Upgrading From 4.80-12 to Larger Tire on Utility Trailer

Question:

I want to go from a 4.80x12 5 lugs on 4.5 Inches to a 23 inch radiel g or a utility trailer Any ideas

asked by: Mark

Expert Reply:

Since you were looking at a 13" tire # AM3S130 I'm assuming you want to upgrade your 4.80-12 to a 13" and not a 23" tire. This is certainly possible as long as you have enough clearance. You probably have a bias ply 4.80-12 like the # AM10062 right now. This has an outer diameter of 20.5" and a section width of 4.8". Compare this to the Karrier ST175/80R13 Radial Trailer Tire with 13" Galvanized Wheel # AM31994 which has a section width of 7" and outer diameter of 24.1".

At a minimum, you want at least 3" of clearance on top and 2" of clearance on the inside of the tire. In this case, upgrading to the larger tire would mean you lose 1.1" on the inside and 1.8" on top of the tire. You will need to measure the tires you have now to know exactly how much clearance you will lose and decide if it is possible to upgrade. You won't find a load range G in a 13" tires, the highest is typically D like the # AM31994 I used in my example.

If you find that you won't have enough clearance, I still recommend switching to a radial tire. The Taskmaster 4.80R12 Radial Trailer Tire # TT48012C will fit your current wheels and won't cause a clearance issue.