# Wheelbarrow wheel axle ideas



## oakfield (17 Apr 2013)

Hi,

I'm after some ideas and suggestions...

I have built my kids a little go kart from an old mobility scooter.
I have also made a trailer up out of scraps of wood and mdf with a couple of wheel barrow wheels, but this was a bit of a rush job with what i had available so it wasn't very well engineered!

It's quite a sight watching a 3 year old driving around in a car towing a trailer with 6 of their friends in it!

Anyway - i am going to build a better trailer and would like some ideas for the axle.
I am thinking of either using a length or M20 studding and using a bush to reduce the bore of the wheel to 20mm, or using 120mm M20 bolt welded to the frame to mount the wheel too.

Does anyone have any better ideas, or suggestions for the best place to get materials from?

Thanks,
Mark.


----------



## Dangermouse (17 Apr 2013)

Whatever you do don't have a threaded bar or full thread bolt. the threads will wear down on the bar and wear the wheel bush quickly and you will have a very wobbly wheel


----------



## oakfield (17 Apr 2013)

That had crossed my mind - most of the M20 bolts of a suitable length aren't threaded all the way so that wouold work out ok.
On the makeshift trailer i made i used a 1/2" bush in the wheels and ran them on a length of M12 studding wrapped in tape - not ideal, but worked fine for last summer.

Thanks for the advise.


----------



## Phil Pascoe (18 Apr 2013)

If they're threaded all the way, they're set screws; if they're not, they're bolts.


----------



## Spindle (18 Apr 2013)

Hi

I'd source some ERW steel tube or hydraulic, (drawn), steel tube which matches the bore of the wheels. Both are fairly common and available from steel stockholders. I'd use one piece running the full length of the axle and hold it in place with wooden pillow blocks.

Regards Mick


----------



## xy mosian (18 Apr 2013)

Steel conduit? Have a word with an industrial sparky.
xy


----------



## dickm (18 Apr 2013)

Why do you need the axle to be threaded? If it's to keep the wheels on, a suitably sized washer and a split pin through a hole in the end of the shaft/axle would be a simpler solution. Or if you want something more elegant, you might be able to find the sort of starlock cap that is used on quite a lot of garden machinery in a suitable size.


----------



## Myfordman (18 Apr 2013)

Steel water pipe is readily available. It takes standard BSP threads and crude nuts can be made to match by cutting up threaded couplings.

Make friends with a local plumber for offcuts.


----------



## Lons (19 Apr 2013)

dickm":2xb8v8k3 said:


> Why do you need the axle to be threaded? If it's to keep the wheels on, a suitably sized washer and a split pin through a hole in the end of the shaft/axle would be a simpler solution. Or if you want something more elegant, you might be able to find the sort of starlock cap that is used on quite a lot of garden machinery in a suitable size.



+1 to that.

I made a small trailer for the back of my garden tractor a number of years ago and all I did was scrounge a length of steel pipe and a smaller diameter bar to run (well greased up) inside. I made a few large washers, put one on each end then pin, another washer, wheel, washer and a split pin. I used it for years before the slotted angle I'd used for the chassis rusted away. The bits are still there waiting for me to remake it  

It actually cost me nothing at all 'cos as a builder, I always have spare wheels as the barrow bodies don't last  and the angle I'd removed from a project.

Bob


----------



## oakfield (21 Apr 2013)

Thanks for all the suggestions. 
I'm going to pick up a few lengths of various tube, pipe, conduit and see what is a good fit for the wheels. 

Thanks again.


----------



## Lons (21 Apr 2013)

oakfield":1t0qh7va said:


> Thanks for all the suggestions.
> I'm going to pick up a few lengths of various tube, pipe, conduit and see what is a good fit for the wheels.
> 
> Thanks again.



Remember that it isn't difficult to bush out the wheel centres if to large. offcuts of metal or plastic tube work very well as the trailer wouldn't get massive heavy use.

Bob


----------



## DTTech (30 May 2013)

We've made a few for childrens toys. full axle width bar (rather than independant) short legths of metal tube knocked on to form stoppers (brazed in pos), thread end to allow nyloc nut to hold the wheel on. If they are really keen they will even insert stell tube bushes into the centre of the wheel. (Our wheels are always birch ply)


----------



## Eric The Viking (5 Jun 2013)

I've got some M12 bolts from Toolstation - around 80mm long altogether, about half of which is threaded. They're nicely plated, and I've run 1/2" bore plastic wheels on the smooth part of the shaft quite nicely (with a washer either side. I usually sink a nut into wood (hold it with Araldite), with a 12mm hole behind for the end of the thread, but for this application I'd use angle iron (say 1.25", 1/8"web), pinch the bolt up tight with a nut either side, and tack-weld the nuts onto the angle. Use the other side of the L to fix to the wood, or weld to a crosspiece. If it needs to come apart intentionally, you can quickly grind through the weld.

If they're carrying enough weight to bend decent steel angle, it'll be very overloaded. 

If you want to experiment, I had to buy 100, so I have far more than I'll ever need. PM me an address and I'll put some in a padded bag for you (not sure I have washers, but they're very cheap).

E.


----------

