Can ST205/75-15 Tires be Used in Place of 185/80-13 Tires

Question:

I recently did the axle mod axle under leaf spring on our travel trailer so it looks better behind our truck and has more ground clearance. At the moment it has 185X80r13 load range D tires. I want to change to 15 inch tires and wheels. I know have more than enough room in the wheel wells to do that now. The load range C here way exceeds what I need as far as weight capacity. . The hub opening is correct so all I need to know is the offset zero ? And can I pay extra to have it come with a metal valve stem so my tire monitors temp feature will work correctly, Also can I get them balanced or do I need to have that done locally ?

asked by: Ken W

Helpful Expert Reply:

First, you may have enough clearance for taller tires but do you have enough clearance between the inner side wall and the trailer (side to side)? A 205 is going to be 8.077 inches wide and a 185 is 7.289 inches wide. This is a difference of 0.788 inches so you need more than 0.394 inches of clearance between the existing 185s and the nearest part of the trailer.

Taskmaster tire and wheel combo # TA47VR does have a zero offset.

To get a metal valve stem, such as # AM20906, you would have to purchase it separately. We cannot swap them out.

Tires and wheels have a heavy and light spot. What manufacturers usually do is align the heavy spot on the tire with the light spot on the wheel to give some balance. But to balance them beyond that you would have to take them to a tire shop.

expert reply by: Michael H