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Post by Teachndad on Dec 13, 2014 12:08:33 GMT -8
Hi I came up with an idea to save my trailer tires while my trailer, Andy, is stored on my driveway. I am considering removing my wheels with new tires on them and then bolting on two modern day space saver tires onto the hubs while it sits on the driveway. They seem to be fairly cheap on Craigslist. Then, the standard wheel could be stored inside while the trailer sits on the driveway.
I have seen images of people using them as a spare tire when driving, so if the cost is fairly cheap, I thought it might be cheaper in the long run to pick some up on Craigslist.
If anyone is using one, I could use some references for manufacturers. Are these spares off of domestic vehicles, or would foreign make spares work? I know it depends on the measured bolt and hole patterns.
Can I assume because these spares are narrow, they should all fit in the fender well if the bolt pattern is correct?
Also, I do know to cover or shade the tires with just about anything so as to reduce the UV destruction of the rubber.
comments please.
thanks
Rod
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poncho62
Junior Member
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99 Springdale 5th Wheel
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Post by poncho62 on Dec 13, 2014 13:28:48 GMT -8
5 lug trailer wheels are the same bolt pattern as Ford and Dodge wheels used on rear wheel drive cars of the 60s-70s...5x 4 1/2 inch. Finding space saver spares with that bolt pattern shouldnt be hard...You would have to watch the back spacing of the wheel/tire, so it doesnt hit the spring
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Ten
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70 Shasta 16SC + 1964 Airflyte
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Post by Ten on Dec 13, 2014 15:51:21 GMT -8
Rod, you may be way overthinking this....they come along pretty cheaply on CL all the time. Pick up a couple for cheap and slap them on. If they don't fit throw them back on CL and look for two more....If the lugs fit then tighten them so they don't fall off. You aren't going to be towing anywhere,just moving around the driveway, right? If it is not flopping around and thumping when you move there is little likelihood of anything getting damaged. You could of course protect the tires from the sun when it is parked for a period of time. You don't need anything fancy, just a slice of plywood or something that won't blow away, and give them some shade. It is possible to do this, I am sure, because I have one on my Airflyte, as one of the original tires was completely gone. By the way, I do think this is a great idea to protect the investment one has to make in the road tires.
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Post by Teachndad on Dec 14, 2014 11:29:56 GMT -8
5 lug trailer wheels are the same bolt pattern as Ford and Dodge wheels used on rear wheel drive cars of the 60s-70s...5x 4 1/2 inch. Finding space saver spares with that bolt pattern shouldnt be hard...You would have to watch the back spacing of the wheel/tire, so it doesnt hit the spring Thanks Ten and Poncho, I found this website, mechdb.com/index.php/Wheel_bolt_patterns, that shows the bolt patterns for many vehicles, both foreign and domestic. You can also sort by the different columns. In my case, I found some 94 Ford Mustang space saver spares on Craigslist for $10 each from the same seller. I looked up the 94 Mustang bolt pattern and it matches the bolt pattern diameter of 4 1/2" bolt pattern that Poncho mentions. They should fit my trailer, Andy's hubs. BTW, the European equivalent to 4 1/2" is 114.3 mm. This page may be helpful as well www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=92Cheers Rod |
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Post by Teachndad on Dec 20, 2014 22:12:11 GMT -8
Well, I did purchase those spares from the Mustang owner. Images are below. I bought both for $20 and I spent $12 in gas picking them up and returning home. Not bad for a total of $32 I just put them on today and the bolt pattern was correct. One of the spares has a hairline crack on the sidewall all the way around, but since it's going to spend it's life sitting on the driveway. i don't care. I have a bottle jack supporting part of the rear of the trailer that I use to prevent tipping the trailer which will be there always, just in case the tire side gives way. The other spare is crack free and it sits on the curbside. See images below. The normal sized tires were bought back in October and now they go into the rear storage room in a controlled environment. I lowered their pressure to less than 10 psi. The overall height of the trailer dropped by 1 1/4" with PSI maxed at 60 psi. If someone wanted to drop more to make it fit under a given height, you could lower the pressure a lot to "buy" some clearance. Then just leave them at a low pressure. There was a huge amount of tire clearance in the wheel wells. No issues with rubbing up against anything. cheers Rod    |
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John Palmer
Senior Member
Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on Dec 21, 2014 13:09:04 GMT -8
Rod, I might be jumping the gun a little, but........When you start reconstructing......."make sure" you have the trailer frame "leveled", and also sitting on four jack stands, four jack stands and the wheels on is even better. Two tires, plus a single jack in the front and rear, is not going to cut it. The frame and floor are very flexible when the wall/paneling side structure is out of a trailer. You want the frame and floor to remain totally flat as possible during the time you are re-fitting all the parts and walls back on to the trailer. It's the only way the door and window opening will remain square.
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