old school 16" trailer tires

[Wyomingcowboy]

Is there a source for some narrow, 16" trailer tires? I am making a tow dolly using some very old axles with the 5 on 4. 5" lug pattern. The rims I have are 16"x6"-ish (i haven't actually measured them yet) and I will be needing new tires as the ones on there are about 40 years old. They have tubes and I would love to go tubeless. I could even switch to 15" wheels or smaller, but I am trying to keep cost to a minimum and validationg my choice to use scrap axles instead of new ones.

Any ideas?

Also, what is the technical term, or slang will work, for the old school hubs that don't have lugs pressed in? I have lug bolts rather than nuts. The hub face has the 5 holes for the lug bolts plus a little peg to aid in alignment - one more reason I need to re-use the old wheels.

 

[NIsaacs]

The old standard 7. 50/16's are still available and are narrow. Are those axles trailer axles or home made automotive type? That bolt pattern might be old Dodge size?



Nick

 

[Bill Stockard]

Check the second post on this thread: Closest modern day size to a 6. 00x16? - Bob Is The Oil Guy

It may have the information you want.



I too have an old steel utility trailer (~65 years old) with 15" tires that are 40 years old. The used tires on the trailer are tubeless, but the wheels are for tube type tires. I mounted tubeless tires with a tube inside them since the wheels aren't designed for tubeless tires. I don't tow the trailer very far and don't load it very heavy.



Bill

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

The old standard 7. 50/16's are still available and are narrow. Are those axles trailer axles or home made automotive type? That bolt pattern might be old Dodge size?



Nick

They are off of some old type of auto. They had drums at one point but they were cut off with a torch, quite sloppily I might add. They may in fact be an old Dodge - there was one hub cap left and it said "DODGE" on it. One axle has left hand threads on the pass. side but the other does not.

 

[NIsaacs]

Yes, Dodge used left hand threads for years on the left side, so that axle must be flipped or at least the hub. Good job, if it ain't broke don't fix it



Nick

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

Just for kicks today I tried to mount a 265/75 on that narrow rim. (which I measured to be 4" wide from bead to bead!) Anyway, the tire mounted right on with no problem and as of 10+ hours it's still holding air at about 60 psi! The tread face is a bulging a touch from the bead being much narrow but like NIsaacs says - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

I will try to find some 235's or maybe even some 215's before I run these wide things. I have plenty of time as the trailer is looking like it will be a few months from completion still.

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

Yes, Dodge used left hand threads for years on the left side, so that axle must be flipped or at least the hub. Good job, if it ain't broke don't fix it



Nick

Would you happen to have a year range on those dodge's? A few weeks ago I went looking for wheel seals to repack the bearings and the guy at O'Reilly's looked through every seal he had and couldn't find one. I bet he asked 20 times what it came off of. I guess he couldn't quite wrap his mind around the "I don't know" part.

 

[NIsaacs]

Wow, 4" wide wheel? That would need about a 6. 00/16 then. You might want to look for some modern 15" wheels, I think that bolt pattern was used for years if not still in use. If you are building a dolly, the weight should be fine. Did I understand it is two axles? What is the dolly used for? Most are single axle.



Did you clean up one of the seals and look for a part#? It should have one. If not the store should have a book by dimension. I would guess the axles are in the era of late 30's to late 50's. Sounds like a fun project.



PS: If you don't go too modern, the newer wheels might even have the hole for the peg. If not, a big chisel and small sledge hammer will make short work of the little pin or a hack saw.



Nick

 

[LBARTLETT]

you could look at hankook 7. 50 16's

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

There were two axles that I cut from a very old home made horse trailer that had a Wyoming safey inspection sticker from 1977. I am going to use just one axle for the dolly and I'm not sure what I'll do with the other one.

I could find no part #'s on the seal and he looked through every box on the shelf only after looking in the books first. In fact, the seal that I took off doesn't fit the spindle or the hub very well at all. We found one that fit the spindle but not the inside of the hub so I siliconed it in... ... . we'll see how that goes I guess.

 

[chipster]

Is there a source for some narrow, 16" trailer tires? I am making a tow dolly using some very old axles with the 5 on 4. 5" lug pattern. The rims I have are 16"x6"-ish (i haven't actually measured them yet) and I will be needing new tires as the ones on there are about 40 years old. They have tubes and I would love to go tubeless. I could even switch to 15" wheels or smaller, but I am trying to keep cost to a minimum and validationg my choice to use scrap axles instead of new ones.

Any ideas?

Also, what is the technical term, or slang will work, for the old school hubs that don't have lugs pressed in? I have lug bolts rather than nuts. The hub face has the 5 holes for the lug bolts plus a little peg to aid in alignment - one more reason I need to re-use the old wheels.

The 5 on 4. 5 " bolt pattern is early dodge and ford pass car through the `80s. cut the little pin off and use late ford or dodge wheels, either 14" or 15" and modern tires that are easier to get. dodge used those hubs through the `50s. if the parts jockie can`t find `the seals by application, then use the seal catalogue specification section by O/D , I/D, and thickness. :-laf

 

[NIsaacs]

I might be wrong (I am a lot) however I was thinking Ford pass car was 5 on 5 and the Ford pickup was 5 on 5. 5 same as older Jeeps.



Nick

 

[chipster]

I might be wrong (I am a lot) however I was thinking Ford pass car was 5 on 5 and the Ford pickup was 5 on 5. 5 same as older Jeeps.



Nick

ford passenger cars from the early `50s to the `80s had a 5x4. 5" bolt circle, same as dodge. some time arround 1980 the big ford cars went to a 5x 5" bolt circle and the smaller ford cars still used the 5x4. 5". the ford 1/2 ton pick-up had the 5x5. 5" for ever. any way, there`s a bazillion wheels out there with the 5x4. 5" pattern, in 14",15", and 16" diameter and god only knows how many widths, 4" to 12" LOL !!:-laf there`s no reason to keep those antique 16"x4" wheels.