How about a spare tire for my trailer

[77bronco]

If you want a 5 on 4 1/2 wheel, all the Ford Rangers, Explorers and Bronco II have that pattern. As did most of the Jeep Cherokees.
Although I think each model might have had different backspacing, and the Explorers came with 15", 16" and 17" wheels over the years.
This should give you a lot of choices to pick from.

 

[Diamondpilot]

If you want the deluxe spare tire setup then keep a tire on a complete hub assembly; get a spare spindle to make the carrier. This way you're covered if you have a bearing problem and I think it's easier, with nasty old trailers, to back off the brakes and pull the whole hub assembly off the axle instead of messing with the lugs.

By the way: With a flat tire on an empty tandem, has anybody used a come-along to pull up the axle with the flat and limp home. A friend claimed that he did it years ago, but I'm wondering if he's full of crap, or not.

I know a guy who did it for 40 miles with a boat after wasting 3 days trying to find bearings for it. He was on vacaction leaving home on Friday. Lost the bearings on one tire 40 miles from the destination. He spent all day Saturday looking for bearings, nothing was open on Sunday so he drove the rest of the way Sunday Night. Bearings were overnighted the following day.

That brings up another subject. My small boat has odd ball bearings and seal on its twin 3,500# axles. I called my normal supplier and it was a no go. I called everywhere in the Indianapolis area, 14th largest city in the US, and no one had them. I had to order them and now keep a extra set in the truck along with all the tools needed for a quick change.


Chris

 

[BeezFun]

I'd go to a trailer place and buy a spare. I paid $90 for mine. By the time you hunt around and buy and old rusty wheel, paint it, pay to mount the tire, how much are you going to save.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I'd go to a trailer place and buy a spare. I paid $90 for mine. By the time you hunt around and buy and old rusty wheel, paint it, pay to mount the tire, how much are you going to save.

Very good point. My Harbor Freight even carries them in the standard sizes with the White Wagon Wheel Rims.

Chris

 

[Newblue]

If you head towards Indy and still need a spare, I have one I will let go for cheap. It is a year and a half old (to me) bought at Tractor Supply 205/75r15 5 on 4.5. It was on a camper I had that a tree fell on last fall and totaled. It is mounted to a 4" rv bumper tire carrier and has a black cover. It was one of the things I added after we bought the camper so I took it off before the insurance company got it.

 

[firefighter9208]

If you have a 4wd shop around check with them. I had a jeep wrangler that came from the factory with 15" tires. When I changed the wheels to wider ones for off-road tires I had 4 spare wheels that would fit a trailer.

Chris

 

[Sabretooth]

If you want the deluxe spare tire setup then keep a tire on a complete hub assembly; get a spare spindle to make the carrier. This way you're covered if you have a bearing problem and I think it's easier, with nasty old trailers, to back off the brakes and pull the whole hub assembly off the axle instead of messing with the lugs.

By the way: With a flat tire on an empty tandem, has anybody used a come-along to pull up the axle with the flat and limp home. A friend claimed that he did it years ago, but I'm wondering if he's full of crap, or not.

Reminds me when I first started driving trucks back in NewYork We use to have EagerBeaver Equipment trailers w/dovetails with everything from Fireproofingpump rigs to steel container welded on them to bring to job sites I would go to pick these up with extra spares. Always had to change at least one before leaving jobsite but the funny thing with tandems is when you lose one on the side you are usally going to fast to stop before you lose the other on that side if it is loaded which mine allways were. So I did do it with chains and a binder or sometimes rachet staps wrapped around it to hold it up till I could get off the next exit to find a repair shop So I can attest you can do it

If you want a 5 on 4 1/2 wheel, all the Ford Rangers, Explorers and Bronco II have that pattern. As did most of the Jeep Cherokees.
Although I think each model might have had different backspacing, and the Explorers came with 15", 16" and 17" wheels over the years.
This should give you a lot of choices to pick from.

You Can't problem with using the Ranger/explorer and such is not the bolt pattern but the centerr bore is too small. Or at least my trailer and pretty much everbody here can not use those

 

[schmism]

That brings up another subject. My small boat has odd ball bearings and seal on its twin 3,500# axles. Chris

this is why i highly recommend your spair tire mount, be a stub shaft axle with complete bearing/hub/tire combo bolted to it. this way you have a spare of everything you would need in the field.

 

[rimshot]

I have a couple of those axle spindles that I saved when I added brakes to the second axle. Seems to me they could make a nice mount with the right assembly welded to the trailer. This mount should be built to allow removal of the spindle as well as the spare tire and wheel to allow for losing a spindle, I suppose. For the little amount I need my trailer for I doubt if I would ever need a replacement hub anyway especially when I would ultimately want a new brake assembly and drum back iniworking shape.

Thanks for the input regarding a replacement wheel for this 5 x 4 1/2" wheel. I guess when it all screens out the best solutiion is to just go get another matching wheel and quit trying to save a buck. I don't need something to lug around only to find out when I need it it rubs the fender or something. Then too the actual tire diameter should match that of the tire sharing the same side of the trailer to assure proper load and weight distribution. It goes to make the case of picking up an exact duplicate for the trailer rim and tire. I have seen these white spoked trailer wheels including the 205 X 15 tires as cheap as $100 delivered on EBAY.

rimshot

 

[Soundguy]

I would not scrimp on the spare.. it IS your emergency helper.

get a spare tire that matches the other tires and you won't ever have to wonder 'if' it will be fine on a trip or not.

soundguy

I have a car trailer that has two 3500 # axles on it with a 5 on 4 1/2 bolt pattern (5 bolt, bolts on 4 1/2" diameter circle) tires are 205 r70 X15 if memory serves me. I would like to find spare wheel at the junk yard and stick an old 15" tire for a spare to limp in on should I ever have a flat.

I know the wheel will have to line up with proper bolt pattern but what about outside tire diameter? Does it matter with the tandem axles if both tires are slightly different o/s diameter. Seems to me a higher profile tire for a short distance would not hurt a thing.

rimshot