ATV Trailer build

Xfaxman · Jan 21, 2016

Surplus Center has some: Surplus Center

Several on eBay.

Take your hub and wheel to a ATV/UTV Dealer or a Golf Car Dealer, they can tell you what size it is.

handirifle · Jan 22, 2016

Those at surplus center show 4 on 4. I finally found a metric ruler in the kitchen, and the hub I have that fits the wheel, measures 4 on 130mm or about 5.1" The 4 on 4 is a 101mm hub, and those are all over the place. Besides I prefer hubs with lug studs, instead of bolts, lots easier to mount wheels.

I am going into town tomorrow morning and am going to see what I can find out. I see some adapters that adapt from 130mm to 100mm. Very close but I would not risk it mail order. Besides they are pricey at about $80 a pair. I can find 130 hubs, but none with bearings in them. They are all for splined shafts, which is of no help.

GLyford · Jan 22, 2016

Most of those lug bolts are 1/2-20, you could get cheap hubs and longer grade 8 bolts, and run the through the hubs backwards to use regular nuts. Also, if you poke around some of the 4-on-4 hubs out there are set up with studs, and usually not for much more. Check boat sites as well as trailer parts sites, sometimes the boat guys are cheaper.

If you do get "bolt" hubs, nothing says you have to use the 4" holes...you might have enough meat on the metal of the casting to drill 29/64 and tap, offset from the existing holes, at the spacing you need (it will be real close to edge though, and through the thinner part of the hub casting, so not sure how well it would hold up).

If you have a lathe, then turning out the center of your other hubs should be very doable, and it would allow you to mark the 4" circle for the other hubs in the same setup.

Or you could turn out the splines enough to tap in a bronze bushing on each end to run on a solid axle. Crossdrill the axles between where the bushings would ride, and then end drill to meet it. Tap it 1/4-28NF and put in a zerk and those bushings will last you a good long while. A couple of shaft collars could keep the wheels in place. Or if you prefer using cotter pins, tap the shell of the hub, and dill through the inner spline tube in at least one spot, and let the hub fill with grease.

If you feel up to welding, turn out the entire spline tube enough for a larger tube sized to hold whatever bearing you want to run?

I see the thing looks like it made up of 3 pieces. The flat plate, the flanged and domed plate, and the spline tube. How about turning out the spline tube, drilling out the spot welds*, and drilling the flat plate 4-on-4?

* Or just cut everything that sticks out with a cut-off wheel in the grinder.

GLyford · Jan 22, 2016

Not sure if it helps at all, but I see that some of the original beetles used 4-on-130 hubs (brake drums with bearings)...how good is your local junkyard?

handirifle · Jan 22, 2016

Non existent.

On a good note I think I figured out how to do what I need. I am going to make/find/buy a 6x3/16" steel circle. The bolt holes for both the 4x130 and 4x4 will be drilled, offset from each other. and the center bored out 2.5" for the bearing hub. I will use bolts/nuts to bolt the plate to the wheels, and use the studs and lug nuts for the 4x4 hubs to bolt it to the hub.

Not 100% sure how I will do this, but I have ideas. A local steel shop gave me the idea, because they had square plates made similar, but after talking to them I found out they were done CNC and it would be a $100 fee just for setup, soooo I will have to do it manually, somehow.

handirifle · Jan 22, 2016

OK found a seller on Ebay that sells 6" circles, but his are 1/4" (stronger is better) that they advertise cutting any size shape holes you want. Price for the plate is $10 plus 5 shipping, so I will see how much the hole cutting work is. If reasonable this might be my way out. If not I can order the plates, and do my own cutting.

Then I can order some hubs and spindles and get this show on the road.

GLyford · Jan 25, 2016

If that doesn't pan out, you could use 4-1/2" flat bar, too. Just have to knock the corners off. 18" of it might be cheaper to get than disks.

You might even be able to get away with using 4", but the 130mm circle would be right out at the corners, so you'd have to weld the bolts on, and there isn't a lot of room for the 4-on-4 circle and still be able to get a wrench on a nut. I'd only be tempted by that if I had the 4" bar on hand, I think.

handirifle · Jan 25, 2016

OK I heard back from the folks at Sirius Steel off Ebay. Still working out details, but it looks like $61.50 for the pair. That would look similar your drawing, except it is a 6" diam round plate, .250" thick and the 4 hole sets will be offset from each other, with more than enough steel to hold everything.

I just ordered the hub and spindle sets from Amazon Amazon.com: Pair of 4-Bolt On 4 Inch Hub Assembly - Includes (2) 1 Inch Straight Spindles & Bearings: Automotive for $75 shipped. So that is set.

Making progress. I will have to wait and see how the details on the plates work out. One thing I thought of, was the hub bolts will ALMOST fit inside the wheel opening. I think it would require about a half circle for each lug bolt to clear. Would it hold up to just put heavy washers over the side opposite the hub, against the wheel, then lug nut it? It would not shift up or down since there is no where to go, and since it's not a drive wheel, it shouldn't spin inside the wheel either. Is that a dumb idea? Why?

Also, if I do go the plate route, if I get 1/2 (.500") diameter holes in it for the hub studs, the studs will pass through, correct? I never measured wheel holes, but my 1/2" bolts all measure .490" diameter. Does that sound right?

GLyford · Jan 26, 2016

Can't answer you on the studs from personal experience, since I have only replaced whole hubs/drums/disks, but I'm sure the drill size for studs is listed out there somewhere on the 'net...ah, here we go:

Looks like you have your choice of knurl sizes in 1/2-20 studs. Another link I read says drill, ream or bore .002-.007 under the knurl size.
Wheel Studs - Free Shipping @ Speedway Motors
They also list "thread in" style, where you drill and thread your flange for the same thread as the nuts, then run them in tight (and I'm guessing, thread lock them).

I bet your adapterless direct-to-hub idea with notches and washers will work just fine.

handirifle · Jan 26, 2016

GLyford said:
Can't answer you on the studs from personal experience, since I have only replaced whole hubs/drums/disks, but I'm sure the drill size for studs is listed out there somewhere on the 'net...ah, here we go:

Looks like you have your choice of knurl sizes in 1/2-20 studs. Another link I read says drill, ream or bore .002-.007 under the knurl size.
Wheel Studs - Free Shipping @ Speedway Motors
They also list "thread in" style, where you drill and thread your flange for the same thread as the nuts, then run them in tight (and I'm guessing, thread lock them).

I bet your adapterless direct-to-hub idea with notches and washers will work just fine.

This is what I am hoping for. Looks like Feb 2 is the delivery date, so I will test it out then. Would be nice if the simplest and cheapest idea worked. I just wish I could have located something locally. One trailer shop had the hubs and bearings. Hub $17, but spindle had to ordered and it was $24. I said WHAT? I see them all day at 12-14. I prefer to buy from local shops here, and drive home with it in hand, but when it's a 30 mile drive (one way) and they say, "I can order it", I go online myself.

When I built my heavy duty utility trailer it had mobile home axles. I soon switched to a standard axle and ordered it all from the same place mentioned above, axle, springs, hubs, wheels and tires.

I try to keep the money spread evenly.