How about aluminum car wheels for trailer??

[Hardcrab]

I'm picking up a new aluminum trailer from the factory this Friday.
In my quest to rustproof all of the steel items with POR 15 before it ever gets dunked the first time, I come to the painted steel wheels.

It occurs to me to go to the junkyard and find some fugly factory aluminum wheels at a good price to replace the steel wheels and be done with the issue instead of doing the POR 15 thing to the steel wheels.

I'm not after "style" at all, I just want a solid rust proof function at a good price.

Am I barking up the wrong tree?

What I don't have is a feel for any possible strenght issue with car wheels, (I doubt it -- cars weigh more than boats), and the mechanical fit.

I've read here that the factory wheel is based on the "Ford" pattern.
Can someone verify that?
Do you think I have to be picky in my selection beyond the 15", 5 bolts - 4 1/2" hole space?
I'd prolly have to look at any off-set and rim width issues also.
Will the bigger center hole diameter over the hub play into it if the aluminum wheels come from a Ford?

I'm sorry for so many questions, and thanks to anyone with suggestions/opinions/facts on this plan.

[Jamie79]

If you find a set it should work, most 18 wheelers have aluminum wheels. May need to be cautious about the weight, certain tow vehicle certainly out weigh a MAC but they have 4 wheels to balance that weight. If its a dual axle I think it would be fine.

[TAW02]

Interesting thread. Would like to do the same now that you mention it.

Trouble is ... matching up the right rim for the job is a lot of trouble. Many points to consider including the rims center hole size.

try this site; http://www.roadkillcustoms.com/hot-rods ... tabase.asp

If we know what vehicle the trailer rim would bolt to, we could then cross it over to the equivalent automobile/truck for the desired aluminum rim.

Tom

[seahouse]

You certainly will achieve a “rust-proof” situation. You certainly will not achieve a “corrosion-proof” configuration by doing this. Of course, I’m speaking of the term “rust” being limited to ferrous metals, while “corrosion” is more universal to all metals.

The suspension, frame, and certain body panels on my own car are aluminum, and when they find this out, people keep telling me that it must be a rust-proof car. Yes, but NOT corrosion proof!

Aluminum is well-known for its corrosion resistance by forming an oxide layer (through a process which is, you guessed it, corrosion) which halts further corrosion, but that happens only if the surface is not significantly disturbed by physical or chemical action. Add a chemical vehicle (ie salt water) and/or some friction, as occurs on a trailer between bolts, rivets and fasteners, and the corrosion marches on.

But it does depend on the alloy and fasteners that are chosen, and a ton of other variables.

Particularly if you’re repeatedly immersing the wheels in salt water, I’d be surprised to see them go a longer period of time than steel before you see rim leaking. The salt solution gets trapped in the “pumping” (which happens with every rotation) of the rim-rubber interface and the corrosion will happen continuously until it creeps and wedges its way to the interior of the tire, which will start the leaking.

You can decrease the progress of this by painting the tire-contact area of the rims of both alloy and steel. But make sure it’s good and dry before the tires are mounted, because the rim contact gook won’t always fill any damage in soft paint that happens from mounting.

Winter tires are customarily mounted on steel rims for a number of reasons, but I’ve found that painted steel rims will take years of constant salt bathing (winter) to rust through along the margins before they leak.

I live in the snow belt (salt solution constantly soaking wheels all winter), and have had two complete sets of wheels for every car I’ve owned, one with winter tires, one with summer tires (“All Season” tires only means all season in the southern states). The last car I got would not take steel rims (extreme offset, and caliper size) for the winter tires, and I had to go with alloy wheels, so I painted the rubber/rim contact area before installation, and, touch wood, I’ve been lucky with no leaks after several years.

Also note that farm tractor tires with steel rims are frequently filled with a calcium chloride (=salt) solution, (very corrosive) and last decades before leaking due to corrosion.

