buying new stuff just because you have old stuff

So years ago I bought a set of 13x8 slot mags in the hope of using them on an Opel. Turned out they were 4x4" bolt pattern instead of 4x100, and didn't fit well anyway, so I never used them.

Last week I stumble across an add on Craigslist for five 235/60d13 trailer tires. I didn't even know that size existed, but it would be perfect for those 13x8 slot mags on a trailer. Sign me up!

Turns out that size was used for some weird low profile and mobile home trailers, so my five new tires are rated at 3k# each. My little single axle Opel hauler could be mere inches off the ground with these on it!

But that trailer is 5-lug, and the only 13x8 5-lug wheels I can find are $175 each or $100 and will require adapters.

So, the junk I bought years ago triggered me to buy more new junk to use the old junk. But the new junk would work even better if I bought more new junk to use instead of the old junk.

And that may end up being the story of my automotive life.

Redrill and stud the trailer hubs. Easy peazy and low buck to boot. Elbow greese enabling old junk and new junk to live happily together...

A new pair of 4 lug hubs are probably cheaper than 5 lug wheels.

On edit: a quick search came up with hubs with a 4 by 4 pattern for $25/ea.

4-lug trailer hubs are only available with matching bearings inner and outer, generally rated for 1000-2600#. The 3500#+ axles that would take advantage of the weight ratings of the tires are not available in 4-lug.

If I were more confident about my skills and patience the tires came on open center mobile home type rims. I could probably get a set of 5-lug thin trailer rims, cut out the centers, and weld them to the mobile home outer shells. That would get me something that would work, and it would be cheap, but I don't think I would trust it to smoothly and reliably go down the highway.

This was more a rant about trying to save something to use later only to figure out later that trying to use it might be more expensive than not.