Do Bearings Need to be Replaced When Upgrading a Tire and Wheel?

Question:

Hi! I have a trailer with a towing capacity of 1764 and it came with 12” tires rated for 55mph. I need to be able to go faster like 70/75 and thought I would buy these 13” tires from you but I need to know if I need to replace the bearings too? Thanks.

asked by: Ashley L

Helpful Expert Reply:

Going with a larger wheel will not affect your bearings at all. However, if the bearings are getting old, it may not be a bad idea to replace them. You will need to remove one of the hubs to gain access to the bearings as you will either need their inner diameters, or their numbers.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that the Provider ST175/80R13 Radial Trailer Tire w/ 13" White Wheel # TA43RR will have an outer diameter of 24.02 inches and the standard ST145/R12 tire, like the # AM31199DX, will have an outer diameter of 21.3 inches. You want to make sure you have at least 3 inches of clearance from the top of the tire to the bottom of the fender.

expert reply by: Lazer S