Can I put Truck Wheels on My Trailer

Published 06/20/2020

Question:

I have 2 question packed into one. I have an 8 lug truck wheel I’d like to put on my trailer with 8 lug axles. Would I need to put a different tire on other than the 10 ply 245/75 r 16? Let? Second My travel trailer technically fits a 14 inch car wheel. I suppose I need to find a 14 inch trailer tire for the car wheel?

asked by: Tom G

Helpful Expert Reply:

To answer your first question, technically you can put truck wheels on your trailer, there are just a few things you will need to look out for. First, automotive grade wheels tend to have more of an offset than trailer wheels, meaning the center of the wheel usually sits either further away from or closer to the vehicle. When you mount the wheels to your trailer, just make sure you have about 2-3 inches of clearance between the tire and the inside wall of the trailer or fender.

If your 10 ply tires are LT (Light Truck) rated, then yes, you can use them on your trailer. The same situation applies though as far as clearance is concerned. Truck tires can sometimes have more aggressive tread, so another clearance measurement you will want to be aware of is from the top of the tread to the underside of the wheel well. Here you will want at least 4.5 inches of clearance for maximum bump clearance.

Your second question seems a bit more loaded. Is this the same trailer that has the 8-lug axles from question 1? If so, I'm not aware of any 14 inch wheels with 8 lugs and if the axles on that trailer were upgraded to 8 lug axles, my guess is you are going to have a difficult time fitting 16 inch wheels where 14 inch wheels used to be. That is a pretty big change. I'm guessing this is a different trailer, but let me know if I'm not understanding correctly. If that is the case, You will want a 14 inch ST rated trailer tire for the 14 inch car wheel.

I've attached a link to all of our 14 inch ST tires for you to check out, but if I were you, I'd go with the Karrier ST205/75R14 Radial Trailer Tire - Load Range D, # AM10235. This is a radial tire that will perform and last much longer than the bias ply tires that are out there, especially at highway speeds. It has a max load capacity of 2,200 pounds at 75 psi and is rated for speeds of 81 miles per hour.

expert reply by: John H