Determining Correct Load Capacity for Tires on 6,000 Pound Trailer

Question:

I want to design a trailer with capacity of 3 Tons, weight of the trailer for example 800 Kg and dimension is 8ft X 6ft X 2ft with tandem axle, So no of wheel is 4. 1.Here what is the total amount of weight i Should consider and factor of safety? 2.Load capacity of single wheel? 3.How to calculate load distribution between the wheels including jockey wheel at front end? For more clarification i attached similar type of image. Please clarify my doubts. Thanks in advance.

asked by: Vinay G

Expert Reply:

The combined load of your 4 tires and wheels just needs to match or exceed the loaded weight of your trailer minus its tongue weight. If your trailer will weigh 3 tons (6,000 pounds) I recommend getting trailer tires that have a maximum load of at least 1,500 pounds to allow for a healthy safety margin.

I am not sure what size tires you are looking at putting on the trailer but just as an example the popular ST205/75R15 size with the Taskmaster provider tire # TR20515D would be a good option in terms of weight capacity. This radial tire features a maximum load of 2,150 pounds at 65 psi, giving you a combined load of 8,600 pounds and an 81mph speed rating. You could pair it with a # AM20422 for the wheel. They would need to be mounted at a local shop.

I have attached a couple articles on trailer tires along with a link that will take you to our selection of tires and wheels that you can look through.

The jockey wheel (trailer jack caster wheel) needs to be able to support the tongue weight of the trailer, which is usually around 10 to 15 percent of its total weight. With a 6,000-pound trailer you are likely looking at a tongue weight of 600 to 900 pounds. Both the jack and its caster need to be rated for at least this much, such as with the 5,000-pound etrailer.com A-Frame Jack # TJA-5000S-B and the caster wheel # BD500245 which is rated at 1,200 pounds.