[DreamWeaver]

On my 07 GW, I have a Kury, Vertical Hitch. My trailer has 12 inch wheels and I need to raise the ball about 2 inches or lower the trailer 2 inches in order to get the trailer to be level when pulling. Has anyone run across this problem and how did you solve it? Would prefer finding a way to raise the ball rather than investing hundreds of dollars in new tires. Remember its a vertical receiver hitch not a horizontal type. Thats the problem....

 

[LarryinSeattle]

Have a piece of 2 inch square channel welded onto the top of the tongue and move your hitch to that.

 

[DreamWeaver]

Hey Larry...
Well, thats one way I guess. Thought about taking the whole trailer tongue off and using 2 inch stock as spacers under the frame. Its amazing the unexpected stupid things you can run into like this. Guess I could just go Darkside and put a bigger tire on the rear to raise the back of the Wing...Come to think of it, it might save gas since I would be going down hill all the time....Course I don't know anybody else who has a car tire on the back of the wing.....Hmmmmmm..

 

[LarryinSeattle]

8 inch wheels would lower the trailer. I have 8 inch tires on mine. I heard that Wallmart sells the wheel and tire for $60 each.

A car tire would be dangerous and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone; however, I did install one on my bike about 8500 miles ago with no problems. The car tire I chose, lowered my bike about 1/2 to 3/4 inch.

 

[DreamWeaver]

Yep, I figgered the 8 inch tires would solve the problem but I bought the darn trailer that had 12 inch tires thinking they would wear better and last longer since they rolled further than an 8 incher. Do you pull yours at regular speeds, ie. 70 or do you drop down to the 50/60 range? I was just trying to get out of this delimma the cheapest way since I have 3 new 12 inch tires and hate to spend the money to go to 8 inchers. Geeze, I hate it when I do things like this.

 

[DreamWeaver]

8 inch wheels would lower the trailer. I have 8 inch tires on mine. I heard that Wallmart sells the wheel and tire for $60 each.

A car tire would be dangerous and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone; however, I did install one on my bike about 8500 miles ago with no problems. The car tire I chose, lowered my bike about 1/2 to 3/4 inch.

Just checked Wallyworld and looks like the smallest tire they sell is 12 inches. Will have to check that out next time I go into Walmart.

 

[LarryinSeattle]

Yep, I figgered the 8 inch tires would solve the problem but I bought the darn trailer that had 12 inch tires thinking they would wear better and last longer since they rolled further than an 8 incher. Do you pull yours at regular speeds, ie. 70 or do you drop down to the 50/60 range? I was just trying to get out of this delimma the cheapest way since I have 3 new 12 inch tires and hate to spend the money to go to 8 inchers. Geeze, I hate it when I do things like this.

I rode my bike 3500 miles, from Seattle to Arizona and back on 8 inch wheels. At times, I hit 90 mph but most of the time it was at 70 mph. No issues on the tires or hubs. As long as the tires are rated for highway, then one should not expect issues.

The wheel bearings don't care how fast they go around. They only care about weight and lubrication.

I would check other Wallmarts. I saw one at the Wallmart here in Everett, WA.

We have a Harbor Freight here and they sell them too.

Discount Tire only sells the tire and rim combo as well. A friend said that Les Schwab only sold the rim and tire.

 

[DreamWeaver]

Thanks Larry....I will check all this out. Have to kinda plan all this since everything is at least 30 miles from me. Harbor Freight is 75 miles. And right now its too darn hot to care. Thanks again...

 

[LarryinSeattle]

I have another friend that has an off set on his trailer tongue. I wish I had a camera along when I was looking at his deal. It looked like a factory off set.

He said he took it off of the trailer and took it to a welder. The welder cut the tongue in two places and put a three inch offset on it and then welded up the cuts.

 

[DreamWeaver]

I have another friend that has an off set on his trailer tongue. I wish I had a camera along when I was looking at his deal. It looked like a factory off set.

He said he took it off of the trailer and took it to a welder. The welder cut the tongue in two places and put a three inch offset on it and then welded up the cuts.

Yes, thats another solution but welding is out of the question right now. It's so dry we have been told that we are not to weld anything. I have a welder and do a lot of it myself but starting a fire would get me thrown in jail right now. Pretty sure I have the stock to do that offset but just too dry and hot to get out there and do it. Plus I would have to almost disassemble the the whole trailer to get the tongue off. That will be my next to last resort though. I did yank some old 8 inch tires and rims off my boat trailer and tomorrow, I may just stick them on the bike trailer just to see if it fixes the problem. Don't plan to drive it with them on but just need to measure things. Around here a man's wealth is gauged by how many cars and trucks and boats he has up on blocks. By the looks of things I am a rich man.

 

[5260]

It is a motorcycle trailer, not a barge. The tongue is not responsible for much weight.

