Tire Trailer
 

Hello, I am in the beginning stages in planning to build a tire trailer to tow to and from the track to haul tires and tools. I was wondering what kind of boxes people are using to put their tools, jacks, etc. into that are mounted onto the trailer. Any links that you could provide would be helpful also. How are you attaching your wheels to the trailer? How do you have the trailer set up and why? Any other information and tips that you can provide will be helpful. Thanks

I went with the Harbor Freight 4'x4' trailer with 12" wheels...

After putting a deck on it I used this box from Menards:
https://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...47800167593071
Plenty of room and fits perfect on the trailer, I just ran 6 bolts through the bottom to attached it to the deck.

I have the box mounted on the front of the trailer, I have two 2x4's that are bolted down across the deck serving as wheel chucks for the tires on the back of the trailer. I use a couple of ratchet straps & eyelets on the frame rails to keep the tires in place. I mounted the box on front because it was easier to keep the trailer from teeter-tottering while taking the wheels on & off when it wasn't connected to the hitch.

Couldn't find a good pic but you can kinda see mine on the other side of the car:
Attachment 182078

I used one of these for a year or two, back when. I put the box at the rear from memory, worked ok for me. My box was given to me by an ex-army bloke, it was a plastic kit box and was strong enough and weather proof to handle a small trolley jack, couple of axle stands, loaded toolbox, etc.

The whole setup was sold off when I went racecar, and is still going in the new owner's hands.

I owned one, a long time ago.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Cars/Part...railer1-X2.jpg

205s on 15x7s you can fit 4 of them upright between the rails on the 4x4 HF trailer. I haven't actually measured, but I'm pretty sure that 225s on 15x9s you can't, let alone 245s. Mounting them upright makes them easier to load/unload (you basically roll them on), but you need something soft for them to rest on because if you put them on the bare steel edges then it cuts into the tread. I wound up running a couple pieces of PVC pipe inside the rail, which worked well. I've seen other people mount deck across the whole thing and lay the tires flat with bits of iron piping attached to the deck going up through the center hole. That gives more flexibility on tire width, but it makes the trailer higher, costing you rear visibility and increased drag, plus now you have to lift the tire over it to put it on/off. I like having he box on the front and the tires on the back because the weight balances better.

Some random other thoughts: The frame is pretty floppy, even when bolted together. The deck improved it a lot, but were I doing it now I would have welded the frame together. The springs are way too stiff for the light loads of a tire trailer, it bounces around a lot. Some people have suggested taking one of the two leaves out, but I never tried it with mine. You want the spare tire, and a proper jack for the tongue would have been nice although I never got around to it and just used a jackstand. The bearings in the HF trailers aren't standard US trailer sizes, which means they're stupid expensive when it comes time to replace them. You really want the 12" wheels, not the 8" ones like mine had, because the 8" wheels are smaller diameter so the wheels wind up spinning stupidly fast on the freeway and wearing out the bearings.

I used mine for a few years then decided it was too put of a PITA and sold it.

--Ian