Changing tires at the track

[Steve Abbott]

Just drive on the tires to the event.

Steve A.

[Philip Strong]

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... 90154.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Arthur Grant]

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... 90154.html

Yep been looking at the one. Looked at the one the go kart guys had at Fontana. Just don't really want to have to store a trailer, even a folding one that stands up. But it may come to that and as an aside I can use it to tow my 11 foot inflatable boat and outboard for fishing in Newport Bay.

[Arthur Grant]

Anybody been using the harbor freight type trailer to haul tires & gear to events, haven't really noticed any but have heard about it. What do you like and not like about them? If you have one, how is it set up and what would you do differently?

Thanks

Art

[Mako Koiwai]

Karen was using this one to haul her Miata tires. One would have to probably configure it differently to haul wider Vette tires:

[Arthur Grant]

Mako, how is she getting tires to the track now?

[Mako Koiwai]

I take them in my van ... along with everything else!

[Arthur Grant]

Mako, understand the van, but how do you run the Corvette, the Miata and take the van to the track. Do you trailer one of the cars?

[Jonathan Lugod]

Mako, understand the van, but how do you run the Corvette, the Miata and take the van to the track. Do you trailer one of the cars?

he always has a guest driver!

[Mako Koiwai]

Typically it's either the Vette OR the Miata.

[Brian Peters]

Arthur, I hauled my Z06 wheels/tires around fine on a HF trailer. It will be at the Divisional this weekend behind Jay's STR MX-5 and you're more than welcome to take a look at the setup.

[Arthur Grant]

Brian, thanks will do.

[David Crandon]

Art, I'd be very careful about what you buy from HarborFreight. While they have great prices, sometimes awesome prices, their quality can sometimes be lacking. Or even crap!

[Mako Koiwai]

What type of problems have been reported with their trailers ? Seems like there are plenty of happy owners out there ...

[Rick Brown]

What type of problems have been reported with their CARTS ? Seems like there are plenty of happy owners out there ...

I assume you mean trailers. Only problem I've had is that they use crappy grease in the bearings. OK, so I had the 8" wheels and often towed at 75-80mph. Had a bearing lock up. Repacked with high quality synthetic, no problems in many years. So if you buy one of their trailers, get the 12" wheels and repack the bearing as soon as you get it.

[David Crandon]

Well, I'm not referring to their trailers in particular, just their products in general. I've bought lots of stuff from them, but all small stuff...tools, supplies, gadgets, etc. Much of their stuff is crap quality, but they do have very good prices.

They also have a 20% off coupon everymonth in Car and Driver, Road and Track and Motor Trend. Probably in Grassroots Motorsports as well.

[Arthur Grant]

Art, I'd be very careful about what you buy from HarborFreight. While they have great prices, sometimes awesome prices, their quality can sometimes be lacking. Or even crap!

The adage you get what you pay for frequently applies, however harbor freight is often good enough. I had one of their boat trailers and as long as you repacked the bearings regularly it held up well. I don't really want to do the trialer thing, tire tail would have been prefered, however I am waiting on some pictures of a used trailer from one of our fellow members. Well see what comes of it.

Thanks

[John Stimson]

I have a Harbor Freight trailer from around 2001. The quality of the steel isn't great. The design is a bunch of beams to be bolted together into a flat frame. That makes for a floppy frame. I had a friend weld along all of the joints. The license plate frame is attached to the left taillight bracket. Well, not long after I got the trailer, that taillight bracket cracked all the way through due to fatigue from the wind buffeting on the license plate. Also, the fenders cracked through their mounting holes and came loose. I replaced the taillight brackets with good quality steel brackets from OSH, mounted the license plate on the back of the storage bin, and made backing plates for the fenders to relieve the stress concentrations.

The trailer bounced a lot when I first got it because I ran it a lot lighter than the maximum weight. I removed the secondary leaf from each spring. After about 6 years like that, one of the springs cracked all the way through. Replacement springs were back-ordered for a few months. I'm back to using both leaves.

There is still enough flex in the frame for some of the welds to crack over time.

[Arthur Grant]

I now have a tire trailer, traded a can of Race gas for it. So the next questions is where do you find the diamond pattern aluminum sheet to cover the wood? Would like to avoid splinters if possible.

