# Steel Wheels



## Minxiesmom (Nov 23, 2009)

I just had a long conversation with a guy from Frontier Carts about the steel wheels they have on their website. Theirs have no rubber on them. That won't work! I have a few posts out to different people about the steel wheels they use and where they got them. The only price I could find so far was $350 for a pair. Is that the going rate or is there another place where they are less for similiar quality? I don't mean to be cheap, just want to be informed. If that is what they cost, I will pay it.


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## Minimor (Nov 24, 2009)

I don't know where you got your pricing from--but if you haven't checked out the Ite Bte Buggy site, they sell steel wheels for $150 each (so that's right up there comparable to the price you quoted): http://www.itebtebuggys.com/wheels.html

Pacific Carriages in British Columbia has nice steel wheels but I don't know for sure what they sell for as they aren't priced on their website, you'd have to ask, but I'm sure they won't be less than $350 for a pair.


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## Bluerocket (Nov 26, 2009)

We purchased steel wheels for our frontier cart from:

Carriage Driving Essentials

2901 Falling Acorn Dr./ Mariposa, CA 95338-9069/ U.S.A.

Tel: 1.209.966.4499/ e-mail: [email protected]

website: www.CarriageDrivingEssentials.com

They are excellent quality and about 30 lbs. I am quite happy with them. As far as we could tell - all steel wheels were pretty pricey. Around $400 with shipping. Our frontier with the new wheels weighs 97 lbs.

Here is a picture. We liked the look of these vs some others with fewer spokes







JJay


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## Margo_C-T (Nov 26, 2009)

JJay--

How wide is the tread on the steel wheels from Carriage Driving Essentials? Is the rubber insert flat or half-round? And--I presume that two wheels *together* weigh 30 lbs.?

Seems like the 'magic number' below which it is very hard to go, for about ANY 'standard design, basically metal,cart w/ steel wheels, is right around 100 lbs!! Interesting that even the Frontier, fitted with those, ends up very close to 100 lbs.....

A question, only 'slightly' off-topic, to anyone reading...has anyone weighed a 'standard' Frontier EE mini cart on a reliable scale? If so, what did it weigh? I've heard 85 lbs., as best I remember--correct or not?

TIA for your answers,

Margo


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## Bluerocket (Nov 28, 2009)

Hi Margot:

yes together the wheels weigh 30lbs.

I took some pictures for you of them today. I am thinking that the rubber is "half round" as it is a small amount narrower on the outer edge than it is where it attaches to the steel wheel. The wheel is about 1.5" wide as you can see from the pic.
















Thanks

JJay


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## Margo_C-T (Nov 29, 2009)

Thanks for the pics, JJay; very appreciated!

I'm afraid I was a little 'off' on my terminology. I checked my Witmer catalog; apparently, a rubber insert shaped like half a circle is called 'regular' rubber(I called it 'half-round'), and what you pictured is called 'flat top' rubber. I have mostly seen 'flat top' on more modern-built vehicles. Interestingly, though, my Bennington, which is made in England, has 'regular'(or what I called 'half-round), and I *think* my Glinkowski, made in Poland, also has the same type(will check next time I go out to the barn!) The wooden wheels for my Jerald had flat top, as do the wooden wheels on my Pequea Road cart--both were/are 1-1 1/4" wide only; while both the Glink and the Benny's wheels are 1 1/2 to nearly 2" wide.

While there seems to be a general consensus that a wider wheel rolls a bit easier than a narrower one, all else being equal, I think the jury is still out on whether there is any benefit of one rubber insert shape over another! (Witmers also shows 'old style' inserts which are more of an inverted, rounded, 'V' configuration; I can remember seeing those, on 'antique' vehicles, too.)

Since your Frontier only weighs 97 lbs. w/ the steel wheels, I'm wondering if the 'basic' Frontier I have weighs less than the 85 lbs. I thought they weighed? Anybody here had a chance to weigh a 'standard' mini Frontier w/20" pneumatics and 48" shafts?

Good info to have; good thread!

Margo


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## hobbyhorse23 (Dec 5, 2009)

Margo_C-T said:


> Since your Frontier only weighs 97 lbs. w/ the steel wheels, I'm wondering if the 'basic' Frontier I have weighs less than the 85 lbs. I thought they weighed? Anybody here had a chance to weigh a 'standard' mini Frontier w/20" pneumatics and 48" shafts?


I have, and I trust the horse scale I weighed it on to the pound. (It gets me as three pounds heavier when I forget I'm wearing my purse.



) A standard Frontier cart with 20" pneumatics and 48" shafts is 76lbs. My closed-wheel Graber show cart with 24" pneumatics is 74lbs for comparison.

Leia


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## Knighthawke (Dec 9, 2009)

I got mine from a person called the wheel man. I dont know if I can find his info or not.


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