Axle Hubs for a trailer with 3 lugs

[frogfly]

Anybody know if there are 3 lug hubs available? I would like to use the front wheels from a spyder for a trailer (probably the HF tag along). Problem is I don't know if I could find a 3 lug hub to replace the 4 lug hub that would be standard.

I have found steering knuckles with the hub but that would require some custom axle creation, and I don't know if that would make sense to do that.

Any info about a 3 lug axle or ideas that would make this a possibility will be greatly appreciated.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Personally I've never seen any less than FOUR ( for trl wheels ) ....... and if you did they would have to match the Spyders !!!! ...What are the odds of that .............. Google it ........good luck....... Mike

[frogfly]

Personally I've never seen any less than FOUR ( for trl wheels ) ....... and if you did they would have to match the Spyders !!!! ...What are the odds of that .............. Google it ........good luck....... Mike [emoji106]

True...been googling, no luck yet which is why I started fishing here too.

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[rwebb98]

Have you tried Southwest Wheel in Dallas? I think if anyone had what you are looking for it would be them. I have the HF tagalong and all I did is buy a spare when I bought the trailer. Pulled to Spyderfest last year without any problems. Just remember to grease the bearings real well.


Bob W.

[Peter Aawen]

Check out any hubs that come off the early Smart Car's - only the very early Smart Cars with 3 stud rims would have hubs that get close enough to work (I think?); anything after about their 2nd or 3rd year may not have the same PCD....anyone know specifically when they went to larger dia & wider rims? That was when they changed!

But we do have a couple of people here in Oz running wider 3 stud rims off the early Smart Cars on the fronts of their Spyders, so the hubs should be suitable - from the 2013 Spyders on, they needed spacers to allow the Smart Car rims to clear the brake Calipers (the Brembo Calipers are apparently bigger than on the 2012's & earlier!!)

While there's a good chance that the US got different spec Smart Cars than us here in Aus, you'll never know unless you ask! Worth a look, even if nothing else!!

[Bfromla]

Even the BRP trailers are 4 lug. You sure this the route you wanna try?

[frogfly]

Even the BRP trailers are 4 lug. You sure this the route you wanna try?

Yeah, not sure. I thought it would look nice to have the wheels on the trailer match the wheels on the spyder. But not if it requires lots of crazy engineering.

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[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Check out any rims that will fit onto the early Smart Car's - only the very early Smart Cars with 3 stud rims get close enough to work (I think?); anything after about their 2nd or 3rd year may not have the same PCD....anyone know specifically when they went to larger dia & wider rims? That was when they changed!

But we do have a couple of people here in Oz running wider rims off the early Smart Cars on the fronts of their Spyders - & on the 2013's on, they needed spacers built in to allow them to clear the brake Calipers (the Brembo Calipers are apparently bigger than on the 2012's & earlier!!)

While there's a good chance that the US got different spec Smart Cars than us here in Aus, you'll never know unless you ask! Worth a look, even if nothing else!!

Peter - the OP is looking for HUBS not wheels .......He wants to His Spyder wheels ........ Mike

[Fatcycledaddy]

Would something like this work?
Capture.JPG

[bscrive]

I would go to a machining place and have them make you a set of hub adapters from 4 lug to 3 lug. I have seen a few from 3 to 4 lug and 4 to 5 lug. They are usually made out of aluminum. This is the only way I could see you doing this.

They look similar to this: This is a small five to big five adapter


adapter.jpg

[pegasus1300]

I f I wanted to do this I would look for a wrecked Spyder and get the hubs and wheels and have an axel built. Shouldn't be too hard. Try Pinwall Cycle.

[DrewNJ]

There are a few different ways to accomplish what your looking to do and some of them would be really cool....Like an independent suspension trailer! However, None of them include straight bolt-on work. If you can weld, have access to a mill, and are comfortable with your work it would be a fairly easy axle mod. If your hiring out all the work your best bet would probably be adapters. You could check with a local wheel shop to see if your 3 lug wheels could be welded/redrilled to the 4x4 bolt pattern.

