[Bazzin05]

So I am thinking of lowering my boat on my trailer, the only problem is the fenders and tires are in a little too close to get the bunks as low as I want them. I have no problems removing fenders and putting new ones on, but is there an easy way to get my tires out just a few more inches? I don't want to buy a new axle for only a few inches. Has anyone used offset wheels on their trailer? I know the offset is a little harder on the bearings but I don't tow the boat really long distances often so the stress wouldn't really be a concern to me.

Any other recommendations? or anyone ever had experience doing this?

 

[Bassbme]

Do you have room between keel and the center bar of the trailer? I'd be darn sure you don't lower it so much that a big bump could cause the keel to hit on the trailer frame. I'm not sure I'd mess with something like hull height on a trailer just to gain a few less feet of backing the trailer into the water.

Just thinkin out loud....

 

[Bazzin05]

The boat is completely flat on the bottom so clearance that way is not a problem. To add some more background to this it is a 18.6' outboard jet rig so the reason I am asking is that this time of year every year there is not enough water in the rivers I fish to float the boat off the trailer so I have to take my winch strap and run it under a cross beam of the trailer and winch the boat off the trailer. Just trying to save some winch straps.

I will attach a picture of the boat on the trailer.

 

[Bassbme]

Oh I see you have plenty of room. I was thinking a deep V hull in my earlier post. I guess the question you have to ask yourself is..... will going to the added expense of new rims and probably tires since most of the offset rims are made for wider tires...... is all of that going to make that much of a difference for a boat that is going to sit (from the way it looks) about 5" lower on the trailer?

Sweet looking rig you have there though. I hope whatever you decide to do, works out for you.

 

[slimdaddy45]

Why not just put smaller tires on it save ya alot of work and if your gonna buy new rims just get like an 8-10'' rim and tires

 

[freyedknot]

get some glyde sticks for your trailer bunks. make launching much easier. be careful the boat does not slide until your ready.

 

[Bassbme]

Why not just put smaller tires on it save ya alot of work and if your gonna buy new rims just get like an 8-10'' rim and tires

Smaller rims and tires would decrease the road clearance of the entire trailer. That could lead to problems with road hazards as well as actually launching the boat.

The chances of finding 8-10" rims that have a 5 hole bolt pattern would be slim to none, and finding one that matches the existing bolt pattern is even more unlikely.

Tires that small would also hold and generate a lot of heat, they would ride a whole lot rougher than a taller tire does. That extra roughness will transfer through the trailer and into the boat. Also, tires that small will not have a load rating able to carry the weight required.

As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider. It's not as easy as just buying smaller tires.

 

[Bazzin05]

get some glyde sticks for your trailer bunks. make launching much easier. be careful the boat does not slide until your ready.

That has crossed my mind too. But for as much as it would cost me to put those on my trailer I could buy a new wider axle for the trailer. This might be the way I go. We will see what happens come winter. I will post pics when I am done with whatever I decide.

Thanks for all the input guys.