Truck wheels on a trailer?
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,901
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From: On the Farm, Manitoba
One thing to watch for is the offset. Trailer wheels have the wheel center in the center of the rim or very close, while vehicles are off set to the outside. This moves the tire inwards. You could install a trailer wheel on a truck as the tire would move out but you put a truck rim on a trailer and it will probably rub on the inside. 16 inch Ford, Chev and Dodge all have the same bolt pattern 8 on 6 1/2 if I remember but the offset is different Dodge to Ford. The Dodge rim has more offset than the Ford and I think the Chev is the same as Ford. I don't think a Dodge rim would work but a Ford or Chev might. It would depend on how much clearance you have now between the tire and the trailer frame.
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Joined: Mar 2006
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ghenges,
I agree that a steel wheel will deform farther than an aluminum one will before breaking. But not accepting aluminum wheels because some have broken during severe crashes is a bit of a stretch. Are you saying that parts should not fail during a crash? How severe of a crash? Should we try to rate wheels for how severe of a crash they can withstand instead of how much weight they can safely carry on the highway? I'll go with the weight rating since the crash rating may be hard to define and test. Plus there are so many other problems after a crash.
Not trying to get on your case here, just being practical. I'm sure neither of us would run anything we knew to be weak or underrated. And steel wheels are better in some rocky four wheeling applications because you can hammer them back out if dinged. I favor the aluminum ones, if they are the same strength, because they look so much better and are more corrosion resistant.
As far as side loading is concerned, yes, I wonder how that plays into the overall weight rating. A heavy triple axle doing a U turn on pavement or turning sharply out of a driveway can really load the center area just outside the bolt circle. I'm just not aware that breaking wheels is a common problem or connected with a certain model.
I agree that a steel wheel will deform farther than an aluminum one will before breaking. But not accepting aluminum wheels because some have broken during severe crashes is a bit of a stretch. Are you saying that parts should not fail during a crash? How severe of a crash? Should we try to rate wheels for how severe of a crash they can withstand instead of how much weight they can safely carry on the highway? I'll go with the weight rating since the crash rating may be hard to define and test. Plus there are so many other problems after a crash.
Not trying to get on your case here, just being practical. I'm sure neither of us would run anything we knew to be weak or underrated. And steel wheels are better in some rocky four wheeling applications because you can hammer them back out if dinged. I favor the aluminum ones, if they are the same strength, because they look so much better and are more corrosion resistant.
As far as side loading is concerned, yes, I wonder how that plays into the overall weight rating. A heavy triple axle doing a U turn on pavement or turning sharply out of a driveway can really load the center area just outside the bolt circle. I'm just not aware that breaking wheels is a common problem or connected with a certain model.
It was not my intention to outright dismiss aluminum wheels for heavy trailer applications.
You are absolutely correct, my observation of aluminum wheels breaking entirely off vehicles in crashes is entirely anecdotal and totally lacking scientific merit. The observation was stated merely as a factor to be considered as lateral forces on a wheel would "appear" to much greater in tandem or triple axle applications than in single axle light truck use.
-------------------------------------
Have you ever broke the center out of a steel wheel?
We have.
Fabricated a couple heavy duty bale wagons for use on the farm years ago. Used 8 bolt steel wheels off a 3/4 ton pickup.
Baling hay running laterally on an 10 percent grade, wagon was nearly full when a wheel center parted overturning the wagon.
Welded in 3/8" steel plate to back up centers and never had another problem.
This indicates that for on the highway one must be absolutely certain when mixing and matching components. You most likely won't get another chance to engineer it correctly.
I can butt weld a coat hanger and am so confident in my skill as to be flown by helicopter over the mountains hanging by that coat hanger. But, I would never entrust anybody else's life to my coat hanger weld.
.
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,901
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From: On the Farm, Manitoba
I can butt weld a coat hanger and am so confident in my skill as to be flown by helicopter over the mountains hanging by that coat hanger.
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: St.Paul , MN
Good discussion on wheels. I work part time in a trailer shop and we just fixed a new very large 5th wheel travel trailer that the guy had installed some nice new truck wheels.
In less than 1000 miles he had smoked the bearings out of 2 hubs. He had these fixed on the road. Then about another 500 miles he did it again and took the spindles with the bad bearings. New axel and he was on the way. Short story he went thru all 6 of the hubs and a new axel before we got it. Come to find out that the nice truck wheels had an inch of offset to the outside so the wheels were out farther. This loads the smaller outer bearing and it gets hot quick. Anyway the factory rep for his trailer bent over backwards to help out and waranteed the axels and hubs but issued a fair warning not to reuse the wheels.
It's best not to use truck wheels unless they have a 0 offset.
I use truck tires and trailer wheels on my GN and keep a close eye on them. Even with a heavy load they are far over from being overloaded. There are not any handling problems and they don't get hot at all. Braking is great and really good when wet.
We don't do this in the shop however. Trailers get trailer tires.
In less than 1000 miles he had smoked the bearings out of 2 hubs. He had these fixed on the road. Then about another 500 miles he did it again and took the spindles with the bad bearings. New axel and he was on the way. Short story he went thru all 6 of the hubs and a new axel before we got it. Come to find out that the nice truck wheels had an inch of offset to the outside so the wheels were out farther. This loads the smaller outer bearing and it gets hot quick. Anyway the factory rep for his trailer bent over backwards to help out and waranteed the axels and hubs but issued a fair warning not to reuse the wheels.
It's best not to use truck wheels unless they have a 0 offset.
I use truck tires and trailer wheels on my GN and keep a close eye on them. Even with a heavy load they are far over from being overloaded. There are not any handling problems and they don't get hot at all. Braking is great and really good when wet.
We don't do this in the shop however. Trailers get trailer tires.
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Joined: Aug 2008
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From: West Michigone
My Day job is building CUSTOM APPLICATION TRAILERS
everything from 6k GVW thru 125k GVW with our products running tires anywhere from 235/75R15 up to 425/65R22.5
IMO for regular use stick with real trailer rims and Good Trailer tires (read Goodyear, Michilen, Dunlop, ect)
Stay away from the Hong Kong Specials
DO NOT risk safety for looks
If you are only using it OFF ROAD such as Farming, cutting fire wood, ect
use what you wish but keep it off the road
and yes the offset is different on trailer rims for a reason...
keeping things centered over the bearings
when ever I design and build anything that hits the road I always ask myself this:
Do I want My Wife and Kids behind this piece of equipment at 70mph with a 50% OVERLOAD on it?
and with that I bid you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR
everything from 6k GVW thru 125k GVW with our products running tires anywhere from 235/75R15 up to 425/65R22.5
IMO for regular use stick with real trailer rims and Good Trailer tires (read Goodyear, Michilen, Dunlop, ect)
Stay away from the Hong Kong Specials
DO NOT risk safety for looks
If you are only using it OFF ROAD such as Farming, cutting fire wood, ect
use what you wish but keep it off the road
and yes the offset is different on trailer rims for a reason...
keeping things centered over the bearings
when ever I design and build anything that hits the road I always ask myself this:
Do I want My Wife and Kids behind this piece of equipment at 70mph with a 50% OVERLOAD on it?
and with that I bid you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR
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