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[Peter Aawen]

Peter - the OP is looking for HUBS not wheels .......He wants to His Spyder wheels ........ Mike

Ah ha! That does cast a (slightly) different light on it - fixed now tho. Thanks Mike

Still, if the early Smart car RIMS will fit Spyders, there's a good chance that their hubs might fit onto a trailer too - and Smart Cars came with pretty snazzy suspension set-ups that didn't take up much room & could well provide a very close to 'bolt on' solution if you are constructing from scratch. And there might even be some hubs &/or complete suspension units available relatively cheaply in auto wrecking yards these days too! You could probably get some additional suitable wheels while you're there as well!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Ah ha! That does cast a (slightly) different light on it - fixed now tho. Thanks Mike

Still, if the early Smart car RIMS will fit Spyders, there's a good chance that their hubs might fit onto a trailer too - and Smart Cars came with pretty snazzy suspension set-ups that didn't take up much room & could well provide a very close to 'bolt on' solution if you are constructing from scratch. And there might even be some hubs &/or complete suspension units available relatively cheaply in auto wrecking yards these days too! You could probably get some additional suitable wheels while you're there as well!

Peter I'm only guessing ..... but I'll bet the hubs on a smart car weigh 2 or 3 times what a trailer hub weigh , actually more because they will have BRAKES !!!!! ...... Mike

[Peter Aawen]

The front discs & brakes etc all slip on or bolt on, so the stripped hubs by themselves look pretty much like the mini-atv hubs shown earlier or the front end of a Spyder for that matter; and the hub/stub axle unit itself is designed to bolt on to the suspension unit - so it's quite a versatile & lightweight assembly that may well be exactly what the OP is looking for. The rear end has drum brakes & trailing arms with a cross axle, so unless the OP wants that sort of arrangement, it might not work wonderfully!

Now that there are a few Smart Cars making their way into the wrecking yards here in Oz, lotsa people are cannibalising them for parts like this to help them make lightweight & small trailers & things like ultra-light & gyro-copter undercarriages, lightweight running gear & suspension for solar powered cars, or even hi-tech hi-speed go-carts!! Can't hurt to check 'em out!

[frogfly]

The front discs & brakes etc all slip on or bolt on, so the stripped hubs by themselves look pretty much like the mini-atv hubs shown earlier or the front end of a Spyder for that matter; and the hub/stub axle unit itself is designed to bolt on to the suspension unit - so it's quite a versatile & lightweight assembly that may well be exactly what the OP is looking for. The rear end has drum brakes & trailing arms with a cross axle, so unless the OP wants that sort of arrangement, it might not work wonderfully!

Now that there are a few Smart Cars making their way into the wrecking yards here in Oz, lotsa people are cannibalising them for parts like this to help them make lightweight & small trailers & things like ultra-light & gyro-copter undercarriages, lightweight running gear & suspension for solar powered cars, or even hi-tech hi-speed go-carts!! Can't hurt to check 'em out! [emoji106]

Peter, the smart car hubs is a great idea, not what I had in mind though. Last resort maybe.

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[frogfly]

There are a few different ways to accomplish what your looking to do and some of them would be really cool....Like an independent suspension trailer! However, None of them include straight bolt-on work. If you can weld, have access to a mill, and are comfortable with your work it would be a fairly easy axle mod. If your hiring out all the work your best bet would probably be adapters. You could check with a local wheel shop to see if your 3 lug wheels could be welded/redrilled to the 4x4 bolt pattern.

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No, don't have any of that kind of experience, would be cool to be able to do that. Good suggestion on the adapters, hadn't thought of that.

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[frogfly]

I would go to a machining place and have them make you a set of hub adapters from 4 lug to 3 lug. I have seen a few from 3 to 4 lug and 4 to 5 lug. They are usually made out of aluminum. This is the only way I could see you doing this.

They look similar to this: This is a small five to big five adapter


adapter.jpg

This seems like the probable solution. Great idea. [emoji106] [emoji106]

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[frogfly]

Have you tried Southwest Wheel in Dallas? I think if anyone had what you are looking for it would be them. I have the HF tagalong and all I did is buy a spare when I bought the trailer. Pulled to Spyderfest last year without any problems. Just remember to grease the bearings real well.


Bob W.

Will look then up, thanks Bob.

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