Upgrading to biggers wheels and tires? - The Hull Truth

Jacob_24 · 09-14-2009, 08:18 AM

I'm running dual axles on a trailer with 175/80/13 radials. There seems to be plently of room for bigger wheels and tires same thing with width wise. i can easily run 205's if not more. My tires are cracking on the sidewalls as the trailer use to sit since the boat was always on the lift, and as i want to redo the wiring and lights I would want to finish it off with new wheels.

Is there a reason a trailer company would put such small wheels on the trailer, I had 14's when i used to tow an 18' boat weighting half less than what i have now.

What are the pros and cons? I saw that with biggers and wider wheels with tires it has more load capacity as well.

Thanks

Afishinado · 09-14-2009, 08:36 AM

Reason is money I'm sure.

cjd · 09-16-2009, 06:34 AM

I asked the same question of the guys at Dave Trailers in Glenn Burnie MD. They told me to stick with the smallest safe tire, as the larger and wider tires would just increase bounce.

Now I was fixing up a small single axle for a day sailer I had bought, so this may not apply when you get into larger and heavier boats with multiple axles.

Food for thought

Back-in-Black · 09-16-2009, 06:44 AM

I ugpaded a tandem trailer from 14 to 15. Towed better. Also was having trouble with blowouts and attributed some of that to weight. Bigger tires come in heavier load ranges than the smaller diameter tires. Had to move my fenders up about 1", but that only took a couple of hours. Since then I have replaced the whole trailer, but really found no problems upping the wheel size by 1".

reelapeelin · 09-17-2009, 07:41 AM

Do it...no brainer that a larger diameter tire rolls easier than a smaller one...the only negative effect it'll have is your trailer will be a tad higher w/larger diameter tires/wheels, so you might have to back down the ramp a touch more than you do now...it'll only be SLIGHTLY higher, so you may not notice this effect at all...

And replace your spare too...running a 13" w/3 other 14"ers even for a short run could cause big problems...

Jacob_24 · 09-17-2009, 07:51 AM

Thanks guys! I heard to stay away from CARLISLE tires but any good tires to be recommended? I tend to only trailer for couple of miles back here lake fishing, but do 2 to 3 trips to the coast each year.

reelapeelin · 09-17-2009, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob_24

Thanks guys! I heard to stay away from CARLISLE tires but any good tires to be recommended? I tend to only trailer for couple of miles back here lake fishing, but do 2 to 3 trips to the coast each year.

Maxxis Trailer Tires...be sure dealer balances them as well...somewhere along the line somebody got it in their heads trailer tires don't need to be balanced...that notion, of course, is just plain INCORRECT

Parthery · 09-18-2009, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob_24

Thanks guys! I heard to stay away from CARLISLE tires but any good tires to be recommended? I tend to only trailer for couple of miles back here lake fishing, but do 2 to 3 trips to the coast each year.

I just put a set of Carlisle's on my trailer about 6 weeks ago. $59 apiece on a price match at Discount Tire. So far they have 1500 miles on them and look brand new.

The ones you have to watch out for are the Goodyear Marathon's...they used to be a great tire until they started making them in China. Then, unfortunately, the quality went to garbage. I was at Eastern Marine this week; they have 205/14 Marathon's for $80 apiece and they are stamped made in the USA. I wonder how old they are.....

LouC · 09-19-2009, 07:35 AM

If you go to a 14 in wheel the biggest tire you can put on there is a 215/75-14 which will give you 1870 lbs capacity at 50 psi...it will raise the height of the trailer but if your ramps are steep that shouldn't be a big deal...and I think that Khumo makes a 205/75-14 in a D rating that gives even more capacity and will not raise the height of the trailer as much...

DrJim · 09-19-2009, 07:54 AM

Does seem like small wheels for a tandem, what is the capacity? My 5400 capacity trailer has 205s I think. If your trailer is a small capacity tandem though, bigger tires could increase bounce I suppose.