boattail71

I'd like to costruct a simple trailer; I have a couple of 24" wheels (fronts from old middleweights) that I want to connect to an axle. How can this easily be done?

This may have already been addressed in past threads but I failed to find it in my search.

Thanks for any advice.

Turbo231

Always good to use google and look up bike trailers, see what works for ideas. I know a lot of kid trailers use 20" wheels, I'm guessing because they're cheap but also low, which is always good on a trailer.

I find the simplest way to make a trailer is to find a used kid trailer and convert it to cargo...the bike hitch is the biggest PITA part to make, but with those, it's already done.

Ranko Kohime

Generally a common axle is not used for a bike trailer. That being said, I converted mine (a former child carrier) to common axle using all-thread from the hardware store. It's so-so, not as good as I'd hoped it would be.

boattail71

Ranko. Confused still. How does a threaded rod tie in to the hubs? The threads of the nuts and cones of the hubs do not match the tpi on the all-thread.

Standalone 

probably best to go in this direction since bicycle wheels "want" to be supported on both sides.

noglider 

I wonder if you can buy a suitable axle and wheels from Worksman. https://worksmancycles.com

MichaelW

You can support bicycle wheels with a stub axle on one side only. This is how wheelchairs and tricycles work. Some bicycles such as recumbents and Cannondale Bad Boy, Giant Halfway use stub axles.
My Y-frame uses wheelchair QR stub axles which slot into holes in a a block of aluminium. The 2x 20" trailer is rated to 90kg.
If you take a front BMX wheel with a rear BMX axle, you probably have enough axle to fix into an aluminium or steel block. Some BMX axles are extra thick for jumps, 14mm rather than 9mm.

Turbo231

Some guy bought off of me 2 front wheels and later 2 front forks for a cart non-bicycle trailer. After a bit I wondered if rear wheels would have been better. Once you pull the freewheel off, there is quite a bit of axle hanging out, remove the lock nut spacer that holds the bearing cone and you've got almost 2 inches hanging out to mount something to. If you shorted up the outside axle since it wasn't going to be connected to anything that would be even more.

fietsbob

with a bearing pressed in the hub, like adult tricycles use so common and relatively cheap

the axle can be running through the hub .

want 1 long axle ? Washers and nuts will locate the wheel where it needs be ..


another classic weld on a washer for theinside limit, another washer and a cotter pin
in a hole through the rod.

Standalone 

Sounds like I was wrong-- I'm just sure that I would make too much of a kludge out of it to try the through-axle thing. My instep trailer has wheels on one side of course.

peterw_diy

Turbo231 -- even easier would be kids rear wheels designed for training wheels, lots of extra axle width on those.

batrike

you can always try gokaart parts
https://www.uscoolsports.com/atv_s_ax...les_s/2034.htm


or try these guys
https://www.equinoxtrailers.com/store/browse

Ranko Kohime

These wheels did not have the cup and cone of typical bicycle wheels, they were press-in bearings that supported a non-threaded rod held together with a C-clip, which then went through two brackets in the frame of the trailer and was secured in such a way as to make the wheels easily removable. (See any child trailer at your LBS/WalMart for a visual example)

boattail71

I see; thanks Ranko. Since I want this scratch-built using mostly recycled parts found in my shed, I will be using familiar hubs whose axels and cones are threaded. I don't have any of the wheels like that you mention. How can I connect a long axel to these recycled bicycle wheels?

At this point, unless someone has an eureka suggestion, I think I'll build (or recycle) individual forks for each wheel similar to some I've seen in online pics. Although a more complex design, I can then have a lower floor to the trailer which is a good thing. Right?

Ranko Kohime

To a point. Too low and ground clearance becomes an issue whenever you need to straddle some obstacle.

Turbo231

Lots of kids trailers seem to be set on curb height. That's usually the biggest thing I have to climb.