Thanks

[Craig Naylor]

Don't know anything about the company.... but they seam to have a few locations around the greater LA Area

http://www.industrialmetalsupply.com/Locations" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Craig Naylor]

I have a Harbor Freight trailer from around 2001. The quality of the steel isn't great. The design is a bunch of beams to be bolted together into a flat frame. That makes for a floppy frame. I had a friend weld along all of the joints. The license plate frame is attached to the left taillight bracket. Well, not long after I got the trailer, that taillight bracket cracked all the way through due to fatigue from the wind buffeting on the license plate. Also, the fenders cracked through their mounting holes and came loose. I replaced the taillight brackets with good quality steel brackets from OSH, mounted the license plate on the back of the storage bin, and made backing plates for the fenders to relieve the stress concentrations.

The trailer bounced a lot when I first got it because I ran it a lot lighter than the maximum weight. I removed the secondary leaf from each spring. After about 6 years like that, one of the springs cracked all the way through. Replacement springs were back-ordered for a few months. I'm back to using both leaves.

There is still enough flex in the frame for some of the welds to crack over time.

So in effect you've got 9 years out of it so far, and it required less maintenance than most of our cars, starting at a known lower quality, at a pittance of the price?

I'm going to guess that all costs considered to date, you haven't spent the cost of a "real" trailer ($3-10k), let alone the fact it would need maintenance too.

Sounds like you should be praising it, not damning it.

[John Fendel]

Don't know anything about the company....

I've been buying metal from them for several years. Great selection and fair prices. I usually go thru their scrap rack first to see if they have what I need before going to the regular racks of steel or aluminum.

[Arthur Grant]

Don't know anything about the company.... but they seam to have a few locations around the greater LA Area

http://www.industrialmetalsupply.com/Locations" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks, they have a new location in Irvine. I will have to give it a look.

[Arthur Grant]

Well as some know I purchased a used tire trailer. This weekend was the first use and it was wonderful. Was able to haul a set of tires, my jack, tools, ez up, and chairs all with no problem. I had a really busy week, including baseball games, concerts and work.Really didn't want to try and haul a bunch of stuff in the SUV and the vette. Lesson was learned last practice when my used tires died 3 runs in and I didn't have any replacements. Love having the trailer. Got home, dropped it in the garage and don't have to worry about it until just before the next event (making sure the battery pack is charged).

Thanks all.

[John Stimson]

So in effect you've got 9 years out of it so far, and it required less maintenance than most of our cars, starting at a known lower quality, at a pittance of the price?

I'm going to guess that all costs considered to date, you haven't spent the cost of a "real" trailer ($3-10k), let alone the fact it would need maintenance too.

Sounds like you should be praising it, not damning it.

I don't believe that I made any value judgment in my post, or tell anyone what they should or shouldn't buy, I just described my experience with the trailer. A potential buyer should know that the low price comes with some potential problems. Some of the problems can be overcome with a little bit of work. The most worrying problem was the spring failure. Fortunately I was only about 20 miles from the hotel when it happened, and the custom box that I built for my trailer extended far enough down below the frame to rest on the axle and support the trailer. If I had a more conventional setup, instead of the frame resting directly on the axle and allowing the tire to rub on the fender (thus melting the tread rubber and leaving a black trail as I pulled into the hotel), the frame would have been supported by the fender resting on the tire, which could have slowed the tire a lot more, if not bent the fender and caused the wheel to lock up. Or I could have been stranded on the side of the road, needing a replacement spring that is not a standard size, and thus not available except through Harbor Freight at a 3-month lead time. Fortunately I was able to cobble together a splint to hold the spring together and get me home.

My advice is to be prepared to do some extra work yourself to improve the reliability of the trailer up front, like welding up the frame and reinforcing the known weak parts. To carry spares of critical parts like the wheel bearings and springs (which I still don't, shame on me!). To keep an eye out for fatigue cracks. And don't take any leaves out of the springs even if it is a popular modification, because they don't seem to be designed with adequate safety margin to allow for that.

Facts are facts. It's a minimal trailer made of cheap steel with some inherent flimsiness to the design. It also costs only $200. Make your own decision. I'd buy it again.

PS - I don't think a "real" utility trailer costs $3000-10000, that sounds like the realm of trailers you would put your car on. I have seen similar sized pre-built utility trailers at Home Depot for about $600, and premium trailers designed to haul track tires and supplies (targeted at Porsche owners) for $1000.