Width and Load Rating of 4.70-8 Tires Versus 4.80/4.00-8 Tires

Question:

i presently have 4.80x8 4 bolt on the small boat trailer load range b i need something to handle 1500 lbs and want to be sure i can use the heavier load rating of the 5.70 tire my question is how much wider are the 5.70 tire than the 4.80 thanks

asked by: Nat R

Helpful Expert Reply:

A typical 4.80/4.00-8 tire like # AM10002 will have a tread width of about 5.7 inches. Two load range B tires in that size would have a combined load rating of 1180 lbs. A load range C tire in 5.70-8 like # AM10012 would have a section width of 5.9 inches and a combined load rating of 1820 per 2 tires. Both tires are compatible with an 8 x 3-3/4 inch rim. The 5.70-8 tire is about 2 inches larger in diameter, which would make the trailer sit right at 1 inch taller that it currently does.

If you wanted that 5.70-8 # AM10012 mounted on an 8 x 3-3/4 inch rim with a 4 on 4 bolt pattern, you'd go with # AM30120 for a white powder coated wheel or # AM30130 for a galvanized wheel.

Keep in mind that going with a higher rated tire won't override the manufacturer's stated capacity of your boat trailer. If the capacity of the trailer is lower than that of the tires, you'll still need to abide by the capacity of the lowest rated trailer component.