Canning Tvan change of wheel size.

Thanks, David.
Did you just get new hubs? Or did it have to go all the way back to backing plates?
Cheers
OBJ

When i changed mine it was hubs only ( not tvan)
Pitty we are not in the same state , got the 5 stud hubs sitting in the shed ... lol

OBJ.

I changed nothing except the rim size. 15" off, 16" on.
No new hubs or backing plates.

David

I run Landcuiser hubs on my trailer running Dmax rims. Same stud pattern and they run the same track as ny ute. If I put Landcruiser rims on they'd stick out a mile. Different offset and would run a much wider track than my ute

Many thousands vehicles have larger diameter tyres fitted legally and no certifying needed Peter_n_Margaret. Why would the vehicle need to be recertified?

In Victoria the maximum increase in diameter is limited to 15mm.

Why would the vehicle need to be recertified?
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Putting aside any legal issues, the problem with larger diameter tyres is they increase the leverage on the brakes and the vehicle takes longer to stop.

They also increase the cornering side forces on wheel studs, bearings and even axle flanges.

One major example of axle flange failure was caused by fitting large wide tyres to the rear of little feather weight T bucket hot rods when they became popular in the late 1950s and sixties. Most of those cars used the heavy 9 inch Ford rear axle and many snapped the axle flange clean off despite these heavy axles being used in full size Ford sedans, wagons and even the F100. They were big heavy cars and utes but they did not break their axles in standard form.

That is an extreme example but unfortunately all kinds of trailers, caravans etc have considerably more wheel problems than the cars towing them. That has been well known since the early days of motoring.

But it still would not need recertification...

Splits
That wouldn't be because the rims on the rear of rods were made with almost maximum negative offset and was twisting the axle all it's life. All the forces were well outside the designed area of where load should have been taken.

Shaker
On tyre size isn't 3% allowed as an increase in dia? on most common sizes that equates to around 24mm dia increase. Accepted by the rim and tyre associations.

May be a moot argument anyway considering most 17's are a lower profile than 16's you may find the overall diameter change may be minimal if any.

RMD

It was most likely the huge offset that broke the axles. Unfortunately that does not change the fact that far too many trailers and vans have suffered major wheel, studs and bearing failures. Many have even snapped the end off their axles.

The first box trailer that I made was in 1963. The axle consisisted of turned down FJ Holden stub axles fitted into and welded onto the ends of a piece of water pipe from the local hardware shop.

I used it, and regularly overloaded it, for eleven years then sold it to a relative in rural NSW who did the same thing for many years and often on unsealed roads.. The axle never failed because the stub axles, hubs and wheels had been designed to work together by General Motors. It was more good luck than good management that the pipe I used was also up to the task.

The problems encounted by trailers and vans comes from design faults. Few if any manufacturers have the design and testing facilities of car manufacturers. To make matters worse, many say they will fit whatever wheels the buyer wants. If I was to buy a new van or camper trailer, I would stay with whatever wheels the manufacturer used in the hope they got it right. I would not be fitting something that I thought was better.

Or you could buy a camper, 'van or trailer with Chinese axles, bearings and hubs - and hope like hell they stayed in one piece, when the going got rough.

I went along to an MDC campers "surplus inventory auction" recently and it was quite eye-opening seeing the amount of axles, hubs, brakes, bearings, and wheels, that were up for offer.

Part of the problem was obviously regular design changes in the axles, brakes, mounting plates, and hubs and bearings, that was leading to "surplus stocks" of units, that were not "current".

The second obvious feature of the sale was the sheer number of half-dismantled axles, hubs, brakes and bearings, where it appeared many units had been "cannabilised" for parts - no doubt to meet urgent demands for replacement parts, where there had been failure on a clients camper or 'van.

Cheers, Ron.

Ron
Why wait to see if the parts hold together in the rough stuff? They usually fail during use in the easy stuff.
The axle steel quality is rubbish, the bearings the same, coupled with hardly any lubrication and poor adjustment of bearings sees them vapourize if used anywhere.
The cannabilising of parts is only prolonging the time until the pain revisits.

The majority of people who pack grease into wheel hubs do not use sufficient grease to provide a long life of bearings. If Chinese quality bearings then the demise is almost predictable.

I once got into trouble with a foreman who claimed I used too much grease in large semitrailer hubs. I used 3 times the grease others did. Their bearings lasted 12 months and then the cost was ALL bearings in 4 large hubs + minimal grease.
My liberal use of grease, meant no replacement of costly bearings and regreased after each season of use saw the same bearings last more than 4 years and at least 4 times the distance of other grease conscious workers.
Foreman conceded, grease was good.

Ron

The subject of poor quality Chinese products comes up constantly on net forums. The Chinese are not stupid and many of their engineers have studied in our universities. I am inclined to think the biggest problem is the Australian importers. If they want 10,000 two dollar bearings, the Chinese will make them. If they want them to be aircraft quality then that is what they will get but the price will be much higher.

I heard some prominent person talking about the rise of China on the radio a few years ago. He said we are not seeing the rise of China, we are seeing the return of China. They dominated world trade up to about about 400 years ago then withdrew into themselves. They are now coming back rapidly.

We are now seeing a steady increase in the sales of Chinese cars. I wonder if a trailer with Chinese wheel bearings will have any early problems with them if the bearings were genuine parts for a Great Wall ute or another popular Chinese car.