Removing Boat Trailer Tyre

[mercthunder]

Hi all,

I am still quite a novice boat owner. I am looking to purchase a spare tyre for my boat trailer. It's a Ford 5 Stud wheel, however the shop needs to measure the stud pattern in order to provide me with the spare. The boat is too large to drive through their workshop so i would rather take one of the trailer tyres off an take it to the workshop to have it measured.

I have never jacked up a boat trailer before, so i am wondering where do i jack from to lift the boat trailer up? I imagine i need to chock the other trailer wheel both front and back, but i am unsure which part of the trailer i jack from. I am not very mechanical minded, so i am sure some people will respond with some names of component on the trailer i can jack from, but i literally will have no idea what this means. If someone could provide a picture that would help greatly as well :)

Thanks for the assistance all, its been a steep learning curve owning a new boat, but i have enjoyed it so far!

[552Evo]

Hi, The trailer will most likely have a pair of main chassis rails that travels front to back the length of the trailer. That's the place to jack the trailer up. But it depends on the trailer design as to access to the best position.
After securing/chocking the trailer you can look for jack access on that main chassis rail (bearing in mind the weight centre point of the whole boat/motor/trailer)
Once jacked up ( if you're leaving it that way for a while to get your tyre sorted) it would be wise to have a jack stand near the rear and toward the front #1 for safety and so the whole lot doesn't teeter off the jack for any reason while your not around.



Saltwater fishing, boat mad but has a job that gets in the way.

[Noelm]

Just buy a multi fit wheel in the right size, job done.....are you 100% sure it's Ford? if you are, then there is no need to measure anything.

[552Evo]

You could, make a template up from say cardboard and take it to the workshop, either press the template on the studs or take the wheel off to do it and draw the stud outline,,,
Or you could do a search on ford trailer stud sizes and determine it for yourself as in the link here
https://www.caravansplus.com.au/guides/how-to-measure-hubs-rims-and-tyres-a-48.html



Saltwater fishing, boat mad but has a job that gets in the way.

[mercthunder]

Just buy a multi fit wheel in the right size, job done.....are you 100% sure it's Ford? if you are, then there is no need to measure anything.
Ah thanks. Yea im sure it's Ford, i asked the boat shop i bought it from as they had put some new wheels on the trailer before they sold it to me...

I thought there might have been different patterns within the Ford 5 Stud category, but i could be wrong?

[Crunchy]

Evo on the money, cut a piece of cardboard with a hole in the middle for the stub, put a little grease on the lugs press cardboard on and hey presto pattern template.

[TheRealPoMo]

Jack it so the weight doesn't transfer to the jockey wheel. They bend.
Don't ask how I know that...

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[NomadNoosa]

Sorry to barge in on your thread Mercthunder, but I have a related question so thought I would ask here rather than start a new thread.
My trailer has those Meher mag rims (Quntrex traialer) that are ridiculously expensive to buy for a spare. Can I use a multifit rim (steel) with the same nuts and studs or are they tapered meaning I have to go and find an alloy rim?

Thanks and I hope my question isn't too stupid.

[Noelm]

Take a nut off and check to see if it's a standard taper kind, I don't think those "tube" kind of nuts are used much now.

[Spaniard_King]

Sorry to barge in on your thread Mercthunder, but I have a related question so thought I would ask here rather than start a new thread.
My trailer has those Meher mag rims (Quntrex traialer) that are ridiculously expensive to buy for a spare. Can I use a multifit rim (steel) with the same nuts and studs or are they tapered meaning I have to go and find an alloy rim?

Thanks and I hope my question isn't too stupid.

You can use a gal rim you just need to buy normal wheel nuts and ensure you never use normal wheel nuts on an Ally rim (Must use Acorn wheel nuts

[Spaniard_King]

Hi all,

I am still quite a novice boat owner. I am looking to purchase a spare tyre for my boat trailer. It's a Ford 5 Stud wheel, however the shop needs to measure the stud pattern in order to provide me with the spare. The boat is too large to drive through their workshop so i would rather take one of the trailer tyres off an take it to the workshop to have it measured.

I have never jacked up a boat trailer before, so i am wondering where do i jack from to lift the boat trailer up? I imagine i need to chock the other trailer wheel both front and back, but i am unsure which part of the trailer i jack from. I am not very mechanical minded, so i am sure some people will respond with some names of component on the trailer i can jack from, but i literally will have no idea what this means. If someone could provide a picture that would help greatly as well :)

Thanks for the assistance all, its been a steep learning curve owning a new boat, but i have enjoyed it so far!

Measure the wheel stud, if it is 1/2 " the wheel is FORD if its 7/16 then it could be HT or HQ holden

[Fed]

Scroll to the bottom.
http://www.trailersparesdirect.com.au/hubs-and-discs-and-drums/hub-drums/
Then measure the stud to adjacent stud with a ruler.

Why acorn nuts Garry?

[Spaniard_King]

Scroll to the bottom.
http://www.trailersparesdirect.com.au/hubs-and-discs-and-drums/hub-drums/
Then measure the stud to adjacent stud with a ruler.

Why acorn nuts Garry?

