Utility Cycling - question about trailer wheels

Hi :)

Everyone here is sooo talented it blows my mind how many amazing ideas people have to build their trailers:thumb:

Well OK I'm builing a trailer and have questions about the wheels. I found 2 16" front wheels , they have those ball bearing type of bearings and the axle with the cones on the ends to hold the bearings together.
The axle is long enough that I can adjust it to one side so I could use it to side mount to the trailer instead of a long axle.

Is this axle strong enough to attached on just one side? I want this trailer to hold maybe 200+lbs

thanks!:hug:

I wouldn't trust that arrangement with such a heavy load. It might work ok on perfectly smooth streets, but I presume you'd have the usual potholes and other bumps to contend with as well.

I wouldn't trust that arrangement with such a heavy load. It might work ok on perfectly smooth streets, but I presume you'd have the usual potholes and other bumps to contend with as well.

+1 Do both sides.
Ciao,
-o-^o

Hi thanks for the feedback .....I don't really question if the mount will break as its an all steel trailer but would the axle break Is that the concern?:o

Thanks for the help. :)

I attached a pic of the mount where the axle would go through

Either break or bend. That axle doesn't look stronger than one on a regular bike wheel and I've had those break even when supported on both sides (one of the main advantages of the freehub/cassette over the old freewheels was to better support the axle).

OK thanks for that info :)

Can you tell me, this is a 20" wheel I'm not sure what it is off perhaps a bmx.

How can I remove this axle? Is it pressed into the bearings?

Thanks again:)

No, those axles will not support 200lb if you cantilever them. They will bend.

Assuming there's loose ball bearings in there, the only way to make this work is to gut the hubs and find a pair of sealed bearings that will allow you to use a 1/2" (or better - 5/16") high tensile bolt for an axle on each wheel. Even then they won't be as strong as your unmodified wheel properly supported on both sides.

If you're very lucky the hub will accomodate a sealed bearing of approprite size, but why go to all that hassle? you're obviously going to weld the frame together, why not design it to mount the wheels in such a way as to optimise structural integrity? Furthermore, if you cantilever the wheel axles you'll have no protection from impacts on the front of the wheels, whereas the frame wrapping around the wheels offers them a great deal of protection.

I'm happy to accept cantilevered axles on a trailer if there is a compelling reason to do so, but so far I haven't found any good reason to do so.

hey all, can someone tell me how that axle is mounted in post #6 above Cyclaholic's? Are they just pressed into the brearings? How would I remove that axle?

They are 20" wheels with sealed bearings

it looks like you are able to do the metal work your self, based on your pic. you could build a fork like attachment so that both sides of the axles are are supported. (or find a mathcing pair of forks and weld them on).

OK thanks for that info :)

Can you tell me, this is a 20" wheel I'm not sure what it is off perhaps a bmx.

How can I remove this axle? Is it pressed into the bearings?

Thanks again:)

Not sure- I'd pull those two nuts off and see what comes loose. That may let the bearing come out, or there may be a disc with two holes that you unthread- try it and see.

Not sure- I'd pull those two nuts off and see what comes loose. That may let the bearing come out, or there may be a disc with two holes that you unthread- try it and see.


well yes i did try that and no it doesn't come out , gave it some light taps with a rubber hammer and that was a no go, I think it must be pressed in

well yes i did try that and no it doesn't come out , gave it some light taps with a rubber hammer and that was a no go, I think it must be pressed in

Remove whatever you obviously can from both sides and post some close-up pictures of what's left, maybe we can work it out then?

Hi :)

Everyone here is sooo talented it blows my mind how many amazing ideas people have to build their trailers:thumb:

Well OK I'm builing a trailer and have questions about the wheels. I found 2 16" front wheels , they have those ball bearing type of bearings and the axle with the cones on the ends to hold the bearings together.
The axle is long enough that I can adjust it to one side so I could use it to side mount to the trailer instead of a long axle.

Is this axle strong enough to attached on just one side? I want this trailer to hold maybe 200+lbs

thanks!:hug:

Since the front axle on any bike is basically a threaded rod it is inherently weak due to the threading process. A threaded rod will not live under the side/twisting load when leveraged on only one side. It must be supported on both sides to live under load.

Hey all!:D


Pics attached, this is why you can't just slide out a axle from the sealed bearing hub.

I had to hit the axle 1 way and it pushed one of the bearings out then you can remove axle and place bearing back in.

Since the front axle on any bike is basically a threaded rod it is inherently weak due to the threading process. A threaded rod will not live under the side/twisting load when leveraged on only one side. It must be supported on both sides to live under load.
Not entirely true. There are BMX front wheels which have 14mm (.55") and 15mm (.59") diameter axles. And if that's not strong enough for ya, you can replace the original axles with cromoly units. Tadpole trike builders use these as front wheels to support 250 pound riders.

Assembled wheel w/14mm axle:

http://aebike.com/page.cfm?action=details&PageID=30&SKU=WE2518

or just the hub:

http://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Master-Front-Alloy-O-14mm/dp/B000AO5FC4/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1251918581&sr=8-8