Can ST235/85R16 And ST235/80R16 Tires be Used on Trailer at Same Time

Question:

We have a 2012 Forest driver XLR Thunderbolt and I when I got 2 new tires, they mounted ST235/85r16 and not what is on there nowST235-80R16 and now I have 2 spares in 85R16. Will I have an issue going down the road with perhaps 2 of the 6 tires being in 85R16 and the rest of them in 80R16? Thank you for any guidance! ETrailer.com is awesome!

asked by: Hans H

Expert Reply:

Thank you for the kind words, that is much appreciated, and while I do wish I could tell you it was okay, in regards to having different size tires on your trailer - ST235/85R16 and ST235/80R16 - it is definitely not recommended. There are a number of different issues that can occur.

You'll get uneven tire wear with the tires having different rotations, your trailer could track oddly, and there could be suspension issues occurring because of the 1 inch diameter size difference. Basically, your trailer suspension is going to be uneven due to the size difference, and get out of alignment or otherwise damaged. Now, is this something that is going to be a catastrophic failure immediately? No, it would be fine if you need to get from point A to point B. But for the overall health of your trailer suspension I definitely recommend each of your tires being the same size.

I know it's not the best news but you should go with either Karrier ST235/85R16 Radial Trailer Tire # AM10295 or Karrier ST235/80R16 Radial Trailer Tire # AM10248

expert reply by: Kyle S