Wheel Size for 1962 Airflyte

[Scott]

I have been working on measuring the wheels on my 1962 Airflyte in order to purchase a wheel to use as a spare and have discovered the following:

It is difficult to measure the width of your wheel with the tire on but you can estimate.

Rule of thumb is to measure inside rim edge to outside rim edge through the bearing hub hole and then subtract 1/2 inch because wheel width is measured to inside tire bead and not rim edge.

Modern 205-75-15 Trailer tires will fit on wheels with a range of 5.5 to 7.5 wide wheels.

Stock 1962 Airflyte wheels have a measurement of 6 inches inside to outside rim, so 5.5 inches is the true wheel width.

The back spacing on the stock wheel is 3.75 inches.

The beariing/ hub hole is 2 5/8 inches or 2.62 inches in diameter.

The wheel is 5 lug with a lug spacing of 4.5 inches. Both ford and Mopar steel wheels use this spacing.

In summary the stock airflyte wheel is15x5.5 inches with 5 lug , 4.5 inch spacing and a back spacing of 3.75 inches.

If anyone can verify wheel width by measuring a 62 wheel with no tire on it this would be appreciated.

I contacted Vintage Trailer Supply to see if their 15x6 JJ wheel would fit the 62 Airflyte and they were not sure.

Has anyone had any luck with other 15 inch wheel widths and backspacing using the 205-75-15 tire? I am having a hard time locating a wheel with these specs.

[safetybruce]

Wow, I am impressed with your thoroughness in tire choice. I'm responding simply as a non specific wheel/tire buyer who carries a couple sets of rims and tires to try and match up if I am going to retrieve a camper with dry rotted tires...looking at your numbers the 75 in the middle of the 205-75-15...I have found on three of my campers that if that is the width, that anything wider than a 70 and I have to jack the camper up higher to "wiggle the tire free to get it off the hub and slide out. Never had a problem with back spacing, it's what "sticks out" on the front of the rim I watch out for...I want the narrowest tire that will fit the bill. I replaced 14's with 15's on my 1959 airflyte with no problem...don't know what the 205 stands for...I buy 8-ply 70 -15 trailer tires...I stay away from automotive radials. I suggest going to the trouble of taking one of the tires off and taking it to an older established commercial trailer place (not a camper dealer) and jaw a bit with the owner...he/she should have a really nifty rim sizer tool that will tell you exactly what you just took off. Hard to go wrong with that approach. And they probably will have a rim the size you need too for that spare you can buy on the spot.

[diamondrelics]

The wheels on my 1960 Airflyte (Coralee) are the same wheels on my 60 Ford Starliner..5X4.5,,,same width and everything....

[Scott]

SafetyBruce, thank you for your kind words of advice. Vintage trailer supply got back to me after I provided more measurements and said their 15x6jj wheel would work for the Airflyte. Their wheel is 1/2" wider and has 3 1/2" of back space which is 1/4" less than the stock wheel.

Diamondrelics, I wish my wheels were 4 1/2", the 6" wheel is darn near impossible to get off due to extreme clearance issues with the wheel well.

[boandsusan]

@ Scott. Know how you feel. We had to fight for over an hour to get one wheel off a 64 Frolic. A po had put truck tires on it, way too wide. We were afraid to jack the trailer up any higher. We ended up digging a hole and still had a problem with clearance issues. Thank God we didn`t end up having to change one of these on the 40 mile trip home! Now we need to figure out what size should be on here.

[Scott]

boandsusan, I wonder if it is possible to switch to 14" wheels with a narrow tire. The last time I had remove the wheels was last year when I brought the Shasta home. It had the original tires on it. The wheel wells at the time were in really bad shape so there was some flex when it was time to take them off and put them back on with new tires. Now the the wheel wells are rebuilt and there is even less room. I can take the wheel off the rim but I have yet to get the wheel and tire out of the wheel well. I wish now I would have re- radiased the wheel well and trimmed the alum. siding back a few inches and then installed new wheel well trim. Right now I think for a road- side repair I would have to deflate the spare and jack the trailer up near the height of the whell well. The higher you jack up thhe wheel hub the easier it gets.

