Caravan Wheels

Submitted: Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 10:40

ThreadID: 87535 Views:3611 Replies:6 FollowUps:8

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Ray

A mate of mine had the wires pulled out of his electric brakes on his caravan and asked me to repair them for him. When I removed the wheel I found that all the weight of the caravan was being carried by the wheel studs and that there was a gap of about 20mm between the caravan hub and the wheel centre. I asked my friend if these were the original wheels and he said they were????? I understand that this is an illegal set up??? Is this common with caravan manufacturers?

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Reply By: Member -Dodger - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 10:48

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 10:48

Normally the wheel when tightened up is hard up against the brake drum.
So no I do not think that this is normal.
Did the wheel studs have spacers? if so this I believe is illegal in NSW at least.

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

Cheers Dodg.

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AnswerID: 459814

Follow Up By: Ray - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 10:54

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 10:54

No the wheel did not have spacers

FollowupID: 733438

Follow Up By: snoopyone - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 12:34

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 12:34

All wheels should go back hard against the drum or hub if disc braked.

Sounds like they are non standard wheels.

FollowupID: 733442

Reply By: Crammo - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 11:07

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 11:07

It is the tapers on the nuts where they fit into the wheel that locates and supports the wheel. The hub centre has nothing to do with locating the wheel.
Brian

AnswerID: 459815

Follow Up By: Member - Andrew L (QLD) - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 11:47

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 11:47

I would not agree with that statement "The hub centre has nothing to do with locating the wheel".

It has a lot to do with it. It does centre the wheel, and provides substantial load and shear support to the wheel stud assembly when the wheel is correctly mounted and tensioned by the stud and nut components.

Non-Engineering Approved Modifications
VSB14 sets out a list of modifications not requiring engineering certification: specified tyre and rim substitution; raising suspensions by not more than one third of the original suspension travel; shock absorber substitution; spring and sway bar substitution; track rod and strut brace installation; and power steering conversion using manufacturer’s option components.

"A replacement aluminium alloy rim should be located on the hub by the same-diameter centre spigot as the original wheel, using metal adaptor rings where necessary."

While VSB14 appears to not be enshrined as legislation yet, it is a collaborative of existing and intended rules.

FollowupID: 733440

Follow Up By: snoopyone - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 12:33

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 12:33

Well if it didnt my cars wheels would fall off.

They have bolts to hold them on NOT studs and are located by fitting them over the centre spigot and rotating them to match the holes in the hub.

Coomodores with mags were terrible as the mags would corrode onto the centres and were hard to get off if not changed for a while.

Also Falcons used to have different sized centres and some wheels would fit and others wouldnt. Found that out when I got a puncture and borrowed a wheel which had a smaller centre hole yet was off the same series car.

FollowupID: 733441

Follow Up By: Crammo - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 14:21

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 14:21

Not true - early Volkswagen? NO central location. Many alloy wheels now the same, no central location. Haven't seen many fall off.

Brian

FollowupID: 733452

Follow Up By: snoopyone - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 14:33

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 14:33

Brand New Volkswagens

Two of them in fact and both the same Wheel is located on the centre and bolts are put in to hold them on

One is a POLO with mags and the other is a 3 week old Passat Wagon with mags

FollowupID: 733454

Follow Up By: garrycol - Thursday, Jul 14, 2011 at 15:57

Thursday, Jul 14, 2011 at 15:57

It depends on the brand of vehicle - some are centered on a hub like landrovers but there are plenty of other vehicles that it is the wheel stud with tapered wheel nuts that centre the wheel. On my box trailer the wheels are centred by this method.

So depends on the vehicle or trailer.

Garry

FollowupID: 733519

Reply By: P2D2 - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 12:44

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 12:44

That is normal on 14" wheels. All the weight is supported by the wheel studs.

AnswerID: 459820

Reply By: Fred G NSW - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 13:38

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 13:38

The hole in the centre of my caravan (Jayco) original rims is about 12mm larger than the hub diameter. 14" with 5 stud pattern.

AnswerID: 459826

Follow Up By: Ray - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 18:39

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 18:39

The wheels on MY Jayco fit snug on the hub. 14" 5stud pattern and THEY are original rims but my caravan is over 20yrs old, perhaps standards have dropped now a days.

FollowupID: 733471

Reply By: splits - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 18:39

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 18:39

If you look at the standard steel wheels on my Lux, it looks like the centre hole is a snug fit on the hub and the vehicle weight is going straight through from the hub to the wheel. It would appear the studs and nuts are just there to hold the wheel on and don't take any weight. If you get your feeler gauges out though it is a different story. You can run a .005 to .006 thousandths on an inch gauge right around between the wheel and the hub. That is normal. There has to be a clearance there otherwise you would never get the wheel on and off and you can't support weight through a clearance. If you want the weight to bypass the studs then the wheel would have to be a press on interference fit on the hub.

Many of the early alloy wheels, particularly aftermarket, had stud holes with no tapered seat. They usually came with rings to locate the wheel on the hub. A clearance was still necessary but without a taper to securely locate the wheel, many of these wheels were noted for working loose.

Things do not move on a taper. As you tighten tapered nuts, the taper settles tightly into the tapered seats in the wheel, the wheel is locked on solidly and can't move, the centre hole is centred in the gap (however small) between the wheel and the hub and the studs take the weight.

AnswerID: 459862

Reply By: Roughasguts - Thursday, Jul 14, 2011 at 14:52

Thursday, Jul 14, 2011 at 14:52

Don't worry about the 5 or more wheel nuts holding the wheel to the hub!!!

Take a look at what holds the hub to the axle one finger tight castle nut and a split pin is all that holds the whole wheel assembly together!! bit scary but it seems to work if you keep lube up to it.

Cheers.

AnswerID: 459918