What Could Cause Enlargement of Trailer Wheel Bolt Holes

Question:

Hello, I have a Loadrite single axel trailer. I noticed on one side, the lug holes became wallowed out. The holes were becoming larger than the lug nut. I replaced the rim. I pulled off the hub and I had lots of grease inside. The bearings looked perfect. Could the spindle be bent? The hub bent? Any suggestions?

asked by: Chase

Expert Reply:

In order for the holes on your trailer wheels to become enlarged there would had to have been enough movement of the wheel on your hub's studs to allow the holes to be enlarged. The continuous friction from the wheel studs would wear on the holes in the wheel and enlarge them.

Most likely the wheel was not secured to the hub with enough torque on the lug nuts or the wheel is intended for a hub that has different diameter studs. A bent spindle could cause uneven tire wear but not enlarged holes in the wheel unless the wheel was also loose on the hub. I linked a chart showing recommended lug nut torque for various types and sizes of trailer wheels.

I suggest you check the condition of the wheel studs on your hub. They too may have been damaged by the contact with the wheel's holes and you could have thread damage. We do offer replacement studs that are shown on the linked page; both the drive-in and screw-in types, like # K12WB2 and # 25-53.

expert reply by: Adam R