[cowcharge]

I used to know this stuff, but I had to glom it off the web.

The 15 is inches. That is the rim size. The 205 is the width of the tire in millimeters.
The 75 is the aspect ratio, meaning the height of the tire from the rim to the tread is 75% of the width.

www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=46

[azshastanut]

I think the problem most folks have in getting the wheel and tire out of the wheel well is a result of where the jack is placed. I have never had a problem with my 59 or 61 Airflyte. I always use the trailer frame rail aft of the wheel well for my jacking point. That allows the axle to drop down and the wheel comes right out. I run original stock 15 inch rims with ST205 75 D15 tires.

[cowcharge]

Good point, AZ. Jacking the axle itself would make it twice as hard.

[vikx]

I still have trouble with some. It's my job to place the jack, so it's in the right place...

Some trailers (not all Shastas) are just tighter in the wheel wells. I've been known to enlarge them in a rebuild.

[Scott]

AZ, Great idea! I have been jacking directly under the point where the springs are shackeled to the axel which is not allowing the wheel to drop down when the springs flex from the weight of the tire and wheel. This should give at least an additional two inches of clearance. For the best jacking point are you refering to the steel rail that the center and ends of the springs are shackled to or the wooden rail that runs the length of the trailer closest to the exterior alum. skin?

[azshastanut]

Hi Scott, Yes, The steel frame rail just aft of the spring mounting shackle. Don't ever jack up your trailer on a wood support.

[idqrocks]

Hello!
I also have a 62 Airflye. I need to buy a spare rim. How do I figure out what to look for?

[Scott]

I tried the method of jacking up the Shasta behind the wheel on the frame and it worked like a charm. I raised the tire 6 inches off the pavement and it slipped right out!

On the other hand I bought a 6 inch wide trailer wheel that is a 15 inch and a 205-75-R15 tire for it and it fits one side but is about 1/2 inch too wide to fit the other. My stock/factory wheels are 5 1/2 inches wide with the same size tire and are 1 inch narrower. My options are to cut the wheel well a little larger on he side that doesn't fit or find a 185-75- R 15 tire which wil be 1/2 innarrower.

[vikx]

Scott, you are so close... just let the air out of the tire to clear the 2nd side. Will this work for you?

I'm in the same boat with my 56 Aljo. 195/75R/15s have to be flat to install...

[Scott]

vikx, Thanks for the advice . I will try to get the spare in without the air.

[Scott]

I ended up buying a 15 inch steel trailer wheel, new, but it looks exactly like 1950's factory ford rims that are original to my 1962 Airflyte. I purchased the wheel from nueratransport on e-bay. Wheel cost was $21.29, shipping was $22.97, total $44.26. Then I paid $29.36 to have Carlisle 205-75-15 trailer tire mounted to wheel. The tire was $116.00 at Fleet Farm. Total cost for spare tire and wheel a whopping $189.62, almost as much as I paid for the camper. The wheel is called " 15" Nationwide Black OE Trailer Wheel" on e-bay. Hub dia. is 2.75, there is 4.5 inches from the rim to the back of the bearing hole so the back spacing works on a 1962 Airflyte. The wheel is 15"x6". I ended up having to shave about 1/2 of the wheel well wood off of the inside radias of just the curbside well in order to have it fit. Tested fit yesterday and all is well.

[Scott]

Correction to previous post: "I ended up having to shave about 1/2 inch of the wheel well well wood off of the inside radias..."

[WingedWonder]

This summer I bought 2 spare trailer tires from Discount Tire for $175 Mount and balanced. My local supply store has tire/rim combo for $99, but it was the standard white trailer rim, not a correct look for a camper. $116 for tire alone is outrageous.