I'm thinking of getting chrome rims to replace the ones on my drives and wondering if I can use my aluminum rims on my trailer?

Also, whenever I hear a truck with only 1 muffler it sounds like an air hose blowing through instead of a truck. Why is that? I actually like it.

 

Sure, as long as the trailer and the tractor have the same type of wheels ie: they both have Unimount, they both have Dayton, they both have old type Budds etc.

 

aluminum rims are thicker and usually require longer wheel studs

make certain the wheels match the hub; a stud-piloted wheel on a hub-piloted hub will fail

 

Speaking of wheels, are the old spoke wheels (called Daytons?) on trailers still considered useable, or obsolete? Are there any recent safety regs preventing their use, or any practical or safety reasons to avoid using them?

 

Red Clay Rambler Tubeless Dayton wheels are still being sold. They are no different mounting a tire on that a Hub piloted, stud piloted, or Budd wheel. The tube type with the ring, they are dangerous if not worked with properly while mounting a tire. If the ring is not seated properly or the groove in the wheel is rusted not letting the ring go all the way in the ring while airing up the tire can come off and really hurt you.
You have to put the tire in a cage or put a couple chains around the tire. (though the opening in the wheel and the tire) So if it does come apart the ring will not go flying.


The tubless Dayton wheels still use the wedges and those can hurt you too. When you are taking a wheel off the truck just loosen the lug nuts leaving a gap inbetween the front of the wedge and the back side of the lug nut. Then hit the wedges with a hammer and the wedge will come loose like a bullet, but will stop when it hits the lug nut not hitting your or anything around you.

Mike





Steve
Do they still sell Chrome truck wheels? I know Chrome has a better shine then even a perfectly polished aluminum wheel. But chrome pits and rusts, and thats forever. No fixxing it. If a aluminum wheel is neglected and gets pits in it they can be sanded out and repolished.

Mike

 

there is a dumptruck outfit by me that buys brand new macks with the dayton wheels on them still.

 

Thanks for the info on Daytons. It has been a long time since I drove anything with them on it. I do remember the wedges/hammer trick, and also the news stories about wheels exploding and maiming or killing people. Most of the tire cages you see in shops are bowed out from it.

I recently considered buying a trailer that has Dayton wheels. Come to think of it, almost all of the container chassis I see have them.

 

Ya, I'm just sick of having to get my wheels polished. They go from blinding beauty to blah in a few months and chrome only takes a minute to bring back to new again. I hear ya on the rust and stuff. I may look into those fake chrome inserts.

 

i've never heard of a regulation that does not allow the use of spoked wheels... why would they be banned?

dayton and budd are not types of wheels, they are brand names (wheel and wheel hub manufacturers); the dayton name is synonymous with spoked wheel hubs (and budd with disc wheels) because they are major suppliers of the product

 

Why don't you buy alcoa durabrites? I have had mine 18 months and they still look like brand new. Put some soap and water on them and bang, brand new.