ATV Trailer build

[handirifle]

So I decided my previous half wood, half metal trailer with the 8" Harbor Freight wheels, that are ALWAYS going flat, just wasn't going to cut it any more. I had an old riding mower (minus the deck) that I wasn't using and sold it for $200, funds for the trailer build. I think that will pay for most of it, but not all, it depends.

So a local metal supply shop sells steel tubing at various diameters pretty darn cheap. For the main portion of this build I am using 1 3/8" x 3/16" steel tubing. Other portions will be 1 7/8" x 3/16". The smaller one fits inside the larger one and will be used for hinging. I am building it as a knock off of the DR Versa, single axle. I have managed to scrounge some parts from neighbors getting rid of their "junk". You know the old saying, one mans trash is another mans treasure. That applies here.

This is what got me started on the idea, and what the neighbor "donated".

There was also a set of tires and wheels to go with it, and that is part of my dilemma. I have taken apart one of the front suspension setups, and have the hub and spindle cleaned up, since it has been sitting outdoors for years. My issue is the rear tires, my preferred ones, are 10.5" wide as opposed to the fronts that are taller and 7" wide. The issue I have is the hubs/rims for the rear. They are metric but since I don't any metric measuring devices, they measure about 4 bolt on 5 1/6" circle. Plus the rear axle on the old quad had the bearings in the center of the axle, instead of wheel hubs, like the front.

I hope this makes sense.

This is the hub for the rears. The splined axle it goes on, measures .976", so the hubs could be drilled out to 1.00" fairly easy, but there are no bearings in these hubs, so I can't weld or bolt them to a standard axle.

And here it is in the wheel

So my question for you folks, is can anyone suggest a way that I can adapt this hub to some load bearing axle? I could probably get a steel rod or tube that I could weld these onto, it I had a load bearing pillow block style of bearing. It would have to be able to support substantial weight. Also I need another one of these wheel hubs.

I have scoured the internet and cannot find one. I also priced standard hubs (4 on 4" circle) but that requires new tires, and rims, which gets way outside of my budget.

Here's the trailer as it looked this morning.

And how it looks now

I am working out the details of the build as I go. I will make it a dump trailer, most likely using a hand crank winch, but have not worked out the details of the pivot system as yet. I am also leaning towards a sheet metal lining as opposed to something like wood or expanded metal. I will add bracing to the angled uprights, since I want the front and rear to be able to be removed for carrying longer material (logs, limbs etc). I will also add horizontal tubing at the elbows of the angled uprights, from front to back, and braces on the outside of the uprights for support when the ends are open.

I will use the 1 3/8 inside the 1 7/8 tubing as a pivot hinge, and will also use the 1 7/8 tubing as the main tongue and adapt it to a 1 7/8" ball for connecting to the quad or mower.

 

[Gebada22]

Thanks for the pics. Will be following closely as I need to start a similar project. Have fun..

 

[Oldpath05]

When I made my ATV trailer, I found a small front wheel drive junk car with 13" wheels, that someone I knew didn't want anymore and was going to sell for scrap. I took the rear end spindles off that, there you have spindles, wheels, tires. My trailer has tandem axles, 4 tires, built back (97), changed tires a couple times, and used 13" tires are easy to come by.

 

[handirifle]

I want the wider, softer tires, like the rear ATV or riding mower tires. Worst case, I try to swap the ATV tires I have, for riding mower rear tires, but I prefer the ATV tires. I have the spindle for the front tires. It will require me machining them down to be able to use them, but they are only 7" wide and I want the rears, that are 10.5" wide. Our ground can get real soggy at times.

This is the front tire, next to the frame. I didn't take a shot of the rear tire, but it has a lower profile and wider stance. I CAN use the fronts, but am seeing if there is a way to use the rears.

They do NOT use the same hubs either, unfortunately.

 

[handirifle]

OK today's update. I added some horizontal braces at the elbow on the uprights. I also added cross braces at the bottom of the frame.

Here's another angle.

Here's one of the tires I WANT to put on it. You can see it's quire a bit different profile from the earlier one.

I one of the earlier pics you can see the hub for the wider wheel. I THINK I figured out a way to make this work. The inside of the wheel opening is just a smidge over 4" wide and I got to thinking that IF I can make a plate that fits into the wheel, and drill it for the existing wheel studs, then mark and drill it for a more common 4 on 4" hub,then I can bolt the plate to the wheel, and mount the wheel on a standard 4 on 4" hub.

Another method would be a ring inside the wheel opening, welded to the wheel. The ring could be marked and drilled to a 4 on 4 pattern. Since the wheel opening is basically 4" I think it would be fairly easy to mark and drill with a high degree of accuracy. I would only attempt this since this will be an "off road" setup, and top speed of 10-15.

My big road block is the wheels are aluminum and I cannot Tig weld. Now if I can find someone to weld it for me local, reasonably, it could still work. The first method would not require welding but is a little more awkward looking, but I don't care, as long as it works.

I am only considering this to keep costs down.

On the other hand, I MIGHT be able to sell these tires and wheels and buy a common sized set.

 

[handirifle]

I have decided to cover the bed in sheet metal, and I will add upright braces between the two horizontal bars right at the location of the floor cross braces. This will keep the sheet metal in place when junk gets tossed into the trailer.

 

[handirifle]

Question for you folks. I am still trying to figure out the "dump" portion of this trailer, and am not sure which method I want to use. I have seen several styles of tilting the bed. Some do it by pivoting on the wheels, some by building a sub frame that is connected to the tow vehicle and and the bed pivots from that. Anyone with experience/advice on this? Pro's cons?

 

[handirifle]

Oh yea, on the pivoting. I slipped the smaller tubing inside the larger one today, and there is way too much slop for me to use it as a hinge for the dump pivot point. So I will be exploring some options.

 

[Xfaxman]

Another option would be to drill the wheel to fit a hub with bearings in it.

 

[GLyford]

A little googling shows that 4-on-137mm (5.39") and 110mm (4.33") spacings are pretty common. I like a simple plate with bolts welded on at 137mm, and holes to go on a 4-on-4. No rim welding needed, simple and direct.

There's also a bunch of 4-on-4 hubs out there for gocarts and such with simple ball bearings that would mount directly on a plain axle, as opposed to a full trailer axle hub with tapered bearings that mounts on spindles. Might save you a buck or two.