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Step 2Wheel Mounts
The wheel mount holds the wheels, cantilevered and bolted from one end of the axle. I know, this isn't the strongest way to mount the wheels by a long shot, but attaching them from both sides would require a fork or frame that comes around the outside.
The wheels are mountain bike wheels and tires that I got from a University Bike Purge--basically, the abandoned partial bikes all get thrown in a dumpster. These were two roughly matched front wheels that were not completely taco'd.
These mounts are well suited because they raise the wheel axle relative to the tub, and thus lower its center of gravity. If you can get smaller wheels, it is probably not as big of a deal. Even with this setup, if you take a corner too quickly/sharply, you can flip the trailer. Ask me how I know (although I managed not to break the bottle of single malt I had inside).
The mounts are made out of a Stanley "Door Stop" (see photo of bin). From the original state, you cut off the upper "wing", and drill a hole to match the axle size. You might ask why I didn't tap this hole as well--the reason is that bicycle axles seem to be some oddball thread that I couldn't find a tap for.
When you mount the wheel to the hole, you will need to add a pair of lock washers (I used split lock washers; I guess tooth lock washers should work too). Since these wheels are right-hand threaded, when you're rolling down the road, one side is going to try to loosen and fall off the trailer. Ask me how I know. Nylon lock nuts (nylocs) are not an option--again, the odd threads of the axle.
Also, you'll want to tighten these wheels down with a fair amount of torque, given the cantilever. You might need to hold the cone nut (using a cone wrench--a bicycle tool) to avoid overtightening the bearings (freezing up the wheel). And if you get a cone wrench, you might want to go ahead and rebuild/regrease the bearings. Note that I only used a thin hex nut before attaching the wheel to the bracket, slightly reducing the cantilever.
The wheels are mountain bike wheels and tires that I got from a University Bike Purge--basically, the abandoned partial bikes all get thrown in a dumpster. These were two roughly matched front wheels that were not completely taco'd.
These mounts are well suited because they raise the wheel axle relative to the tub, and thus lower its center of gravity. If you can get smaller wheels, it is probably not as big of a deal. Even with this setup, if you take a corner too quickly/sharply, you can flip the trailer. Ask me how I know (although I managed not to break the bottle of single malt I had inside).
The mounts are made out of a Stanley "Door Stop" (see photo of bin). From the original state, you cut off the upper "wing", and drill a hole to match the axle size. You might ask why I didn't tap this hole as well--the reason is that bicycle axles seem to be some oddball thread that I couldn't find a tap for.
When you mount the wheel to the hole, you will need to add a pair of lock washers (I used split lock washers; I guess tooth lock washers should work too). Since these wheels are right-hand threaded, when you're rolling down the road, one side is going to try to loosen and fall off the trailer. Ask me how I know. Nylon lock nuts (nylocs) are not an option--again, the odd threads of the axle.
Also, you'll want to tighten these wheels down with a fair amount of torque, given the cantilever. You might need to hold the cone nut (using a cone wrench--a bicycle tool) to avoid overtightening the bearings (freezing up the wheel). And if you get a cone wrench, you might want to go ahead and rebuild/regrease the bearings. Note that I only used a thin hex nut before attaching the wheel to the bracket, slightly reducing the cantilever.
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