Can Different Tires/Wheels Be Used On Small Trailer To Eliminate Gap between Tire And Fender
Question:
Okay I have a 4 by 8 trailer with either 12 or 13 inch wheels. The gap between the wheel and wheel arch is about 6-8 inches so I feel it will take a 15 ich wheel. What do you think. Right now it looks funny because of the gap
asked by: Mark A
Expert Reply:
We recommend about 3 inches from the top of the wheel to the fender on a trailer. A little more wouldn't hurt but I would not recommend any less than 3 inches. Trailer suspension has what is termed 'deflection' which is the amount of flex a trailer will experience when on rough roads or when hitting potholes so you do not want to get the wheel close enough to risk hitting if you hit a rough patch on a road.
Depending on the tires and wheels you put on the trailer, there can be quite a lot of size difference. For example, if you have a 175/80-13 tire on your trailer the height of the tire with rim is about 24.1 inches. If you change out to a 225/75-15 tire like part # TTWSF22515D the height for that is 28.4 inches, which would be about 4-1/2 inches taller than the 13 inch.
I recommend you measure the tires you have on the trailer. Just measure from the ground up to the top of the tire. Then you can check out the helpful link I have attached and see if a wheel and tire size would work better for your trailer. You want to also remember when choosing wheels and tires that you select a wheel with the same bolt pattern as your hub. You can check out the link I have attached that explains how to measure your bolt pattern.
