Thread: Changing hubs

When I first bought my trailer I had a commodore So the existing trailer hubs are for commodore wheels.
I now have an Xtrail with 16" wheels & 5 stud 114.3, so was wondering how easy it would be to change the holden hubs to ones that suit the Nissan, (i think maybe ford ones may be the same) so I can minimise the numbere of spares I have to carry.
How do I check what size axle & bearings I have?

Hi Waki,
No probs with changing hubs ,Just go to a shop that sells the hubs they will tell you what to use , just undo wheel bearing nut and hubs come off then replace with the ones that suit.

Does the trailer have brakes? If so the drum will have to be changed. It also depends on what stub axle is being used as different bearings are used. My current car trailer has ford stud pattern with parrallel bearings. Most 4wd hubs and 15 or 16" wheels are derated in load carrying capicity.

Hey Waky, and welcome aboard.

As the other two replies have stated, changing the hubs is pretty straight forward... and you are correct that it's the same pattern as Ford passenger car.

However...

You haven't said what the trailer is..., What size...? How heavy...??

If you measure the size of the axle material, and tell me how old the trailer is, I'll get a rough idea what bearings are on it, and what your capacity it is. There'll be an I.D. tag on the trailer somewhere that tells you too, but it's not always accurate.

The only three other issues to consider are; the overall diameter of the new wheels and tyres, whether they fit in the existing guards or not; the off-set of the X-trail rims compared to the Commodore. The different off-set will move the tyre further in or out from the chassis. Too great a change can stick the wheels out past the guards, making it illegal, or make them rub on the inside. And the diameter of the hole in the middle of the X-trail rim, whether it will accomodate the snout of a trailer hub, which sticks out further than most car hubs/brakes.

Originally Posted by wonka

Most 4wd hubs and 15 or 16" wheels are derated in load carrying capicity.

Usually this is only by 100kg, and is mainly due to the size and weight of an Offroad tyre. A large 31x10.5R15 is substantially heavier than a 205/65R15 and so puts extra strain on your axle and bearings, which is why the axle manufacturers derate their axle capacity when 4WD rims and tyres are specified, although predominantly when 6 stud pattern is used. The X-trail's won't be much heavier than your average large family passenger vehicle.

I think the Xtrail is actually lighter than a commodore.
My trailer is a 7x5 & about 5 years old. I will have to check the axle etc tomorrow.
I was going to use the original Xtrail wheels which are only 15" as I upgraded the new ones to 16". When comparing to the current trailer wheels, they are only marginally bigger in diameter, so I dont think there will be a fitting problem.
Thanks for the info.
Dave

Originally Posted by waky53

I think the Xtrail is actually lighter than a commodore.

I actually meant the wheels and tyres would be slightly heavier, being a 4WD tyre.

My trailer is a 7x5 & about 5 years old. I will have to check the axle etc tomorrow.
I was going to use the original Xtrail wheels which are only 15" as I upgraded the new ones to 16". When comparing to the current trailer wheels, they are only marginally bigger in diameter, so I dont think there will be a fitting problem.
Thanks for the info.
Dave

No worries. You'll most likely have Holden bearings in the hubs. You could either just get a pair of Ford trailer hubs and swap your bearings over, or let me know the axle size, I can tell you what bearings should be on there, and then you can get a pair of hubs with new bearings fitted.

However, you'll still need to measure your X-trail rims. Firstly the hole diameter in the middle of the wheel. And Secondly, the offset. If you're not sure what I mean by this, grab an X-trail rim and tyre and a tape measure. Stand the wheel up and measure from the inside face that mates up to the hub, to the inside edge of the tyre sidewall. This will help me calculate the clearance the tyres have with your current axle.