Thread: Axle length query

Hey WB, long time no hear.

I prefer not to use the term "Offset" when trying to measure up wheels and tyres for trailers as everyone seems to have their own ideas about what the term means. It's fine if eveybody's on the same page, but confising when they're not.

So, when measuring up for an axle length required for a trailer, I use 3 measuements;

1. Chassis width. (pretty straight forward)
2. Inside of tyre edge to hub face. (this allows the calculation of clearance from tyre to chassis)
3. Overall tyre width. (this will allow the calculation of the guard width, and in conjunction with #2 above, allow adjustment of the axle length to move the outside of the tyre to be level with these guards, or to change the guard width to suit any future wheel and tyre changes)

To answer you questions, if your inside measurement is 150mm, then your 67" axle will give you 50mm clearance, and if the 150mm was measured without a tyre, then the 50mm clearance will be reduced when a tyre is fitted. Being a single axle, you don't need a great deal of clearance as there's not much suspension movement, so even a 66" would be OK. The issue will be what guards you fit. 11" wide guards will only just cover the narrow wheels and tyre with 40-50mm inside clearance, so planning on changing the wheels and tyre later means you need 12" guards to start with, and even these will be touch and go.
With Pajero's wider rims, the extra width is added to the outside, so you'll be OK with your inside tyre clearance when you do change them.


Hope this helps.

Thanks Yonnee. It has been a while but I'm sticking my head in a bit more often now.

I might go with the 66" as I would rather have a bit more room to fit larger rims at a later date. Once I get started I'll put some piccies up to show.