Spare wheel issues

[MustRib]

I need to get a spare wheel for my Rollercoaster
and have been looking at brackets for attaching it to the trailer
as I dont want to lug it around in the boat or car.

For those of you that attach the spare to the trailer,
how do you stop toe rags stealing it?
All the attachment brackets I have seen dont have a locking capability.

thanks

[Boats&Outboards]

Something else to consider is the security of the package. For example if your just using a wheel lock it's been known for scallys to remove the wheel and use the spare you kindly left to tow your boat away!!!

Peter ~ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ askboatsandoutboards4sale@sky.com ~ 07930 421007

[MustRib]

yep - know what you mean - I have a good quality wheel clamp
that covers wheel nut.
I know its not fool proof considering I leave the trailer in the car park for
a day while out on the boat, just dont want to make it easy to have the spare wheel away.

[Nasher]

I made my own locking spare wheel bracket a few years ago, unfortunately it will be the weekend before I could take any pictures.

Basically, the bracket has a length of flat HT steel bar welded to the middle that sticks out through the hole in the centre of the wheel.

A length of HT steel box section with a slot cut in it slides over the flat bar and covers two of the wheel nuts holding the wheel to the bracket.

A hole is drilled in the flat bar outboard of the box section so a padlock can be put in to hold the Box section on.

The bracket is designed so that all the nuts holding it to the trailer are behind the spare wheel once it is on, and so they can't be undone.

Obviously a pair of bolt croppers could remove the padlock, but the idea is to make it less attractive to an opportunist thief.

Nasher.

[MustRib]

cheers Nasher...
was thinking about something like that ... but wondering if something coud be
done with a locking wheel nut or stud.

[Nasher]

I did think about using a locking wheel nut but didn't want to go to the expense of buying a set when I had all the bits and pieces I needed to make it as I did in the garage already.

If you can match the threads to use a nut or stud the same as on your car it would make a lot of sense.

The Disco I have now does give me that chance as there are only a relatively small number of locking wheel nut 'codes', so I keep thinking I should look out for a couple of sets the same as I already have and convert the 4 plus 1 spare wheels on the trailer to the same nut as the car.

Nasher

[jyasaki]

If your bracket has multiple lug bolts, drill a cross hole through one, and install a padlock.

If you want to use all the current ones, drill a new hole in the bracket that lines up with a wheel lug on the tire, get a long bolt (cross-drilled near the head for the lock), sandwich the bracket with a couple of nuts, and peen over the end of the bolt to keep someone from unbolting it. Then cut the head of the bolt off and you have a lockable stud. Probably not explained very well, but you might get the general idea...

jky

[Nick Hearne]

I just used a padlock & chain, end of the day if someone wants to nick trailer or boat they can & will, all we can do is try & put them off!

[biffer]

getting slightly off track, but on little trailers like yours i would make a bracket with a stub axle on it, that way you can carry a spare wheel complete with spare hub and bearings all in one

[MustRib]

I like that idea Biffer.
Will have to take a look at that.

[Trailer Guy]

you can buy parts for doing that off the shelf, so if you get stuck I canpoint you in the right direction.

In the mean time, if you already have a spare wheel holder fitted, you could always knock out one of the current studs and replace it with a longer bolt (M12, something like that) then drill behind the nut, when refitted to hold the wheel on, and fit a padlock.

Or a cheapish (£15.00?, but cheaper than a new spare wheel!) steel rope style bicycle lock, from somewhere like Halfrauds.

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by Trailer Guy

...steel rope style bicycle lock...

Works well for me