Can A Smaller Tire Be Put On My Trailer To Lower It

Question

Question:

I have an Aluma 8810 trailer with 13 in tires. Im wondering if a smaller sized tire can be put on the trailer to lower it a few inches.

asked by: Richard R

0

Expert Reply:

Yes, you are able to put a smaller tire on the trailer to lower it, however there are a few things that you want to consider when choosing a smaller tire.

According to my research the standard tires that are on your trailer are ST175/80R 13LRC tires with a 1360 pound capacity. It also has a 2200 pound rubber torsion axle with no brakes. This type of setup has either wheels with a 4 on 4 Inch # AM3S120 or a 5 on 4-1/2 Inch bolt pattern # AM31994. This is something to consider when choosing tires and wheels.

The problem with going from a larger wheel size down to a smaller one is primarily that you lose a lot of weight capacity when you do this and also the tire sizes for each wheel size don't both give you the same overall tire diameter. By going down 1 inch in wheel size, you'll lower your ground clearance by 1/2 an inch. Which isn't going to lower your trailer very much.

For 12 inch tires, I recommend the Kenda Karrier S-Trail ST145/80/R12 Radial Tire with wheel # AM31202 which as a 5 on 4-1/2 bolt pattern. The Kenda Karrier S-Trail ST145/R12 Radial Tire with wheel # AM35351DX is recommended if you have a 4 on 4 bolt pattern. Both tires have a maximum load capacity is 1,220 lbs at 65 psi the maximum speed capacity is 65 mph. I am only recommending 12 inch tires because that is a safe decrease in tire size from 13 inches. If you can let me know how much weight you plan on carrying on the trailer, I can make tailored recommendations.

If the leaf springs of your trailer are installed so they're sitting on top of the axles, you can use an over/under kit to put the springs under the axle. This will drop the trailer by the diameter of the axle plus the leave stack and lower your trailer with your existing tires. An over/under conversion kit such as # K71-385-00 is designed to fit 3 inch diameter round axles. If your axle is 2-3/8 inches in diameter you would need kit # K71-384-00. I attached a chart that has all of the tire sizes we carry. You can see the overall diameters in the right column and the capacities in the column just to the left. Make sure you have enough clearance for the tires with the trailer lowered. If it lowers too much the tires will hit the fenders.

expert reply by: Timothy G

0

Stutz

3/20/2024

I have a 20' trailer with 16" tires 235/80 10 ply and a torsion axel. I unfortunately need to lower it by 4". Please let me know what tire rim combo is best to go down to. Thanks

Reply

Jenny N.

3/29/2024

@Stutz I can take a look for you. I just need to know what bolt pattern you have 8 on 6.5 or 6 on 5.5> Also what load range are they?

Reply

Paul

3/30/2024

@JennyN 8 bolts 16" rim P.

Reply

Jenny N.

4/8/2024

@Paul I did take a look at the tires that we have that would fit with with 8 bolt hubs however we do not have one that would be smaller then the tire you have currently. The only other possible option would be to change the axle to an axle less suspension system like part # TASR7KS02 which has a 4 inch drop however it would mean changing out the hubs possibly spending on which hub you have now.

Reply

Jonathan

7/5/2024

How do you calculate the weight capacity of trailer wheels ? I have bike trailer 20x3.0 wheels and planning to charge 16x3.0 is OK for ? Because 20inch to high and bumpy

Reply

Robin H.

7/7/2024

@Jonathan the wheel capacity is something you would have to get from the manufacturer. In this case I would try asking the bike trailer manufacturer.

Reply

Answer 1

The Trailer Idler Hub Assembly part #AKIHUB-545-2-LFEZ-1K is 4-1/2" deep. The issue you are running into is pretty common on older boat trailers because they use a much shorter spindle than most trailers today and unfortunately, theses hubs are…

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Answer 2

If you want to go to the next size up from a 5.30-12 tire you will need to look at 13 inch wheels and tires ST175/80-13. For a wheel and tire combo with 5 on 4-1/2 bolt pattern and radial tire use #AM31985. This tire will be 7 inches wide and 24.1…

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Answer 3

You can add larger wheels and tires to a trailer as long as you have enough room for the larger size. The main clearance issues we find when putting larger tires and wheels on a trailer is from the top of the tire to the fender and from the inside…

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Answer 4

The 5.70-8 could be a viable replacement size for your PWC, but I also have another solution that may work to make loading and unloading easier. The benefits of downsizing your tire and wheels are mainly the height loading aspect. With your current…

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Answer 5

I looked at tire options and basically anything that would fit your current rims would have a height of 23 inches or greater. You could change to a 12 inch rim so long as you do not use them for towing (unless they accommodate your weight capacity).…

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Answer 6

The smallest diameter wheel/tire we offer for the 6 on 5-1/2" bolt pattern is a 205/75-15 which measures 27.17" diameter fully inflated. If you deflate the tires you could then lose about an inch or so. Therefore, if you take the diameter…

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Answer 7

In order to choose the correct replacement hubs for a trailer you'll need to know the axle capacity. The make and model of the trailer is usually irreverent as we don't have any way to look up part numbers from this. The axle capacity can be…

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Answer 8

The smallest rim size that will accommodate 10 inch brake assemblies is 13 inches. Our smallest diameter tire that fits a 13 in rim is 175/80-13 sized tires. The diameter of a 175/80-13 sized tire is about 24 inches. We carry the tire by itself, like…

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Answer 9

You are right on everything you have said. The manual dollies like #RA20 do not have the capacity for your 8,000 pound trailer. There is a manual crank type, #STC-V211, but its tongue weight capacity is 500 pounds. The motorized ones that you…

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Answer 10

To mount the Channel Tongue Trailer Coupler - Trigger Latch - Bolt On #CT-5003-Z, I recommend using 1/2 inch bolts. The higher the grade, the stronger the bolt. I've attached the review video to help as you plan this installation.

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Answer 11

I can end this debate for you real fast! Trailer tires, which will have an ST in front of the size, should always be inflated to the maximum psi indicated on the tire. Trailer tires usually do not have a recommended and maximum psi indication so I am…

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Answer 12

If the sidewall of your 4.80-12 size tires say 90 psi then that is what you want them to be when the tires are cold (after they have been sitting for a while like overnight). This is the psi rating that the manufacturer has tested and approved to be…

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Can A Smaller Tire Be Put On My Trailer To Lower It

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