember that most of these axles are very old and so are those original tires that came on them!!! Why would people expect a tire that has been sitting under a hous trailer for years in the dampness and getting a flat spot to be ok to put back to road use??

Buy good replacemtn tires and you are in business, the one 16.5' x 8.5' flat bed I have with them now will probably get replacemnt hubs when it comes tme for new tires. I have one trailer that probably has seen....... 100 - 150,000 miles over the years?? couple different sets of new tires, couple sets of wheel bearings, all new backing plates, brake hardware and drums a few years ago. Never a problem.

 

A Dayton rim for a tractor or class 8 trailer is a different animal alltogether, the way they are mounted and secured to the hub assemblies are also completely different. A class 8 rim regardless of what type has to with stand a catostrophic tire failure and hold its shape long enough to negotiate a reasonably safe stop.

As others have stated, use a good set of tires and regular service intervals.

 

so is it a common problem for dayton rims to fly off on mobile home axles when flat?

 

It must be. Have you ever seen the lead trucks? They usually have ten or more spares ready to go. I personally have seen over ten of these trailers loose wheels going down the road, and I probably don't drive more than 5000 highway miles a year.

 

I guess I'm missing something here. Help me understand. If these tire/wheel combinations are legal to haul around a mobile home then how can they be illegal for any other application?

 

They are legal in many juristictions. I dont like them because I lost ten well maintained ones off 2 mobile homes when I was bringing them back from a job site.

 

looks like I'm staying away from mobile home axles on trailers...

too many folks saying rims comes off prematurely. not acceptable!

 

I have done a lot of work with a back hoe on a three axle trailer with trailer axles. They were ok if you stop as soon as one pops. That said, they are a cheap setup and I really dis like them. You are better with good axles.

 

so is it a common problem for dayton rims to fly off on mobile home axles when flat?

I don't think "flying" off is a wide spread problem, I would say that when one of these rims has a tire blow out that the rim and the way it is fastened to the hub are not designed to with stand the forces that it will encounter, hence the following chain of events, tire failure = rim disintigration and seperation = to much of a load on the next wheel assembly enabling another failure, and so and so on. Usually these events happen so fast that by the time you can stop an extensive amount damage is already done.

 

When mine came off it bent the axles, as I was doing about 70 when it happened. I do think it was chain reaction. One tire was missing, with the rim flattened, another I never found and the third was badly twisted and lodged under the trailer. I think with three axles there is a lot of side loading when turning, and this leads to poping the bead on the tire on this type of rim. Now you are driving with a flat and don't know it. Most new(non mobile home) trailer axles use wheels with a ridge next to the bead of the tire to help prevent this from happening. I have had other less dramatic problems with the mobile home axles, despite good maintenance.

 

I had a wheel failure, I'm not sure if it was caused by bolts that weren't tight enough, or too much weight on the trailer or a combination of both of those.


Mobile home style wheel failure.

 

that is why they are illegal, nothing to do with the axles, guys.....its the one way construction of the tires that makes them illegal for OTR