Recommended 13 Inch Tire and Galvanized Wheel With 4 on 4" Bolt Pattern for Boat Trailer

Question:

I have a hunting boat trailer, with a pretty heavy boat on it with 12 inch trailer tires with 4 on 4 lug rims. I travel 4 hour to my camp pulling this boat. Im looking for bigger tires to help me feel more comfortable pulling my boat 4 hours down the hwy. Do yall sell a 4 lug galvanized rims that can handle 14 inch tires?

asked by: Steve

Expert Reply:

We have a couple of different options for you to increase your tire size and load capacity, although there is not a 14 inch wheel with a 4 on 4" bolt pattern as those size wheels are at least 5 lugs.

What you can do is move up to 13 inch wheels and tires, and you have a couple of different options. The one I recommend is the Steel Spoke Trailer Wheel - Galvanized # AM20224 with the Kenda Karrier ST185/80R13 Radial Trailer Tire # AM10208. The reason this is the best option is because this is a radial tire with a load range of D and radial tires are the best for highway travel compared to bias tires because they run cooler and flex more, which means they wear down less and have a minimal chance of a blowout compared to bias tires. The Kenda tire has a 1,710 lb capacity when inflated to its max 65 psi.

The aforementioned wheel and tire do not come already mounted so you would need to go to a local tire shop to have that done. If you are looking to avoid that, the other option is a tire and wheel combo that come mounted already, the Loadstar ST175/80D13 Bias Trailer Tire with 13" Galvanized Wheel # AM3S130. This is a smaller, bias tire which has a 1,360 lb capacity when inflated to its max 50 psi.

I have added links to video reviews of these wheels and tires for you to take a look at, and I did also want to mention that you do need to be sure you have the right clearance before getting larger wheels and tires. With trailer tires, the general rule of thumb is you want at least 3" of clearance from the top of the tire to your fender and at least 1" of clearance between the inside of the tire and your trailer's frame rail. For reference so you can compare your tire, the Kenda # AM10208 and Steel Spoke Trailer Wheel - Galvanized # AM20224 will measure 24.7" in diameter and 7.2" wide when inflated while the Loadstar ST175/80D13 Bias Trailer Tire with 13" Galvanized Wheel # AM3S130 will measure 24" in diameter and 6.6" wide when inflated.