YankeeRedfisher Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 Looking for opinions on aluminum trailer wheels. My galvanized wheels are looking pretty cruddy and I was thinking of going with aluminum wheels on my aluminum loadmaster trailer. Single axle pulling my RF18 and I found MAXXIS tires to be very satisfactory for trailering it to Florida from Maryland every year. I swap out tires every two years even though they look good, it's cheap insurance. Trailer is a 2005 and appears to be in great shape but those steel wheels worry me in salt water. Appreciate your comments on this decision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin-addict Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 Go with aluminum wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lap it Up Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 I definitely like the look and style of aluminum wheels but I don't believe there are any added advantages besides looks. Aluminum wheels corrode and clear coat fails if not meticulously maintained, they are prone to leak around the bead and they do not hold up well to curb checks and pot holes. I agree galvanized wheels are ugly but I have had much less issues with them over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. Troy Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 9 minutes ago, Lap it Up said: I definitely like the look and style of aluminum wheels but I don't believe there are any added advantages besides looks. Aluminum wheels corrode and clear coat fails if not meticulously maintained, they are prone to leak around the bead and they do not hold up well to curb checks and pot holes. I agree galvanized wheels are ugly but I have had much less issues with them over the years. SPOT ON. Just puled all 4 of mine and had to have the beads sanded and bead sealer added. Yea 7 years old but still a PITA. Was putting air in them every time I used it. Just a slow enough leak to get you low on air and go BOOM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyB Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 I have a trick for the cruddy gray galvanized looking wheel. Buy a can of Rust-Oleum hammered silver paint. The way the paint finishes it looks a lot better than silver paint or cold galvanizing spray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulligan Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 I agree with everything Lap said. I have had both. The aluminum defiantly look better but I always cleaned and polished them and about two years in the clear coat started to come off. I now just get rims with the tires mounted at about the same cost as the tire alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YankeeRedfisher Posted February 6, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 Really interesting inputs. Anymore experiences with aluminum wheels??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchern Posted February 7, 2019 Report Share Posted February 7, 2019 My aluminum rims are 7 years old and they look ok. Clear coat is peeling but they don’t tend to lose air. Haven’t really had issues with them. I’m not sure if they are worth the additional $$$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason p Posted February 7, 2019 Report Share Posted February 7, 2019 Aluminum wheels on a salt water boat aren’t gonna stay nice, period. I’d never pay for them. I got my boat about 1.5 years old and the wheels were starting to peel from the lug nuts-out like always. I’ve gone so far as to have my aluminum wheels powder coated, the problem is when you install the wheels you tear through the powder coating with the lug nuts, salt water eventually gets under the coating and it’s the same issue as before. FWIW, I had a tread separate on my trusty Maxxis 8008’s and found out the warranty process is ridiculous. The nearest “trailer tire” authorized dealer was near Winter Haven, in fact all 5, yes 5, trailer tire dealers are in the same center part of the state stretching east to west from Winter Haven to Palm Bay They wanted me to mail the tire back and inspect it before they would pro rate it. Something to check into, I never thought about it and I’ve had like 4 sets of 8008s. Switched to Goodyear Endurance radials with service centers everywhere. They’re made in the U.S. again, the Chinese Marabombs are a thing of the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdemott Posted February 7, 2019 Report Share Posted February 7, 2019 Has anyone put Sharkhide on their wheels to try to preserve the finish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted February 9, 2019 Report Share Posted February 9, 2019 On 2/6/2019 at 10:36 AM, mulligan said: I agree with everything Lap said. I have had both. The aluminum defiantly look better but I always cleaned and polished them and about two years in the clear coat started to come off. I now just get rims with the tires mounted at about the same cost as the tire alone. Ditto....in the salt water env...nothing holds up...I just have my firestone dealer buy me a couple of gals wheels when I buy the new tires online and they mount them and balance...no issues on any of my trailers... dc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YankeeRedfisher Posted February 12, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2019 I thought the Rustoleum paint mentioned by HONEY B was a great idea. I bought a can of the hammered finish in silver. Read the fine print and it says not to use it on galvanized. Has anybody had a problem using this technique??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyB Posted February 12, 2019 Report Share Posted February 12, 2019 It probably means nothing sticks to nice new shines galvanized ... trust me old cruddy galvinzed is not a problem. Cheap enough to freshen as needed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyB Posted February 12, 2019 Report Share Posted February 12, 2019 Application tip. Jack the tire up and spin it to paint. Use a dab of mineral sprits or such to take overspray off tire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beak Boater Posted February 12, 2019 Report Share Posted February 12, 2019 On 2/7/2019 at 7:43 AM, mdemott said: Has anyone put Sharkhide on their wheels to try to preserve the finish? My Ameritrail trailer has aluminum wheels. I applied Sharkhide two years ago when It was new, I do hose it down with fresh water after each use, but it only sees salt water when I launch. So far they look like new. Fish the boat a couple times a month. Shark Hide aint cheap but it works. I do agree that galvanized are the way to go, less up keep, plus as said a can of cold galvanizing or paint and they look good as new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplec Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 Aluminum. They keep my 1996 trailer looking fresh 🤘 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstone Posted February 13, 2019 Report Share Posted February 13, 2019 Mine are 4 years old and still look good. I launch a lot at least 2 times a week in the warm months sometimes more but raise every time. Plus the boat starys in a garage which I think helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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