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1950's Sears Trailer build

10K views 38 replies 8 participants last post by  Kenny1AZ 
#1 · (Edited)
I have been searching for years for a trailer suitable for dragging behind my Jeep when we go camping. I finally found one that I didn't have to finance to afford and started building.
The day I got it--


Refinishing the wheels-

After a ton of grinding/painting-
 
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#33 ·
Did that on mine as well. Figure it's also a little security bonus, the trailer's not likely to be missing when I get back off the trail.



Does anyone have any tips/mistakes learned? Bueller? Bueller?
I did notice the receiver end (above) had a little slop like any other hitch and would allow the two pieces to clank around a bit. I tacked a couple of flat washers on the insert piece to keep it a little more snug. Much quieter now.
 
#6 ·
I recently saw a post of an off-road trailer with a u-joint between the tubes, I dont know if the pressure on a u-joint being 90 deg from designed would be a huge issue, they are made to withstand a lot of torque, so front to rear pressure shouldnt be that much greater than lateral pressure, I would say use the largest u-joint you can find, go to a salvage yard and see if you can get a truck drive shaft and cut both sides of a center joint, near a carrier bearing, that will be the strongest serviceable point in a class 8 drive shaft
 
#10 ·
I just had a thought, you cant use a U-Joint unless its on a rotating plate so the trailer can tilt side to side independant of the Jeep on unlevel ground.
 
#16 ·
I've been trolling your thread for a bit now, just never had anything of merit to say. I've been looking for. Trailer as well but planned on using a Comanche bed that I have but really liked your trailer.

Tonight, by sheer chance, I picked up a a trailer or a super sweet deal and thought it looked familiar and came to your thread to be sure, mines nearly identical but black and in a little worse shape. How did you know it was a 1950s Sears trailer?

Posted from the middle of Dirtville
 
#17 ·
Mine had a tag riveted on the front with the numbers 231-417 on it. I googled that number and it came up with a thread on another jeep forum full of identical trailers. If yours is similar then it was probably a "David Bradley" trailer manufactured for Sears during the 40's-50's. I havent been able to narrow down the exact year but the fender styles changed and I believe I have one of the later models, probably late 50's. Post up a pic or two.
 
#18 ·
I didn't see a small tag but if it's that old, I'm not surprised if it got lost at some point.

Here are a couplefew pics









It towed behind my ZJ very nicely. Only issue is that it's too dang narrow. With my Bushwacker flares on, I can't see it at all behind me if I'm in a straight line. I will likely widen the stance a little with offset wheels and different fenders on it.

Looks like the wheels are a 5 on 5.5" bolt pattern, is that what you found on yours?
 
#21 ·
Why would I need to change the axle out for common wheels? The 5 on 5.5" bolt pattern is pretty common for CJs, Broncos and what not. Is it the center bore that's too big or something?

Overall, it's in pretty decent shape. I'm missing a stake pocket as well on the driver side. The side sheetmetal for the box is rusting out along the bottom where it meets the deck almost all the way around. The previous owner did a pretty decent job of straying all the rust down with rust converter paint to keep it from getting worse. He got the trailer from his Grandpa who used it out in the fields.
 
#22 ·
By common I meant the same wheel/tire combination as you're ZJ, not as in readily available. Also, the axle is very narrow on these trailers so finding a wheel with enough offset is going to be difficult. That's why I stuck with the gravediggers (military style tires) and the original rims.
 
#23 ·
Oh gotcha, cool, thanks! I thought about running a spacer on it and with that spacer converting it to the 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern. I really need to do something to get it wider, I'm not gonna be happy going on trips with it so narrow, I like to be able to at least see a corner of it or something.
 
#26 ·
Doesn't look like any of the big name spacer manufacturers make one for going from 5 on 5.5" to 5 on 4.5" - found a couple going the other way around (to make my ZJ or your TJ to 5 on 5.5") but I'm not going to buy new wheels for my Jeep any time soon! Guess I'll stick with the 5 on 5.5". I'm not running the same size tire any how so it's not like I'm going to be using the trailer tires as spares for the Jeep.
 
#30 ·
That's exactly what I planned on doing. Need to go through getting it all registered and plated first but that's the first part of the resto/modding.

What plans do you have for it?
Mainly clean it up. I need to widen it, so that will probably be the first big mod on it. I'll widen the axle and spread the fenders out. I'll end up building some stand on sides right in front and behind the fenders, maybe some Jerry can mounts. Also thinking of lengthening the tongue so I can put a specific steel box I have up there and still be able to turn. It's a 2 foot deep box which doesn't leave much of the tongue left.
 
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