Can 205/75-14 and 175/80-13 Trailer Tires be Replaced with 4.80 or 5.30 Tires

Question:

I have 2 boats, both have tires that are bad. One has 205-75-14 the other has 175/80-13. I have been trying to find a comparable tire in 4.50 or 5.30 because they are much cheaper, but do not understand the measurements. Can u help me?

asked by: Staci

Expert Reply:

You may be able to use a 5.30x12 tire size on the boat trailer that is currently using the 175/80-13 tires but you will have to also replace the wheels. The other problem is capacity. The 5.30x12 at most is rated for 1,250 pounds whereas the 175/80-13 go up to as much as 1,610 pounds. The 5.30x12 are also 2 inches shorter and more narrow.

The best solution is to stick to the proper tire sizes for the trailers so you don't have to change wheel sizes, which is an extra expense, and so you have the right size tire and capacity for those trailers.

I can recommend the most cost efficient tires for each size. I will also provide links on trailer tires so the sizing information will make more sense.

For a 175/80-13 the best value is # TTWTRTM1758013C which is rated for 1,360 pounds at 50 psi. If you need a higher capacity then the least expensive tire in this size with the highest capacity is # AM1ST77 which is rated for 1,610 pounds at 65 psi.

For a 205/75-14 the least expensive tire is # TR20514 rated for 1,760 pounds at 50 psi. And the highest capacity is # AM10235 rated for 2,040 pounds at 65 psi. I have linked a couple of tire videos and a bunch of helpful articles on trailer tires for you.