Trailer Axle Question

I've got a pretty heavy duty 25' triple axle flatbed trailer that I haul tractors around on. I really like it, but it came with trailer house style axles.

Between just about wearing the rims, tires, bearings, etc, out - and wanting to move up to more modern wheels, I recently bought 3 7,000 pound new axles with electric brakes and with 8 bolt pattern wheel hubs.

In all my checking (axle vendor experts, internet, measuring rims, etc), everything pointed to the older (92-94) Ford F250 8 bolt wheel rims fitting these axles. I've got plenty of spares from retired pickups, so I thought this would be a great idea.

So I went down to Lubbock, picked up the axles and got them home - and while the older F250 wheel rims DO fit - the lug bolts on these new hubs seem to be one size smaller diameter than the Ford wheel hub studs. The wheel rim will move around on the hub about 1/8th of an inch or so.

The nuts tighten the wheel on the hub OK, but I'm worried that these really aren't quite made for each other.

Has anyone run into this before?? I'm wondering about knocking the studs out of the new hubs, drilling the holes out slightly, and pounding in larger studs... Not sure if I wound up with some oddball axles, (they were from a major, well established regional vendor) or if these wheels will work fine and I'm just over analyzing it...


Thanks for any advice,
Howard

Others can better advise you on how much slop you can have on the rims/studs.
I just replaced all the studs on my brake drums about 3 weeks ago so I could use chevy hubcaps on my trailer. I had to drill out the stud holes in the drums as the chevy style studs were larger in dia. I just set them up in the drill press and went at it.
Worked good.
I ordered the new studs from Rockauto.com. They were delivered them to my door for less than half what I would have paid locally.

The hubs are eight bolt made to use Ford,Dodge,or Chevy wheels. Ford and Dodge have a larger pilot hole than Chevy. The bolt pattern is the same. If you use the tapered lug nuts you will be fine. If you want the wheels to fit the pilot tight then try a Chevy wheel.

IF I am remembering correctly Chevy has a 4 1/2 inch center pilot hole and Ford and Dodge have a 4 5/8 pilot hole. I have a Dodge an one of my spare tires has had the center hole cut bigger with a torch.

The eight bolt pattern is on a 6 1/2 inch bolt circle on all of them. Now in 1997 there was a switch to a metric pattern and the newer wheels are different. The eight bolt pattern is different.

the trailer i bought has 2 3500 lb. axles and they told me it took 5X5 chevy wheels

The wheels you have will be fine. The holes wear from repeated tightening but should still be OK.

Definitely use tapered lug nuts to properly center the rim.

Lug nuts with a taper on one side should center
them, as you slowly tighten them, working side to
side.

Thanks for the comments, fellas!

As much work as this is getting the new axles slid under there, replacing hangers, mounting tires, etc, I was a little worried I was wasting a lot of effort.


Howard

I would say... unless you can get a lug nut with a fatter profile then you better switch the wheels to trailer wheels that fit properly. I doubt if there's enough meat in those hubs to safely drill them out to the next size.
You might be able to find the thicker nut tho... Something with a 7/8" hex instead of 13/16.

Rod