aftermarket rims on trailer?

[slpcamaross97]

ok i have a single axle boat trailer with no brakes on the axles. currently the traler has some 15" steel wheels all rusty and look like crap. and i have a pair of 18" wheels that were off of my old camaro ss for drag sliks (will be changing tires to just low pro tires).

Now for the question i was told my a local trailer parts store that if i run car wheels i will damage all the bearing because of the added weight of the wheels and the more road contact. he was fliping out on me and didnt even want to sell me new hubs.

so what do you guys think?

Oh if it matters i go to local lakes and maybe up north 5 times a year that is about 350 miles one way.

[gchildre]

It would be hard to convince me that as long as the wheels and tires are rated to support the weight of the boat & trailer that anything else would be a problem. The fit would obviously need to be correct taking into account any torsion or leaf spring compression with the fenders. Wheel offset and lug pattern could disqualify your camaro wheels from the git go. There are a few web sites that sell aftermarket trailer wheels that can add quite a bit of bling to your trailer. Just Yahoo "trailer wheels" and you will find some examples.

I have found that going to a boat store or trailer dealer will limit your choices and prices on trailer wheels. I purchased a spare tire/wheel for my trailer from my local tire dealer - Big 10 Tires. I think the whole thing mounted and balanced may have cost $50 for a white spoke wheel and bias ply trailer tire. I purchased a $15 black vinyl spare tire cover and just keep it covered up on the trailer.

Good luck but make sure the wheels & tires are rated for the weight of the boat/trailer. I have never had a flat on a trailer before but it could result in the loss of control and loss of your Checkmate - fiberglass & asphalt don't mix.

[slpcamaross97]

the axle is a leaf spring axle and the trailer is built for a biger boat and my sportfire dont way much.

[machone]

The thing you need to worry about most is the offset on the wheel, that is, the distance between where the wheel meets the hub and the innermost edge of the rim. You want to make sure your tire won't rub on the trailer anywhere.
The only way I can see any damage happening to your bearings is if MAYBE you use a wider tire, (I'm assuming with 18" wheels the tire is pretty wide) then THAT may cause more friction on your bearings???????????? But that's questionable, to me anyway.
I see you're in Goodrich, about a half hour north of me. What lakes do you run on? Mine's docked on white lake at the moment. Maybe we can get togethr for the "party on the island". If nothing else, my Mustang likes to snack on Camaros!
Machone

[slpcamaross97]

the wheels are about 10" wide and can fit a 275 tire the off set is really nothing too big they fit grat but about a 1.5" of the tire hang out side of the fender between the boat and trailer and i really dont want stones being tossed into the side of the boat.

[gchildre]

A typical 14" diameter trailer wheel will be 5" to 6" wide with 0 offset. Aftermarket boat trailer wheels have spec'd ratings for the weight capacity. See this link for an example: http://www.trailertiresandwheels.com/site/1284278/product/AW1404

I personally would only consider putting an identified & spec'd wheel on my trailer, too much to go wrong for the savings. If the wheel extends past the fender you can imagine the rubbing when the springs compress, that would shred an important tire quickly since the fenders are mounted to the trailer frame.

Good luck

[BullittBen]

I haven't seen a marine trailer hub with a Chevy bolt pattern......

Look at www.cedarrapidstire.com (http://www.cedarrapidstire.com) - they have some of the best prices I've seen on galvanized trailer wheels, but I found that my local boat dealer had a set of galvanized wheels with radial tires for almost the same price as the cheapest stuff I could find anywhere else. My trailer had 13" wheels on it and I bought galvanized wheels for around $30 each. To me it wouldn't be worth the trouble to put those 18's on, especially if you are ever near salt water.

[slpcamaross97]

ALL GOOD POINTS NOT QUITE SHURE WHAT I WILL DO NEXT. WINTER IS COMMING AND ITS TIME TO UP GRADE THE SNOWMOBILE. YEA

[machone]

Yeah, the sleds. Just ceramic coated my pipe, all primed & ready to rip on White Lake as soon as it freezes! Come on out Kyle!
Good call Bullitt, never thought about the bolt pattern. Doh!
Machone