Replacing The Hubs, Springs, And Wheels On A 2001 Venture Trailer

Question:

I own an old 2001 Venture trailer and I am interested is purchasing: 1.new leaf springs 2.hubs pre greased 3.upgraded tires move from 8 to 12. I don’t think they make this tiny trailer anymore and can’t seem to find information for the parts. Can you recommend the parts: Make: Venture Model: VB-700 GVWR 900 GAWR 900 Single Square Axle Bolt Pattern 4 on 4 Current Tires 8x3.75 Max Load 700 Width 4.8 x 8B? Max Load Carrying Capacity 700 I plan on using this for my canoe, but will be traveling really long distances on major highways radial?. I am a repeat customer, love your company, and appreciate any help you can give me.

asked by: George B

Expert Reply:

I was also unable to locate any information about your Venture trailer, so there will be some measuring needed to make sure the correct parts are ordered.

So to start with, the springs. The correct ones will depend on the style, width, and length. If you have a double eye spring, or closed at both ends like the # e84SR, you will need to measure from the center of one eye to the center of the other. This will tell you what length is needed and you will not need to measure the width as these style springs are a standard 1-3/4" wide.

If your springs are closed on one end and open on the other, like the # SP-179275, you will need to measure the overall length from the center of the eye, the length from the center of the eye to the top/middle of the "hump" where it sits on the bolt, and the width. The width should also be 1-3/4", but this could be different. Once you have the size and style of the springs identified, you will need to move to the hubs.

Already having the bolt pattern gets you part of the way there, but there can still be a couple different bearings used, so you will need to remove one of the hubs. Once off, you will need to either look for an identifying number, like # L44649 or # L44643, but these can and do wear off over time. If this is the case, you can also measure the inside diameter of the bearings to confirm them. The # L44649 will have an inner diameter of 1.063: and the # L44643 will have an inner diameter of 1" exactly, so you will need calipers to measure them.

If you have the # L44649 bearings, you will need the Easy Grease Trailer Idler Hub # AKIHUB-440-2-EZ-2K. This is pre-greased and has the 4 on 4 bolt pattern.

Once you have the bearings/hubs confirmed, we can look at replacing your wheels. I do need to mention that we currently do not have an option for radial tires with a 12" wheel, so the two options I have listed will be bias ply tires. There is absolutely nothing wrong with bias tires, however, and they will work just fine for your trailer.

With that being said, upping the size of the tire can and will be limited by the amount of space inside the wheel well or fender. There needs to be at least 3" of space between the top of the tire to the bottom of said wheel well or fender, so it is something to keep in mind. With a typical 8" wheel/tire having a diameter of 16.1", going to something like the Kenda 5.30-12 Bias Trailer Tire with 12" White Wheel # AM30780 that has a diameter of 22", you will need to make sure there is enough room for it or room will need to be made by moving the fender around a bit.