Re: Drilling a 4 lug rim to 5 lug....
Let's put it this way --- If I saw this rig at a ramp I would immediately call the local law enforcement and have them waiting for you. Sorry if I'm perceived as a jerk but I've seen too much disregard for safety. I once saw a home made trailer at a home improvement store with wheel barrow tires on it. You guessed it. I turned him in and waited for the dude to depart. He had no idea whatsoever that this was not a good idea. Cops made him haul the trailer away -- on a proper trailer.
I guess using wheel barrel tires isn't all that uncommon? About ten years ago a neighbor sold an old steel row boat that sat on a homemade wood framed trailer. The guy took 3x5" oak timbers from an old barn, built a frame using all thread rod bolted on a wood tongue, basically just a metal tab with a hole in it on the end of a length of wood. For wheels he had two wheel barrel wheels on a 5/8" shaft that was held to the bottom of the wood frame with two steel straps and lag bolts. He used the rig to launch the boat in his own back yard for years, when he sold it, (In PA), the buyer left out of his driveway with it in tow with WV tags. My neighbor told me he warned the guy that the wheels weren't made for road use, but he towed it anyway, and made it back to someplace in WV from Northeastern PA.
I went to look at a small tinny last week, the guy said he's selling it because the trailer won't move anymore. I got the whole thing for $100. The boat was fine, the trailer had been towed for about 20 miles with no tires on the rims, the one rim was down to the hub, the other had no bead left. The axle had sheered off the springs and slid back into the frame on one side.
The guy told me that since I didn't live far, and since the trailer was probably junk, I should just drag it home and scrap the trailer.
He was dead serious.
There was no way I would ever consider just dragging a trailer down the highway with basically no wheels, let alone with no tires. But to him it was no big deal. I looked at another boat he had there and the trailer tongue was cut off, smashed flat and held on his step bumper with a 1/2" bolt dropped through the hole. No lights, no tags, and two different size tires.
I brought the 14' boat I bought from him home on a car trailer.
Listed the bent, rusty, no axle wreck of a trailer on CL for sale for best offer.
The first guy that showed up gave me $350.
The boat needed nothing but cleaning and some new transom wood.
You cannot just drill lug holes, they are stamped and reinforced for lateral strength, besides, there's not enough room anyhow to re-drill a 4"x4 to a 5.5"x5 lug pattern. It won't work, it will never be safe, and is a waste of time to try.
New rims are cheap, far cheaper than a wrecked trailer or tow bill.
