Can 7-14.5 Tires Be Upgraded to 8-14.5 Tires for Utility Trailer

Question:

I have a homemade 5 foot x 8 foot open trailer with 7-14.5 mobil home tires and wheels. Can I mount a 8-14.5 mobil home tire and wheel assembly on that axle? is the mount the same? I have plenty of height clearance and a 1 inch side fender clearance with the 7-14.5 tire and wheel assembly now.

asked by: Foster L

Expert Reply:

The 8-14.5 tires will be 1" wider than your current 7-14.5 tires so you'll be losing 1/2" of sidewall clearance to your fender. I recommend having at least 1" of clearance to the sidewall so it would be best to stick with 7-14.5 tires for your application.

If you do end up going with the 8-14.5 tires you'll want to use the same wheels you currently have because those wheels are pretty unique to the 5-Spoke Utility Hub # 8-174-5UC3 your trailer uses.

expert reply by: Jon G