Replacing Existing 4.80x12 Tires with 175/80-13 Tires on Small Utility Trailer

Question:

Good day, I have a small utility trailer, 3.5 by 5 feet. It came with 4.80x12 inch, 5 hole pattern, wheels and tires. I flipped the axle to gain more ground clearance and now am thinking of going to bigger wheels and tires. Im thinking of 13 inch wheels and am completely open to any suggestions for tires. I use this trailer to haul camping gear behind a Jeep Wrangler. The photo is after the axle flip. Thank you.

asked by: David C

Expert Reply:

You can certainly go with a larger wheel/tire combo, like the # AM3S050. This is a 175/80-13 tire on a white spoke wheel, which is about 3.5 inches taller and around 2 inches wider than your existing tires. Because we're talking a circular object, the tire will be moved about 1-3/4 inches closer to the fender and about 1 inch closer to the trailer frame. As long as you have enough clearance above for the fenders and to the inside to clear the trailer frame, they should work just fine for you, assuming that your existing wheels have the 5 lug on 4-1/2 inch bolt circle.

Keep in mind that even though the larger wheel/tire combo will have a higher weight capacity, the capacity of your trailer won't necessarily increase. You'll still be limited by whatever component has the lowest capacity, whether it be the axle, springs or tires.

I'll link you to our trailer tire help article, which you might find helpful.

expert reply by: Mike L