Should Spacers be Used to Move Tires Further Away from Trailer Frame

Question:

I have a Lippert axle on my Winnie . I went from the stock 205/75R14C tires to 215/75R14D tires. 5 lugs on 4 1/2inch pattern. The new tires rub a little on the side of the trailer. I want to put a 5/16inch spacer on the hub. But it looks like the spacer is not hub centric but it looks like the hub center comes pretty far out to make the wheel centered even with the spacer. Can you comment on this? The spacer is a generic version than handles a number of lungs and patterns.

asked by: Jim B

Expert Reply:

I do not recommend using spacers in the RV industry be it a motorhome or trailer because it can cause additional stress on the running gear and cause all sorts of problems from bad tire wear to bearing issues.

Hub and drum assembly # AKHD-545-35-K doesn't extend out any further than other hub and drum assemblies so whether or not it will work with the spacer depends on the spacer design.

If it were me I would go back to the 205/75-14 tires. If you were having tire wear issues or blow outs then a higher load range would be the way to go such as # AM10235. This tire is rated for 2,200 pounds at 75 psi. Trailer tires should always be inflated to the maximum psi indicated on the tire. This is because trailer tires have a thicker sidewall than vehicle tires and if they are under inflated they can build up excessive heat and fail.

expert reply by: Michael H