upgraded wheels and tires

[caddy0150]

Hey I was looking at the wet sounds web page and I saw a killer
TIGE on the page whats involved in upgrading the wheels on the trailer to accept those larger ones?? anybody done it??? goods and bads????

[thtrog]

Caddy,
I bought a new boat off the floor last summer and contacted the trailer mfg. in TN about adding a wheel package - 18" x 9" I think. Here is the response they sent back to me with an estimate on parts - no labor or wheels/tires. BTW - I did not pursue it any further...hope this helps.


To prevent looking up every part number and cost, here are some ballpark prices that will be very close.

In addition to the wheels and tires, you will need the following:
-----2 new 3000# 93/76T axle weldments (beam only…..does not include trailing arms)…$205 each, plus a $70 fee to add brake line and paint charge……………..$550
-----2 new 10.75” wide fenders with Malibu logo and non-skid………………………………………………………….$185 each (painted)…………………………………………………………..$370
………………………or, you can go with stainless steel fenders....................…………………………………………….$255 each (stainless)…………………………………………………………$510
-----plus shipping, which would be pretty expensive on 4 items that large…..even though you’re only in NC, it would probably be worth the drive to come and pick them up.

Unless you’d be doing the work yourself, expect to pay about 6 to 8 hours labor for the installation of the items above.

I recommend purchasing the wheels yourself. Putting me in the middle of that will only complicate the matter.

[caddy0150]

are the wheels and tires just regular automotive tires or something special and can you change them to accept gm lug patterns??

[91Terminator]

is the trailer you saw a triple axle black and white trailer? because if so i currently have it for sale.

If its the Black and White boat tim had he sold it to a guy down in st. pete Florida, and then he put the boat on an aluminum trailer, so i have the trip axle 18" chrome wheels trailer for sale for the owner, i am the salesman from Tige dealer in largo FL, Fortes Inboard Connection.

Tony.

[jmhatchett]

are the wheels and tires just regular automotive tires or something special and can you change them to accept gm lug patterns??

I have a 2009 22Ve with the upgraded trailer package that has the 18" Chrome wheels and low profile tires and YES they are regular automotive wheels and tires availabe at Discount Tire (is where I got mine) but available for order through most tire dealers I presume. Mine are Panther wheels and then Nexxen tires.

And the pattern that is on mine is a 5 on 5 (I believe); a 5 lug pattern which is not the same as GM's 6 lug on 5.5 measurement.
The modification that would be needed to accomodate the GM lug pattern would have to be done at the hub where the wheel would bolt on. IMO it would be easier to leave the pattern alone and if you are serious about modifying the trailer then concentrate on the other details mentioned by "thtrog". There are definitely plenty of awesome wheels that fit these measurements (most wheels are made to fit in the major categories of sizes which this falls into) so I would say concentrate on the other stuff and then you will find some awesome wheels that really tie it all together!!!

[thtrog]

The information I shared was from the trailer mfg. after I inquired about switching to a wider wheel and low profile tire. My understanding that to go from a 14" x 6" wheel to a 18" x 9" I would need to have shorter axles and wider fenders. I called to follow-up with them and was told that this was to maintain proper wheel bearing loads and prevent premature spindle wear - also to have proper fender/tire coverage to prevent boat hull damage. This may not be the case for your trailer, but for me it was not a simple swap out - nothing at all to do with the wheel pattern.

[Joeprunc]

The lower profile tires look nice, but they can't take the "bad driver beatings" the way the 14s can. (My girlfriend still likes to cut corners a little tight when helping me tow the boat).

[jmhatchett]

The information I shared was from the trailer mfg. after I inquired about switching to a wider wheel and low profile tire. My understanding that to go from a 14" x 6" wheel to a 18" x 9" I would need to have shorter axles and wider fenders. I called to follow-up with them and was told that this was to maintain proper wheel bearing loads and prevent premature spindle wear - also to have proper fender/tire coverage to prevent boat hull damage. This may not be the case for your trailer, but for me it was not a simple swap out - nothing at all to do with the wheel pattern.

My response was to a question about the wheel and tires and the lug patterns; but u are correct they have to compensate all the weight and load so that nothing wears unevenly. When i ordered my boat from Tige i ordered the upgraded trailer so i did not have to do a conversion. So I was not at all responding to your post but rather to "caddy0150"'s post.

[thtrog]

My response was to a question about the wheel and tires and the lug patterns; but u are correct they have to compensate all the weight and load so that nothing wears unevenly. When i ordered my boat from Tige i ordered the upgraded trailer so i did not have to do a conversion. So I was not at all responding to your post but rather to "caddy0150"'s post.

Gotcha jm - I just saw Discount Tire and wished it was that easy. Best advice I can give is to contact your trailer manufacture with your serial number and they can advise you on what has to be done.