1963 Trailer Restoration Integral Hubs??? Help?

[birdhunter555]

Hello guys,
New to the forum, I am restoring an old boat trailer from 1963. The wheels on the trailer have no lugnuts except for one big bolt going through the center under the dust cap. I heard these are called integral hubs. There is no through axle to the other side (as seen on trailers today) to the spindle, but it is attached through the frame where a shock arm is attached. (I will post pic to better explain this) Are these wheels/setup reliable? I was going to get new tires and bearings, but if able to easily convert to stud bolt and hubs I would do so! I will be making local and long trips with the trailer for fishing/hunting. Trailer is about 15 ft long, I will try to put pics up soon! Thanks for all your help guys as this has been my biggest snag in the project!

-Kyle

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 1963 Trailer Restoration Integral Hubs??? Help?

It is reliable ONLY if you also have a spare wheel and tire. Have a flat or blow out and no spare and you will wish you never saw this trailer. Integral hub wheels are getting pretty scarce and it is likely you would not find one within 100 miles of where you broke down. Unless this trailer has some fascination to you I would replace the coil spring and trailing arm suspension with a straight axle with real hubs and wheels.

 

[birdhunter555]

Re: 1963 Trailer Restoration Integral Hubs??? Help?

Silvertip,
Thanks for your response. Unfortunately I restored most of this trailer before I got to the hub situation. :facepalm:
The only integral wheel/rims I have found are on northerntool.com but I don't believe they are meant for long trips. I think they may work as a spare if I had to limp to a tire dealership though. Here are a few pics of the trailer, oh and one old one before I got it!
Thanks for any responses guys.

 

[roscoe]

Re: 1963 Trailer Restoration Integral Hubs??? Help?

I'd buy a new axle assembly and weld it to the end of the trailing arms. Then hope the springs never break.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: 1963 Trailer Restoration Integral Hubs??? Help?

FIRST: Are those wheels and tires road rated? Second: That looks like a very light capacity trailer--do you intend to put anything larger than a short tin boat on it?

Third: Pull one wheel and measure the spindle. This will tell you if you will be able to install separate hubs onto the spindles in order to use lugged wheels. If the spindles are the same diameter as standard wheel bearing size and if they are long enough to fit a detatchable hub, then you are gold.

I don't see a seal area on those wheels and spindles. Perhaps you would best follow the advice above to weld on new spindles.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: 1963 Trailer Restoration Integral Hubs??? Help?

Honestly I would really consider replacing the trailer That would be cheaper in the long run

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 1963 Trailer Restoration Integral Hubs??? Help?

Unless the nostalgia of the old trailer is what you want, I would get a different trailer.

 

[Freds]

Re: 1963 Trailer Restoration Integral Hubs??? Help?

EDIT: Please read our forum rules as you've broken a number of them with this one post. Thanks.