Trailer Question -- Size of Hubs/Bearings and Impact of Heavy Wheels/Tires?

[TinRiverRunning]

My 2008 Lowe Roughneck 1448 all-welded boat is sitting on a nice Karavan trailer. I think it's a really nice and solid trailer with a solid and good looking frame. But admittedly, most of the hardware on it such as the axle, leaf springs, hubs and bearings seem to be on the lighter side. It's the LB-1250 model.

I just ordered new bearings, rims and tires for the trailer. The bearings are the 1.0625 size which are kind of small. The trailer only takes up to a 12" tire so I could not upgrade to 13" tires.

I also have a pair of new chrome steel wheels from recstuff and two new Kenda Loadstar bias ply 5.30 x 12" C rated tires I got from eastern marine. The rims were heavier than I thought they would be, and they're really very nice and well built. BUT...

One thing I'm actually thinking about is... considering how "small and lightweight" the bearings and hubs are, and I drive over a lot of rough roads all of the time, would I have been better off ordering a set of much lighter aluminum rims to save some weight and save wear and tear on the bearings and hubs, and possibly even the leaf springs or any of the other important pieces of hardware that aren't really that heavy duty.

I will be making a lot of 100-140 mile round trip drives with this boat. Kind of wish I had gotten a little heavier duty trailer with 13" tires.... but I think this trailer can definitely hold up.

Curious about what you think? Trailer breakdowns are the last thing I ever want to have happen.

 

[MrGiggles]

My 2008 Lowe Roughneck 1448 all-welded boat is sitting on a nice Karavan trailer. I think it's a really nice and solid trailer with a solid and good looking frame. But admittedly, most of the hardware on it such as the axle, leaf springs, hubs and bearings seem to be on the lighter side. It's the LB-1250 model.

I just ordered new bearings, rims and tires for the trailer. The bearings are the 1.0625 size which are kind of small. The trailer only takes up to a 12" tire so I could not upgrade to 13" tires.

I also have a pair of new chrome steel wheels from recstuff and two new Kenda Loadstar bias ply 5.30 x 12" C rated tires I got from eastern marine. The rims were heavier than I thought they would be, and they're really very nice and well built. BUT...

One thing I'm actually thinking about is... considering how "small and lightweight" the bearings and hubs are, and I drive over a lot of rough roads all of the time, would I have been better off ordering a set of much lighter aluminum rims to save some weight and save wear and tear on the bearings and hubs, and possibly even the leaf springs or any of the other important pieces of hardware that aren't really that heavy duty.

I will be making a lot of 100-140 mile round trip drives with this boat. Kind of wish I had gotten a little heavier duty trailer with 13" tires.... but I think this trailer can definitely hold up.

Curious about what you think? Trailer breakdowns are the last thing I ever want to have happen.

The trailer under my 17' Tracker also has 1 1/6" bearings with 13" wheels. I don't think you have anything to worry about there.

The wheels and tires are unsprung weight anyway, as long as they have the same offset/backspacing as the stock ones, additional wear should be inconsequential.

Whatever you do it is always wise to bring a spare loaded hub along with your spare tire, especially on a single axle trailer. You can buy a Chinese hub assembly on eBay for practically nothing, especially when compare to a tow bill.

 

[maintenanceguy]

The bearings support the upward force of the tires against the downward force of the trailer. The weight of the tires is supported by the ground, the weight of the trailer is supported by the bearings.

If you wanted to put less stress on your bearings, you need to lighten the trailer (and the boat). Lightening the tires doesn't help the bearings.

That said, unless you trailer long distances at high speeds, I would just put put along on the tires and bearings I have now.

 

[86tuning]

repositioning some stuff will often allow larger trailer tires, which spin more slowly at the same highway speed. If stuff is in good shape, I wouldn't worry too much. Just service the hubs and pack fresh grease in it at least once a year. If you use a brightly coloured grease that isn't black, it's easy to see if the grease is still good by popping off a hub cap.

Also, consider the dollies used by tow truck operators, they often put tremendous amounts of weight on the four little wheels when there's a big SUV on it! It's good to be aware of these issues, but if everything is in good shape, just send it!

 

[TinRiverRunning]

Thanks all. Appreciate the replies.

The trailer is the 1250 model. Are any of you familiar with this trailer?

The trailer actually came with 4.80 x 12 tires.

I ordered 5.30 x 12 tires and now I’m slightly worried I might have some clearance issues.

I hope not. Will call a dealership or eastern marine and ask but wanted to check with y’all to see if anyone knew the answer to this. Thanks.

 

[LDUBS]

My old 15' side console boat was on an EZLoader trailer with 12" tires. I typically drive 60-70 miles one way to get to the lakes. I usually don't exceed 60 MPH. I kind of felt the same as you, meaning I wished for larger tires. But truth be told, I never had any issue whatsoever with the 12" tires.

 

[jethro]

I towed my Starcraft with 4.8 x 12" tires thousands upon thousands of miles. They are small but they work just fine! I couldn't fit 5.3's in mine- I tried. Make sure to get the best tires you can find.

 

[eeshaw]

It's been my experience that aluminum wheels "sometimes" weigh more than steel wheels due to the extra material used in their construction. Just because it's aluminum doesn't necessarily mean lighter.

 

[Alex from GA]

I'm with everyone else, run what you have. It all boils down to maintenance. Every couple of times you tow jack up the wheels and spin the tires. If it's not dead smooth fix it.