Small trailer wheels

[Bros]

Hi all I have someone who wants to buy my 3.5m Dinghy and 15HP motor and he asked me if you can tow this trailer 400K at highway speed. I said I didn't know but I would put new tyres on it and do the wheel bearings and I can't see a problem.

Anyone got any opinions?

[johncar]

Well it's a hard one without knowing the condition of the wheels etc and type and soforth. I remember that there were some of the smaller Ally wheels that didn't travel at highway speed that well or for very long at least. These had the bearings pressed into the Ally wheels from memory and would flog out fairly quickly. If your wheels bolt on to a cast iron hub with tapired roller bearings it should be fine for the trip

I think you can only tell the buyer what you know about them and if you put new tyres on and service the bearings it's up to the buyer to make a judgement re the trip.
If it all goes ahead just suggest to the buyer to pull up at regular intervals and check the wheels for any abnormalities or heat buildup. If they are good for the first 50-100kms they should be fine for the rest.

[Lancair]

pull up at regular intervals and check the wheels for any abnormalities or heat buildup


This should be commonsense, I do it towing my boat on the highway.

[oldboot]

I made some serious enquiries anout this sort of stuff a while ago.

firstly, there is no problem with the bearings themselves even with 9 inch wheels the bearings are well within spec way above legal speed.

Some of the smaller aloy wheels do have speed restrictions stamped on them.

I have some 9 inch wheels here that have "100KPH maximum speed" stamped on them...I would not be overly keen on long highway runs with them.... but they should cope adequately if they are legaly able to be used.

The main reason for failure though is poorly serviced bearings.

If the lube fails and the bearings are direct into alloy hubs, I can see real problems.

Run bearings dry at higway speeds and they will get red hot and possibly melt the aluminium.

I can not remember ever traveling up the north coast highway and not seeing some sort of trailer on the side of the road with a tyre or bearing failure.

Fresh clean grease solves many problems.

cheers

[White Pointer]

G'day,

Anything registered for the road has to be able to run continuously at legal highway limits. If a tyre carries the words "not for highway use" or something similar it's not on.

Generally a "P" or "C" rated tyre is used for trailers and provided you can fit one these types you should have a sale.

When you sell a vehicle in Queensland, and a trailer is a vehicle, you have to provide the buyer with a "vehicle safety certificate". You can get this from a Queensland Transport Authorised Inspection Station - provided it passes inspection. If it doesn't you have to spend money. If it doesn't and it is "unsafe" the inspectors are duty bound to prevent you from driving/towing it away unless it's on the back of a truck.

Regards,

White Pointer

[TheRealAndy]

G'day,

Anything registered for the road has to be able to run continuously at legal highway limits. If a tyre carries the words "not for highway use" or something similar it's not on.

Generally a "P" or "C" rated tyre is used for trailers and provided you can fit one these types you should have a sale.

When you sell a vehicle in Queensland, and a trailer is a vehicle, you have to provide the buyer with a "vehicle safety certificate". You can get this from a Queensland Transport Authorised Inspection Station - provided it passes inspection. If it doesn't you have to spend money. If it doesn't and it is "unsafe" the inspectors are duty bound to prevent you from driving/towing it away unless it's on the back of a truck.

Regards,

White Pointer

Trailers under 750kg GVM do not need a saftey certificate to register or transfer rego.

[Scott79]

beat me to it Andy RE: ATM

[oldboot]

There should be no issue with " not for highway use" tyres, that is pretty obvious.

Thus any legal tyre should cope with the speed.

But many of the alloy trailer wheels have conditions printed on them

like

"trailer use only"

Specific maximum speeds, 100KPH is common

specific maximum preasures often 40 PSI.

specific load ratings

"trailer use only" appears pretty explanatory, but it indicates the wheel is not as strong as a wheel fit for a car...

The specific maximum speed at 100KPH, realy is an issue when some of the roads are 110KPH roads and it is very common for people to travel faster than that.

the specific maximum tyre preasures impact on the tyres load rating.....the tyre may be rated at a specific capaity at 60psi, but can not achieve that on that rim.
Consider a large persentage of boat trailers are overloaded, this can be an issue too.

If all is well, within spec and the bearings are properly maintained there should be no problem going the distance with the pissy wheels... but I would not be winding it up to 120kph pluss in those passing lanes.

cheers

[White Pointer]

Trailers under 750kg GVM do not need a saftey certificate to register or transfer rego.


G'day,

I stand corrected and rightly so. Never assume anything.

Regards,

White Pointer

[Bros]

I should have said they are bolt on wheels with Holden bearings not they type with the integrated bearings.

[finga]

They'll be fine then if you doing the new bearings and tyres.
Are they 10 inch or 9 inch?

Just make sure there's a spare just to be on the safe side of things.
Don't forget that bugger Murphy. If there's a spare he won't need it. If there's no spare he'll need one

The 8 inch ones with the integral bearing are better at slower then highway speeds for that length of time but you have hubs so no problem.

[oldboot]

If you have 9" rims on holden bearings and stud pattern, and this guy wants to kill some meters, it is probable that 12" rims can be fitted by fliping the axle under the springs and maybe some minor adjustemts:smash: to the mud guards.

The diameter of 9 inch tyres is not all that much smaller than 12" tyres.
But the 12 inch rims gives you access to better choices of rim and tyre.

cheers

[Noelm]

the old 600X9 tyres are fine, most are 8 ply, plenty of trailers with big boats on them travel miles and miles on them, just make sure they are well inflated, the difference in diameter between those and standard 13" Holden wheels is not all that much (not that it means a lot) make sure the bearings are OK and wave good bye as he leaves.

[cormorant]

Hi all I have someone who wants to buy my 3.5m Dinghy and 15HP motor and he asked me if you can tow this trailer 400K at highway speed. I said I didn't know but I would put new tyres on it and do the wheel bearings and I can't see a problem.

Anyone got any opinions?


Just tell him nicely it is his problem and all at his cost if he is at all worried just tell him to bring his box trailer , car trailer , some straps and you'll help him load it as it is a small boat. He can assess it with his professional mechanic should he wish to tow those distances in the future..

Make sure you have on the receipt as is where is and keep a copy so there is no comebacks not that there should be any. I always ave 2 copies of the receipt with all details of both buyer and seller signed by both rather than just the rego papers so everythong is writen in teh one spot and they have signed it.

As others have said it should be possible but truth is that people drive at 120km and you can never now how brainless they are and he probably wants to pick up 500kg of sheep droppings on teh way. /

The only problem I have had with smaller wheels is their poor balance and quality and them being heavily overloaded and not maintained. That is - mostly user error and them being used for the wrong application. They do run warmer from my experience so quality fresh grease is a must with em.

[Bros]

Thanks all. I have emailed him and said the collective wisdom of the Ausfish forum have given it the thumbs up after the tyres are changed and bearings repacked.

[Castaway]

Congrats on selling the boat. Do you want to start a new thread on reasons the other half'' should allow you to upgrade to a bigger boat?? ;)