Can 205/75-14 Trailer Tires Replace 185/60-14 Tires

Updated 10/12/2015 | Published 10/11/2015

Question:

I currently have 185/60/14 tires 2 on a single axle 5x8 trailer. How will I know if 205/14s will fit before purchasing?

asked by: David

Helpful Expert Reply:

You can go by the measurements of the tires and compare the differences to the space you have available on the trailer to determine fit.

First, 185/60-14 is not a trailer tire size. If it does not have ST in front of the size then it is not a trailer tire. This is important because trailer tires are built with a thicker sidewall than passenger vehicle tires to handle more vertical load.

A 185/60-14 will be 7.3 inches wide and 22.75 inches tall. A 205/75-14 will be 8.07 inches wide and 26.12 inches tall. So the new size will be 3.37 inches taller and 0.77 inches wider. Only half of the height is applied above the axle center line so you will need 1.685 inches plus at least another inch or so above the existing tires to account for suspension travel.

And only half of the width is applied towards the inside of the tire so you will need more than 0.385 inches between the existing tires and the trailer frame (when under load).

The 205/75-14 trailer tires will fit on 5 inch to 6-1/2 inch wide wheels. Wheel width is measured on the inside where tire sits. I have linked a video that shows this at about the 1 minute, 30 second mark. I have also included a link to the tires and tire and wheel combos we have in the 205/75-14 size.

expert reply by: Michael H