Normal steel Nuts do not have a large enough chamfered edge compared to Acorn nuts, Alloy wheels need the large chamfered area so the nuts will torque up correctly

[docaster]

Hi all,

I am still quite a novice boat owner. I am looking to purchase a spare tyre for my boat trailer. It's a Ford 5 Stud wheel, however the shop needs to measure the stud pattern in order to provide me with the spare. The boat is too large to drive through their workshop so i would rather take one of the trailer tyres off an take it to the workshop to have it measured.

I have never jacked up a boat trailer before, so i am wondering where do i jack from to lift the boat trailer up? I imagine i need to chock the other trailer wheel both front and back, but i am unsure which part of the trailer i jack from. I am not very mechanical minded, so i am sure some people will respond with some names of component on the trailer i can jack from, but i literally will have no idea what this means. If someone could provide a picture that would help greatly as well :)

Thanks for the assistance all, its been a steep learning curve owning a new boat, but i have enjoyed it so far!

Mercthunder, it would help if you put some pics up of your undercarriage.
With boat trailers i find it is better to jack the axle as close to the wheel as possible so you won't twist the trailer putting undue pressure on the boat.
Trailer brakes on
Chook the wheels
Position jack an take some weight off the wheel so you can still undo the nuts
Loosen wheel nuts but don't take off
Jack the wheel up to clear ground
Position jack stands to take the weight if the jack fails
Remove wheel
Place timber or stand under hub if your leaving the trailer incase

Regardless how you determine your spare you need to be able to change a wheel
Cheers

[Camhawk88]

As mentioned above, a piece of cardboard held up to the wheel nuts and a light tap to put the impression onto the card will do the trick.

However... If you have no idea how to change a wheel then a spare wont be much use to you.

[mercthunder]

Hi all,

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. Here are some pictures of the trailer. Can someone help point out the best place to Jack?

116210116211116212116213

[BOBOAU]

Mercthunder. Where are you ? I'd be happy to come around and help advice. Martin...

[mercthunder]

Mercthunder. Where are you ? I'd be happy to come around and help advice. Martin...

Hey thanks so much for the advise. I am in Western Sydney, How about you?

Feel free to shoot me a private message.

[BOBOAU]

Sorry mate. Up here on the Gold Coast. Good luck with it... Martin...

[mercthunder]

Sorry mate. Up here on the Gold Coast. Good luck with it... Martin...

No problem, thanks. Can anyone provide some insight on where the jack points are based on the pictures?

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[552Evo]

Hi I'd try here ( in attached pic )
You have to be careful the jack contact point doesn't slip off though.
And gauge where the centre of gravity is so the whole lot doesn't rock easily. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170913/e1f87a959c353d0cc4c612227c538cc8.jpg

At home I've got a trolley jack for this ( slip ) reason. It has a wide contact point.

Edit : and the main rail I'm pointing to in the pic is a good fit for a pair or stands as I mentioned in my earlier post - for safety.


Saltwater fishing, boat mad but has a job that gets in the way.

[Skusto]

I always just go straight under springs so the springs don't decompress. Minimal jacking. As per second picture.


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[swof63]

I always just go straight under springs so the springs don't decompress. Minimal jacking. As per second picture.


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I'd second Skustos answer, you'll need a trolley jack. Make sure the wheel can come out past the guards in its "as normal" level otherwise you may have to jack the "sprung" part of the trailer to allow the wheels enough drop to clear the guards.
Looking at yr pics you have drop axles, if you can't get under the spring plates I'd go on the axle as close as you can get to the springs. Not sure what's under the glossy green paint on yr trailer frame but if it ain't gal I wouldn't be jackin it.


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[mercthunder]

I'd second Skustos answer, you'll need a trolley jack. Make sure the wheel can come out past the guards in its "as normal" level otherwise you may have to jack the "sprung" part of the trailer to allow the wheels enough drop to clear the guards.
Looking at yr pics you have drop axles, if you can't get under the spring plates I'd go on the axle as close as you can get to the springs. Not sure what's under the glossy green paint on yr trailer frame but if it ain't gal I wouldn't be jackin it.


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Thanks for the advice. So basically i would be jacking on that square metal piece right? I think its called the fish plate? Do i have that correct?

[TheRealPoMo]

Another American painted steel trailer. ...sorry to give more worries but it will rust before your eyes in the saltwater .
Mine is all C section which is good but the light gauge tin work around the wheel arches and the runner mounts will be a problem. I coated mine in blue killrust paint a while back which seemed to help but it's going to be a running battle.

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[swof63]

Thanks for the advice. So basically i would be jacking on that square metal piece right? I think its called the fish plate? Do i have that correct?

I think they are rectangular but yep thems the ones. As I said they may be too low even for a trolley jack but start there and try the axles next.


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[mercthunder]

I think they are rectangular but yep thems the ones. As I said they may be too low even for a trolley jack but start there and try the axles next.


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Hi, so i tried this and it looks like my trolley jack is too high to fit under the fish plate. In regards to the rectangular axle in the picture, is it safe to jack along there? I worry that it could bend? Does a small, portable, low profile jack exist that i can carry with me in my car? All the ones i've seen so far are huge and too heavy to carry around as a portable item.

[Noelm]

You can jack under the axle, just do it close to the spring, lowest, lightweight Jack are those scissor wind up ones, they are small and OK for a trailer, if you are planning on taking a seperate Jack for the boat, make sure you also throw in a reasonable size bit of wood to use as a base when on the side of the road.