Good luck with this Hardcrab. I’d like to hear how this works out both short and long-term.

- B.

[dennisneal]

Trailer tires are very different from car tires. For one thing they have much stronger sidewalls in order to minimize sidesway. I'd want to make sure that if you buy car wheels for your trailer that you can find trailer tires to fit them.

[Highlander]

Ya know why people put winter tires on steel rims besides being cheaper to buy !! . Because once the salt starts attacking the Alum rims you'll be consantly airing up your flat tires !!

J

[raycarlson]

they won't corrode any more than your aluminum traler does. and they seem to be holding up fairly well compared to the OLD steel trailers which are actually falling apart.the cast alum rims have no weld joint or seams like the steel rims and are normally sealed with a clear coat so no place for salt to hide in,should be fine with a spray down after coming out of ramp.most all rims have a GVW weight stamped on back side of rim you can use for strengh worries. backspaceing to match up to your fenders will be the biggest hurdle.

[Hardcrab]

Thanks for all the info so far.

I'm running into something that is confusing, perhaps someone can chime in from experience.

Going to various sites that sell "trailer" aluminum wheels, an often recurring diameter for the larger center hub bore seems to be 3.19". One could surmise that it is almost a "standard" size.
However, I do recall seeing a few 3.25" bores listed.
The 5 bolt, 4 1/2" seems to be popular/standard also.

When I go to the wheel sizing chart site suggested above by TAWO2, (thanks, the perfect tool), most of the Ford sizes are listed as a 70.3 mm hub bore for the 5 bolt 4 1/2" wheels.

My math shows 70.3 mm to be just 2.77", and further math shows the "trailer" wheels (at 3.19") = 82.55 mm bore size.

Nothing on the wheel chart even comes close to this diameter???
Is it possible that no auto wheel will fit on a trailer because of the center hub diameter???

That makes no sense.
But if it does, then I'm dead in the water before I even start.

Perhaps I'll just need to wait until I get the new trailer home and take a wheel to the junkyard and see what's really up.

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

I have Alumn. wheels on my 1999 original Iron 'X' trailer, and so far, no problems. I dont trailer the boat often, since we have a slip full time.
I've trailered the boat several times, and I'm always concerned about the torque issue since the alum-wheels are softer metal than the steel lugs...I tighten (check) the lugs before, sometimes during a trip, making sure of being snug. I also use cap-covered lugs...

Once upon a time (with prev. steel rims), I lost my starboard side wheel at 55 mph...all 5 lugs sheared off the steel rim -- totally my fault for not tightenin' properly. Fortunately, no damage issues. It was a good lesson on tightening lugs properly ! !

Good luck on the new Alumn. Trailer -- youll have less concerns about "rust" issues.

[trip01]

Can buy al trailer rims over here. Had em on our last trailer. They are painted white. Seen em on caravans also.
My concern with std car rims would be the Load Index rating. Our Mac tyres are rated 2640lbs/1200kgs (8 Ply) which equates to a
Load Index of 114.
The best I was able to purchase here was Load Index of 112. The profile in 70. Unable to find 75 in the 15"rim.
See link for Load Index guide (in KGs)
http://www.bobjane.com.au/load-speed-ratings.html

Convert to lbs...
http://www.manuelsweb.com/kg_lbs.htm

In summary my msge is to obtain heavy duty rims that accept/suit 114 load index tyres.

Kind Rgds
Dave
08 al trailer

[bartmac]

Same here..bought 2 x white alum trailer wheels with the load rating cast into them "1480 kgs" and fitted the highest load rating tyres I could find....still a bit unsettling the thought of all that boat on only 2 wheels so they might as well be the best I can find c/w new bearings etc....2 sets one set sealed and packed....just in case....I might not be Irish...but as the saying goes....to be sure to be sure etc etc And for the Australian owners......the bearings and seals are not stocked by every town.....my second set of seals took 4 months to arrive.....funny very old US ford sizes