Replacing 14.5" Wheels On An Old Trailer With 15" Wheels

Question:

I recently picked up an old trailer that was my grandfathers and it is missing a wheel. I would like to get 2 so that I have a spare. My problem is I cant find a replacement. It has 5 lug on 5.5 14.5in. Honestly I would like to replace all the wheels for a more common 15 in wheel.

asked by: Chris H

Expert Reply:

While we don't currently offer any 14.5" wheels with a 5 on 5 bolt pattern we do have a few options for a 15" wheel. If you want to swap up to larger wheel size you'll just need to measure the distance between the tires and fenders and the inner side of the tire to the frame/body of the trailer so that it doesn't rub. The rule of thumb for space between the wheels and fenders is 3" to allow for travel as you go over bumps in the road. You'll want to verify that the wheels/tires are rated high enough for the capacity of the trailer so that you don't have a blow out and will most likely want to stick with radial tires over Bias ply tires.

I recommend going with the Karrier ST205/75R15 Radial Trailer Tire with 15" White Wheel - 5 on 5 - Load Range C # AM32409. This tire and wheel combination has an overall diameter of 27.3" when inflated. You can divide that by half and measure from the center of the spindle to the fenders to ensure that you have at least 3 inches of clearance still. The diameter of the tire is 8.1" so you can also compare this to your current tires to see if there's enough clearance from the frame as well.

expert reply by: Kevin C