Get a length of square tubing the same dimensions as the tongue (2"x2"?). Make sure it has a decent wall thickness! .095 or .120 is preferable. If you want your tongue to be the same length, cut the old tongue back about 6 inches. Now place the new tube BELOW the original tongue (you want to tip the trailer BACK, right?) and let it extend forward enough so that when you bolt the new ball hitch coupling to it, the ball will be in the same position, but 2" higher. Get two of the squared U-bolts from Fastenal or Home Depot. The 1/4" bolts are prettier, but for safety, get 3/8" or 1/2" U-bolts.

Drill down and run two Grade-8 bolts (5-1/2") through the new tube and old tongue, vertically, so the holes are in the center. Now bolt the new tube to the old tongue with the two U-bolts and use Ny-Lock nuts on them. Hook up your electrical and take it for a shakedown cruise.

Oh, and 12" tires are better than 8" tires because they rotate slower, which reduces the possibility of wheel bearing failure.

 

[bcassel]

Well, your hitch is bolted to the tongue of the trailer, how about just bolting a piece of square tubing on top of the existing tubing. Two 5/8" bolts through the two pieces with good washers on both sides. I'd trust it.

 

[DreamWeaver]

It is a motorcycle trailer, not a barge. The tongue is not responsible for much weight.

Get a length of square tubing the same dimensions as the tongue (2"x2"?). Make sure it has a decent wall thickness! .095 or .120 is preferable. If you want your tongue to be the same length, cut the old tongue back about 6 inches. Now place the new tube BELOW the original tongue (you want to tip the trailer BACK, right?) and let it extend forward enough so that when you bolt the new ball hitch coupling to it, the ball will be in the same position, but 2" higher. Get two of the squared U-bolts from Fastenal or Home Depot. The 1/4" bolts are prettier, but for safety, get 3/8" or 1/2" U-bolts.

Drill down and run two Grade-8 bolts (5-1/2") through the new tube and old tongue, vertically, so the holes are in the center. Now bolt the new tube to the old tongue with the two U-bolts and use Ny-Lock nuts on them. Hook up your electrical and take it for a shakedown cruise.

Oh, and 12" tires are better than 8" tires because they rotate slower, which reduces the possibility of wheel bearing failure.

Interesting idea. This may indeed be the solution. Gotta mull this over before I go cutting and drilling. Thanks for the idea and I'll get back with the results. And yes, I did want to keep the 12 inch wheels over the 8 inchers. 60 inches vs. 48 inches(roughly) traveled per rev equals slower revolutions, less heat, etc. Although I have hauled a boat trailer half way round the world on 8 inch tires with no failures or problems. Just trying to get around this the most economical and safe way. Would have been easy fix had I not had a vertical receiver. Who'd a thunk it.....Thanks

 

[DreamWeaver]

Well, your hitch is bolted to the tongue of the trailer, how about just bolting a piece of square tubing on top of the existing tubing. Two 5/8" bolts through the two pieces with good washers on both sides. I'd trust it.

It would have to be bolted on the bottom of the existing tubing. Idea is to raise the nose of the trailer to a level state. Otherwise its a good and simple fix. Thanks...

 

[5260]

60 inches vs. 48 inches(roughly) traveled per rev equals slower revolutions, less heat, etc.

Ummm... An 8" wheel is not 48" in outside circumference, and a 12" wheel is not 60" outside circumference. However,t he large wheel translates to a slower RPM, less centrifugal force to fight you in the twisties, and longer tread life. It also gets the axle about 3" higher to scoot over road debris the 8" wheels would catch, when you take the radius of the rim and add that to the height of the tire wall.

 

[L2R]

Same issue w/ 12 inch wheels. I bought hitch at autozone 2 1/4 drop for $20. Worked out perfect.


Sent from my Motorcycle iPhone app

 

[DreamWeaver]

Ummm... An 8" wheel is not 48" in outside circumference, and a 12" wheel is not 60" outside circumference. However,t he large wheel translates to a slower RPM, less centrifugal force to fight you in the twisties, and longer tread life. It also gets the axle about 3" higher to scoot over road debris the 8" wheels would catch, when you take the radius of the rim and add that to the height of the tire wall.

An 8 inch tire is the diameter of the Rim, not the rim and tire. Same with 12 inchers. Tread to tread across a 12 inch tire is 20 inches for the diameter. So, it travels approximately 60 inches per revolution.

 

[LarryinSeattle]

My 8 inch tires use 60 psi. I predict that I will be replacing the tires from old age, rather than wearing them out from road use, therefore the amount of road contact will have little if any affect on the serviceable life span of the tire.

It is funny that people worry about the 8 inch rim on a motorcycle cargo trailer when I see these same rims on boat trailers hauling considerable more weight. It is the quality of the trailer's axle and bearings that are of concern. Properly greased, relatively speaking the axle / bearing combo does not care how fast it spins.

It is the weight on the bearing that produces the heat build up and there is little weight on a motorcycle cargo trailer, therefore, the 8 inch rims are more than adequate.