Does anyone know where I can purchase a METRIC spare tire for the Viper trailer? [and bearings]
bennett boat (hull #<70) on a triad trailer? Rondar boat on a UK trailer or Rondar boat on a triad trailer? There are a few options and all which could be considered "metric" tire sizes. the 20.5x8x10 or 205/65-10 is what is on my bennett boat trailer. the hubs use a 1 1/16 inner and outer bearing. I've used etrailer.com before as well as gotten parts from places like west marine.
Thanks Ben. I need a 145/80 B 10. with Four hole rim, the 4 holes are not 4" centered. E- trailer do not have this size. But I have spoken to Rondar and apparently some are en-route to the US. and should be soon available. The bearings are sealed and have a long life. I still think it would be smart to get a pair - Hauling the boat cross country and getting a problem in the middle of no-where with an odd sized trailer may not be the smartest thing to do.
A solution to the metric problem with tire rims and bearings would to replace the whole axle assembly with US standard. Check with a local utility trailer dealer, they should be able to get a size that fits.
Dave D.
Dave's suggesting might be a good one.
You can get a comparable torsion axle from etrailer that will bolt back on your frame. The smaller / wider tires will also drop you rig a little.
Take the old axle with tires and sell it for spares to someone who wants to keep their odd axle.
[email protected] He has spare tires and bearings (i think). What part of the world are you in?
We soon will have a strong supplier of all the little 'odd' bits that makeup an English built boat.
FYI...it's a Mini Cooper tire/wheel/bolt pattern. The real ones, not the BMW's.
Metric bearings are actually pretty easy at any bearing house but you're right, better to have it in your boat box, ready to go.
I have spoken to Tyler and he is going to get me a price. Thanks for all the suggestions. Jeff, thank you for the article in the GBCA Cannon. Much appreciated.
A spare wheel is my most recommended accesory when you buy a trailer. I have always carried a spare with my Viper and as a result I have never had a flat or any problem.
I didnt carry a spare when I went to the Chicago NAs in a Rhodes 19. One blowout on the way there. A second blow out on the way back (at 2 am in East Nowhere).
Remember Murphy is real and his law does apply to towing boats.
$145 as per the price list attached.
has anyone done a rondar trailer axle conversion yet? if so what are the measurements and where did you get the parts.
http://www.trailerpart.com/torsionaxles.htm
Brad, go there. Measure your current axle - the frame distance is the critical dimension they will need.
Best pricing i could find, get tires at the same spot. Delivered to your door via UPS.
And 145 for a spare is crazy! I think you can get an 8" E-load rated tire / wheel for around 50 bucks.
Brad....there is a place down the road from you just off I-87 (Northway) exit 17 that sells all kinds of trailer supplies. I cannot remember off my head what the name is, but can get if needed. You should be able to get a US Standard axle to replace the metric one on UK trailers. Measure face of hub to hub for length of axle required and location of suspension on trailer frame.
Dave D.
#28
Good option Dave.
By the way... if your live in Texas your price for a spare tire is $ 185.00... Looks like several options are more expensive over here.
Got to love rondar!
It's a radial tire, seems to be only available here for the original mini-cooper.
Here's the price of a similar wheel in the West Marine site. $189
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=444355&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=10116&subdeptNum=10768&classNum=10769
I'm really happy with my trailer. Have 10,000 miles on it.
WOW! I took my trailer to a local trailer shop. Replaced the mini cooper tires with real trailer tires (the skinny kind) and had the bearings repacked for $150! Apparently the bearings are automobile bearings! Luckily these guys are really good and figured that out. My trailer rolls like a champ now.
Robert, did they just replace the tire (keeping the rondar wheel) or the entire tire / wheel?
I wonder if they could find a domestic hub with standard bolt patten to fit on the rondar axle / spindle? If so, no need to replace the entire axle.. just get new hubs, new tires and your gold. Right?
150.00 for two tires and the labor -> they did you right.
Drew - 10000 miles is a lot of time on a set of small trailer tires. Better go knock on wood my friend ;-)
Quote from: Robert Bernard on March 30, 2011, 02:54:32 PM
WOW! I took my trailer to a local trailer shop. Replaced the mini cooper tires with real trailer tires (the skinny kind) and had the bearings repacked for $150! Apparently the bearings are automobile bearings! Luckily these guys are really good and figured that out. My trailer rolls like a champ now.
Quote from: Jeff Jones on March 30, 2011, 11:55:31 AM
Good option Dave.
By the way... if your live in Texas your price for a spare tire is $ 185.00... Looks like several options are more expensive over here.
Got to love rondar!
Just goes to prove that everything is bigger, better and costs more in Texas.
