Which Load Range Should be Used with 235/85-16 Sized Tires on a Tandem Axle 16,000 Pound Trailer

Question:

Which rating E or F tire should I run on a 24ft bumper pull , tandem axle car trailer with a 16,000lb load rating. Currently running 235/85/16. I dont quite understand how load ratings are rated

asked by: Johnny M

Helpful Expert Reply:

When it comes to weight capacity, in general you're limited by the lowest rated component of the trailer and towing setup. However, when it comes to tires you have to keep in mind that not all of the trailer's weight will be on its wheels, some of that weight will be on the tow vehicle at the hitch. So it is relatively common to have tires, axles, wheels, etc that are rated slightly less than the trailer's max weight.

This doesn't mean that Load Range doesn't matter. It's still a good idea to be as close as possible to the trailer's max weight with all components. About 10 to 15 perecent of the trailer's weight should be on the tongue so there's room to play with but not a lot. For example, in the case with your 16,000 pound trailer you can use # AM10501 tires which are 235/85-16 sized tires with an F Load Range. They're rated for 3,960 pounds at 110 psi each. That's a total of 15,840 pounds for all 4 tires. That's only 160 pounds short so it will be fine.

On the other hand, the same size tire with Load Range E, # AM10295, has a max capacity of 3,640 pounds at 95 psi. This totals 14,560 pounds for all 4 which is 1,440 pounds short. This is probably still fine since it's less than 10 percent of your trailer's weight but it's a lot less than the Load Range F tires give you.

If you want to eliminate all of the gray area you can use # TTWPRG23600 which has a load rating of 4400 pounds.

expert reply by: Charles S