17.5" Wheels

[civilian]

Following along to hear the end result. Good luck in getting it resolved properly. Jon

 

[3Ts]

Here's the outcome:

This has become quite stressful as evidenced by my blood pressure noted earlier. So I shared the problem with one of my Masonic brothers and he prayed for me and I prayed for a good resolution this morning before I left the house. I feel much calmer now. I stopped in at the dealer unannounced with one hub and 3 hub/wheel sets. Showed them what the situation was, and they agreed there was a problem.

• First, they wanted to just replace the lug nuts and that running them up and down the studs would clean up the threads. I didn't accept that.
• 2nd they offered to replace the studs with 5/8 studs and flat lug nuts. I declined that as well (more on this later)
• 3rd they offered to replace the studs with 9/16 studs or to replace the hubs. I accepted this and told them either one works for me or even a mix of the two.

They pulled the hubs, bearings and seals from their shelves and got the bearings greased and hub assembled. Everything back in the bed of the truck and on my way home in an hour and a half.

My speculation:

If they'd provided the 5/8 studs and the flat lug nuts at the beginning, I don't think there'd been any issue that I would have picked up on. Hubs with 5/8 studs are available from Dexter, but I suspect they did not have any in stock and they'd have to order a pallet of them so they used what they had and hoped for the best.
Same with the wheel rims. They did not have any in stock and would have had to order a pallet worth, so they made do with what they had. I also suspect that the 17.5 wheels are not requested very often if at all, in spite of the "We do this all the time"

Here's what I have:

It became apparent early on that getting the right wheel rim was going to be a real fight and probably end up with lawyers involved. Iv'e gone the route of getting lawyers involved in a dispute before and both sides end up losing. I considered the cost of getting a lawyer and decided to bite the bullet and get this resolved instead of dragging this out.
So, I ordered a set of 16" rims with the chamfer on the lug holes and tires from etrailer. They arrived in 3 days! I'm impressed and they seem to be everything they're advertised to be, but Iv'e not gotten them installed yet. (4400# rating at 81 mph, seems better than the 4800# and 60 mph rating of the 17.5 wheels) When I went to put them on is when I discovered the lug nut issue.

The lug nut issue seems to be resolved, I'll know for sure when I get everything installed tomorrow, but I do not expect any difficulties. The hardest thing I'm expecting is to get them out of the truck, they're heavy, but I have a forklift on my tractor and I can call neighbors if needed.

The downside:

The 16" wheels were not cheap, but probably cheaper than a lawyer so I'm ok with the cost. However, this year has been difficult and has seen our finances take a hit. There are many worthwhile charities and other non-profits around here that we help fund. However, that wheel money has to come from somewhere and the funding of charities is it. I feel bad that we're not able to help as much as we usually do, but sometimes life gives you lemons.

Other notes:

I heard back from PJ Trailer warranty and they said that since the dealer modified the trailer from their shipped configuration, everything is on the dealer. Essentially, they've washed their hands of it.

While we were there, I heard that delivery dates for trailers are now out into February.

So I have all the pieces and parts now working as they should, just have to get it all reassembled and I'll have the trailer in working order a month after I purchased it.

For what it's worth don't try to put 17.5" wheels on a 7K axle no matter what the salesman tells you. I now have 5 new 17.5" wheels and tires I'll be putting on Craigslist for a really good price.

 

[two_bit_score]

Not Legal Advice > The thing about the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA) is that the plaintiff is allowed to collect 3 times the damages and attorney fees. So usually a simple letter stating what is needed to resolve the dispute, as outlined above very reasonably citing the DTPA, should be met by the dealer with reasonably prompt acceptance. Under DTPA they must be given an opportunity to meet the demand for proper repairs.

I would verbally ask the dealer to do what was outlined above and specify a reasonable completion expectation. If they refuse, go to a written request. Then if they refuse, proceed to do as specified and let the attorney file suit.

This is just what I would do, not suggesting that anyone else should do the same.

 

[nisaacs]

Sounds like you are satisfied with the outcome, that's all that really matters. The upgrade 235/85x16 14 ply tires are are the next best thing v/s 17.5's, they do a good job and give you extra load capacity.

Not saying you need help on your wheel bearings, but if you do, here is a good link to Dexter's service manual. Keep in mind a slightly loose bearing will run forever, a tight one will not.

https://www.dexteraxle.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/light-duty-hubs-drums-and-bearingsd07a839d2ba463c18d7aff64007a4014.pdf?sfvrsn=4dee048_0

Now, go enjoy your new trailer.

 

[Renze]

Here's an update. I called the dealer today and talked to their service department. They acknowledged the situation and said they've been doing it that way for many years and haven't had a problem. They said they use cone nuts on 9/16" studs and flange nuts for 5/8" studs all with the same wheel rims. (It looks like they took them off another trailer that had them mounted with flange nuts) At the end of the call they said that it is what it is, implying that they really don't care whether it's right or wrong. So, that now brings up 2 more questions 1) If I change to the flange nuts, will I have a problem with the wheel rotating on the hub since the holes are big enough for a 5/8" stud? 2) Do I have the right rim to use with cone nuts or do I need a different rim? or #3) does it really matter? I really don't want to be on the side of the road with a broken rim and 5 ton load.

I have mounted 205/65R16 duals as per manufacturers recommendation with a piece of thin walled pipe cut open to a C shape to fill the space between wheel stud and bolt hole.

The hub centers the rims good enough, but brake force could make the rims slide and eventually run loose. The wheel supplier advised spacer bushings around two of the wheel studs to prevent this.

 

[Todd727]

Here's the latest as of today (Monday Nov 16, 2020).

I have the wheel rim info that says flanged nuts are required and cone nuts are the wrong ones from the spec sheet - post #6

I have an email from PJ Trailers saying that flange nuts are to be used on this style of wheel rim.

I have an email from Dexter axle saying that the 17.5" rim has to be the cone type to the 9/16" studs and the flat faced one is only to be used with 5/8" studs and flat faced lug nuts.

I have a 2nd email from PJ Trailers saying that the rim the dealer installed is the wrong one.

Looks pretty clear to me what the solution needs to be. I've sent these emails to the saleslady at the dealer along with the chart from rickson. She is going to talk to the manager to see what they're going to do.

I'll update this as things develop.

I guess I don't understand a lot of what you where concerned about.

First, the dealer changed the hubs and wheels from what PJ built the trailer with. PJ is out of it at that point and really doesn't know what you did to the trailer or what parts were used.

Next, Dexter clearly stated that what the dealer did was correct. I would've been done right there. Mechanically, it makes perfect sense to me that they used cones to take up and center the lugs on the wheel holes. The wheels and axle were hub centric, so the wheel was properly aligned. Using the cones prevented the wheels from shifting on the lug studs and would've prevented an eventual broken lug stud or rounding out of the wheel hole.