Tire Size Recommendations for Trailer Currently Using Passenger Car Tires

Question:

Hello, I want to purchase new tires and wheels for my trailer. Currently I have 215 65 R15 passenger tires, 5 lug which fit pretty tight in the wheel well. I noticed the spare-195 65R15 will not even fit if I need to use it, so basically useless. What will work for my trailer? I want to replace all three. thank you for your time

asked by: James K

Expert Reply:

Generally speaking, we like to see an absolute minimum of 3 inches of clearance between the top of the tire and the underside of the fender, so when you say that your current tires 'fit pretty tight in the wheel well', it sounds like your tires might be too large in diameter. You'll want to use a trailer tire instead of a passenger car tire, because trailer tires have a thicker sidewall that works better with a vertical load.

Your wheel bolt pattern is most likely 5 on 4-1/2 which is pretty common for a 15 inch wheel, but the bolt pattern could also be 5 on 4-3/4, 5 on 5 or 5 on 5-1/2. You'll want to measure to be sure, I've linked you to an FAQ article that shows how do determine your wheel bolt pattern.

If your tires are bottoming out on the underside of the fender, or aren't offering enough clearance, decreasing the wheel/tire diameter would be called for. The tires you currently have are about 26 inches in diameter. Going down to a ST175/80R13 would decrease your tire diameter by almost two inches. The Taskmaster # TA43RR is on a 13 inch wheel and has a 1360 lb weight capacity at 50 psi, or 2720 lbs per axle. This would be an excellent choice for you if your current wheels have the same 5 on 4-1/2 inch bolt pattern.

expert reply by: Mike L