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Home » Do I Need A Smooth Or Serrated Jockey Wheel?

Do I Need A Smooth Or Serrated Jockey Wheel?

Jockey wheels can be an vital, but frequently overlooked component of the trailer. Due to their importance picking the proper size for your trailer is essential. The function of the jockey wheel is ensure that the trailer is in a level, steady position when it is not hitched, and to ensure it is stable when loading your trailer. They can also ease the burden on your back as they assist in the maneuverability of your trailer too.

Serrated or smooth jockey wheel?

This is probably the first question that you might encounter while choosing a wheel jockey. What is the different? Smooth jockey wheels are the most commonly used and are the most common choice for all light- to heavy duty trailers. The only drawback to an unidirectional one it is that when the clamp isn’t held securely enough the shaft may slip through the clamp, and then hit the road in the course of travel. This can result in a severe damage to the tyre , and possibly the need to replace the whole assembly.

Serrated wheels for the jockey is fitted with a an outer sleeve that is ribbed. It is typically the case for commercial models that have the diameter of 48mm or more. The drawback is that they need an appropriate clamp to match the ribbing of the outer sleeves. The ribbing on the sleeves can solve the problem of the shaft moving through the clamp.

How do I retract a jockey wheel?

Retractable Jockey Wheel
The second question you may encounter while searching for a wheel jockey What do you mean by a retractable wheel? What’s the difference between it and one that’s not? A retractable coupling eliminates the requirement for the use of a clamp. Instead, it is bolted straight to the opposite side of the coupling for trailers using an adjustable fixing plate with multiple holes (typically with a square tube coupling or t-pole).

What are the different sizes of a house?

This is the next thing to take into consideration. There are two dimensions to consider. The primary dimension is the size of the jockey’s wheels. We stock six different diameters. There are 35mm and 42mm 48mm and 48mm serrated 60mm and 63mm.

For light-weight trailers, the 35mm size would be the ideal choice.
For bigger trailers, and some trailers that aren’t braked it is recommended to use 42mm.
Trailers for caravans and commercial use will need 48mm
Heavy duty commercial trailers typically require a serrated 48mm, 60mm or 63mm diameter.

The diameters of 60 and 63mm are the most commonly used and have up to 750kg of nose-weight capacity. The width is particularly important when picking jockey wheels where the clamp is a part of the moulding of the whole coupling, and isn’t able to be altered.

Another dimension to consider is the closed and open height. It’s only accessible on adjustable height models however, although it’s not as important, it can be helpful to understand what the it is that the lift range is between the two sizes.

So…in the end

There are many things to think about when selecting the right jockey wheel. These include the type of trailer it’s mounted on, the size you’ll need and whether you require an unidirectional or serrated model and whether it is possible to retract the wheel. be an ideal solution. Make sure that, when you choose a retractable model be sure ensure that there’s no clamp that is attached to the coupling. However, it there is an adjustable fixing piece to which it can be fixed.