Thoughts on using a trailer minus one wheel.

[TractorRob]

I have a typical 16 ft. 7000 lb utility trailer. I damaged one wheel on it and I cannot find a wheel at any place local that will be open before Monday. I am in the middle of a project across town that I would like to finish this weekend, but I would need to transport my finish mower over there. What do you guys think about using the trailer for a one time trip of about 20 miles with a light load(~670 lbs) with one wheel off of the trailer?

 

[magicheater]

I would do it at #670 but not #6700. A single working axle should support that weight. Get that other rim on soon. Don't know how the law would see it though.

 

[RobertN]

670 lbs, just put it in the truck...

 

[Diamondpilot]

I would do it also for that weight.

You do not have a spare? Can you borrow a spare from a buddy?

Next question, how did you damage the wheel? If you hit a curb or a chuck hole and bent it you will 99% odds have a bent axle also. You will know for sure when you put the brakes on the first time.


Chris

 

[Soundguy]

assuming it is a tandem.. pullone off each side, then chain the spindles up to the frame if need be.

BTDT on the side of the road in an emergency.. especially at this lite of a load...

soundguy

 

[TRR]

Soundguy has the best solution. Turn it into a single axle trailer by removing the wheels from both sides of the same axle. I've seen it done around here with light loads. You can probably let the axle hang, but check that there will be enough clearance.

 

[ruffneck]

You should be able to just chain up the one side or jack up the axle and block it with a piece of wood so it doesn't hang down. I had to do this with a horse trailer one night when the studs sheared off on the highway. With a light load it won't hurt anything.

 

[TractorRob]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I figured it would be OK, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything that I hadn't thought of that could cause a problem.

I would do it also for that weight.

You do not have a spare? Can you borrow a spare from a buddy?

Next question, how did you damage the wheel? If you hit a curb or a chuck hole and bent it you will 99% odds have a bent axle also. You will know for sure when you put the brakes on the first time.


Chris

Nope, no spare. I know, I should have one. One reason I've never gotten one is I've never gone more than 30 miles from home with it, and I've always figured if I had a flat I could leave it on the side of the road while I got another tire. No one handy to borrow one from either. How did I damage it? I almost hate to admit it - I didn't get the lug nuts tight. I have to tell why because that is not the sort of thing that I usually do:

One of the brakes wasn't working so I took the wheel off to try to find out why(ended up being a severed wire, which I fixed). Instead of jacking the trailer up I pulled the front wheels up on ramps. When I got done I naturally could not get the lug nuts tight until I got the trailer back on the ground. When I backed it off the ramps, the shackle between the front springs and equalizers had somehow flipped over and the front wheels did not touch the ground. I proceeded to spend the next hour or so getting the shackle flipped back around and promptly forgot about the loose lug nuts.

 

[Fixemall]

If all you did was gaff up the holes, you are better off putting the damaged wheel on with mag wheel washers that you can pick up at any car parts store

 

[Soundguy]

no spare.. yikes.

I'd never leave my trailer anywhere if I ever wanted to see it again.

soundguy

 

[Fixemall]

no spare.. yikes.

I'd never leave my trailer anywhere if I ever wanted to see it again.

soundguy

With the price of scrap lately...I'm careful where I park my old truck

 

[sandman2234]

With the price of scrap lately...I'm careful where I park my old truck

Yeah, me too, as they are liable to use your truck to haul mine to the scrap yard.
David from jax

 

[not2old]

Well, I learned the hard way about checking wheel lugs too. We knew we had a problem when one of the trailer wheels passed us. I was helping my son pick up a free 30 foot travel trailer and this happened about 20 km from the start. Unable to find any parts to repair it caused us to tow it on three wheels over 250km. We were on a secondary highway ,very early in the year, and there was very little other traffic. We couldn't maintain more than 50kph without the other tire getting hot. We actually found that we could do 70 in the rain while the water kept everything cool. We did find a place to leave it until we could fit the drum and return for it. !/2 day job turned into a two day trip.

 

[Soundguy]

Yeah, me too, as they are liable to use your truck to haul mine to the scrap yard.
David from jax

if they could get mine started.. maybee too!

I'll go somewhere and my wife asks me if I'm worried about someone brekaing into my old dodge.. to which i reply.. ?Why? there's nothing even remotely valuable in there or on the truck.. and those 2 facts are plainly evident...

soundguy

 

[2manyrocks]

Nope, no spare. I know, I should have one. .

Sounds like a trip to the local auto junkyard is in order for two wheels and two tires to replace the damaged one and have a spare.

 

[Soundguy]

i never had luck finding a trailer rim at a salvage yard. always had to go to the spendy dealers to find the correct bolt pattern.. go figure..

soundguy

 

[2manyrocks]

You just have to try every blasted wheel they have to find the one that fits and when that doesn't work, you go to the next junkyard where they actually know something about wheels, and they find it for you. :thumbsup:

 

[Soundguy]

i've even been to the point to make a template out of my rim center hub and bolt pattern so i can walk thru and match up bolt spacing and hub...

soundguy

 

[KennyG]

Honestly, how many people with double axle trailers have spares? I don't and I don't really remember seeing spares on double axle rigs. Single axle, yes, but not doubles. Maybe I haven't been paying attention but I think spares are the exception, not the rule.

 

[Soundguy]

i have 2 double axle trailers. both have spares.

i sometimes haul at less than max load, but more often than not, I'm hauling near max load. I'm also usually hauling in a location not near my house.

getting a flat 2m down the road from your house is one thing... getting a flat 2000 miles and 4 states away is another. especially if it's on a weekend/night/holiday... which just happens to be when I do most of my 'long' distance driving. IE.. take a red eye trip out ona weekend night bordering a holiday to run get a tractor and make it back before work the following day. would be a real buzzkill to have to stay on the side of the road till the NEXT DAY waiting for a tire place or tire service to open

can't afford to go down to one axle when trailer is at max legal weight on 2. .. just not safe for one, not good for the trailer 2. considering a spare CAN be had...

this 'not me' head in the sand syndrome is odd ???? I'm not pessimistic or anything.. but I figure that if it can go wrong.. it probably will.. and it may as likely be me as anyone else. Coming home from a fl to texas run in one of those trips i just mentioned ( started on a weekend night, thru a holiday.. etc ).. heading toward houston I ran over a black aligator... it ripped my trailer wire plug out of my socket, as soon as i noticed the 'ERR' on my brake controller I found a safe spot to pull over. Plug was ground down about 40% Took some roadside emergency engineering, mechanics wire, and a roll of electrical tape and some zip ties to get brakes, and illumination and marker signals going again. could have been worse...


soundguy