If anyone is looking for a spare wheel for the original Triads. Mine has gone awol, so look for it roadside somewhere on I95. Just adding to Viper debris (altho Olaf still reigns in that department)
Quote from: Jeff Jones on March 30, 2011, 03:21:09 PM
Robert, did they just replace the tire (keeping the rondar wheel) or the entire tire / wheel?
My wheels were rusting out and would have probably failed by now. They replaced the wheel and tire with an off the shelf wheel and tire. the bolt pattern lined up perfectly. The guy even knew what the bolt pattern was from just looking at it.
Quote from: Robert Bernard on March 30, 2011, 04:25:04 PM
Quote from: Jeff Jones on March 30, 2011, 03:21:09 PM
Robert, did they just replace the tire (keeping the rondar wheel) or the entire tire / wheel?
My wheels were rusting out and would have probably failed by now. They replaced the wheel and tire with an off the shelf wheel and tire. the bolt pattern lined up perfectly. The guy even knew what the bolt pattern was from just looking at it.
Robert, see if they can give you specifics so it can be posted for the rest of the masses. Everybody will have this issue @ some point in the future :)
Quote from: Jeff Jones on March 30, 2011, 03:21:09 PM
Drew - 10000 miles is a lot of time on a set of small trailer tires. Better go knock on wood my friend ;-)
I added up my regatta travels since 2007, and I've done about 14,000 with my Viper - but not all on the same tires.
Does anyone know the weight of the trailer alone?
The dimensions of the axle spacing that you need are as follows;
The mounting points for the current axle are 59" apart, and the two mounting bolts on each side are 6 1/4" apart fore and aft. The face of the hub ( where the wheel sits) to the centre of the mounting bolts are 10" each side. The axle is rated to 750 Kg total weight ( trailer and boat) and is a soft sprung torsion beam. This is very important as the whole point of the suspension is to provide a decent ride to the boat.
If you decide to make changes you should do so for good mechanical reasons, rather than just becuase the sizes arn't good ole' US of A. We choose the torsion axle for two reasons, one is the softer springing protecting the boat, and the other is that the wheels run in parallel and symmetrically. Most trailers with independent units have the wheels toed in or out slightly, which is why the tyres and the bearing wear far more quickly becuase of the load being applied sideways into the bearing rather than vertically. Another factor is that typical $50 cheap nylon corded tyres overheat and become misshapen. The same applies to fitting wider wheels, and bigger tyres, they all increase bearing wear significantly.
Heavy single dock boxes are also to be avoided if at all possible, fit a smaller one to each side to keep things balanced, and symmetrical in a loading sense.
So if you use proper radial car tyres, set up on a beam axle with decent german made automotve quality bearings, and you get the wheels balanced ( just like your car wheels are), and you follow a few basics like keeping them greased and not putting them into the water when they are red hot from a long trip, you will get a minimum of 25000 miles plus out of the tyres and the bearings will do 100 000 miles without issue. If you really spoil it by hosing it with fresh water every time and have the bearings repacked with grease every so often, then they will last indefintely.
There are stocks of bearings and wheels in container heading towards each coast as we speak so spares are not a problem for the standard wheels and axles going forwards. If you think the spare wheels are expensive, I am sorry but they cost us $112 each at todays exchange rate, and we simply cannot supply decent ones any cheaper commercially.
I hope that this helps
Paul Young.
I priced out a slightly larger, bias ply tire from my local trailer guru. He said we should try to remain with the radial as it tows much better at speed. Cost for a radial, once again slightly larger but will fit on the existing bolt pattern was $94 unbalanced on a painted wheel, $112 on a galvy wheel.
I've asked Paul to source metric bearing buddies for us.
Quote from: Justin Scott on March 30, 2011, 03:32:11 PM
If anyone is looking for a spare wheel for the original Triads. Mine has gone awol, so look for it roadside somewhere on I95. Just adding to Viper debris (altho Olaf still reigns in that department)
Mine is somewhere on the NJ Turnpike sb. I look for it every time I drive south, but haven't seen it yet!
Picked up a new one in St. Pete last winter for around $75 I think.
Any reason not to buy a US set of wheels and drill the appropriate bolt circle between the metric ones?
I suppose one would have to be reasonably accurate so the wheel's not off-centered... should be do-able though.
US wheels fit fine. Just need to buy the sets from West.
Problem is in the smaller wheels they don't offer radials...just bias ply. The radials ride much better at speed than the bias plys.
I suppose there are bigger tires that will fit on the same bolt pattern with radials...that'll involve new fenders.
Here's a spot in South Carolina. Looks like $65 a tire.
http://www.vipernoir.com/tires.php
http://minimal-motoring.com/
He has Falken 145/80 B10 tires in stock at $87.50 each. This is a radial mini-cooper tire.