The Sexy Wagon Wheels Conversion Project

The ‘Little Tykes’ Wagon with Original Equipment Hard Plastic Wheels

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Last summer we bought a very nice second-hand wagon at a yard sale. We played a little game called ‘the price is right’ and got it I dare say, dirt cheap. The new ones of this make & model are rather expensive by comparison. We like this style of wagon for our son because it is large enough, rugged and has a flat cargo bottom. Some children’s plastic wagons have individual formed seats, leg recesses and cup-holder/armrest considerations. We wanted just a good ol’ plain little red wagon with a flat bottom, and side rails high enough to not let the child accidentally fall out.

This would be great for those walks to nearby Lake Ontario to the splash pads, play parks with our 4 1/2 year old child. For that matter, any recreational walks in general. It would provide a way for our son to not have to walk the entire way as he is too big for a stroller now.

The Baby Stroller Type Used in the Conversion

The above is not the actual stroller that I salvaged parts from, but of the same make & model used here for demonstration purposes. Here in the city, it is fairly common to see strollers of any make and model being ‘retired’ when they wear out and/or the child becomes to big to use a stroller anymore.

Wagon wheels Comparison: Original Equipment (l.) and Stroller Replacements (r.)

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I found a discarded baby stroller with easily removable wheels. It has shiny chrome-plated metal with spokes like a bicycle rim. If the horizontal hole for the axle were the same size I could swap the hard plastic wheels of the little red wagon for the superior rubber-tired rims. This would provide a smoother, quieter ride for the child and of course the wagon would probably pull a lot easier.

I pulled the red hub caps off of the original wheels and there was the expected compression lock-washer that held them onto the axle bar. Upon breaking them off and removing the wheel I confirmed my belief that the replacement wheels share the same axle diameter. Yes! I could make this conversion to rubber wheels work.