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 :dontknow: 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 :gaah:.............. Google it ........good luck....... Mike :thumbup:

[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 :gaah:.............. 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!! :thumbup:

[Bfromla]

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

[frogfly]

:hun::dontknow: Even the BRP trailers are 4 lug. You sure this the route you wanna try?:p
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!! :thumbup:
Peter - the OP is looking for HUBS not wheels .......He wants to His Spyder wheels ........ Mike :thumbup:

[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


142091

[Fatcycledaddy]

Would something like this work?
142092

[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 :thumbup:

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

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 :thumbup:

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 :thumbup:

[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! :thumbup:

[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


142091
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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