Benefits of Using Higher Load Range Trailer Tires

Updated 05/29/2020 | Published 07/12/2017

Question:

I have 4.80-8 tires would a wider tire be any advantage besides looks?

asked by: Vince

Expert Reply:

Increasing a trailer's tire size can offer some potential advantages but it can also cause issues.

Using a wider and/or larger diameter tire can mean clearance issues within the fender wells and at the leaf springs. It is important to have enough clearance above the tire tread to allow for suspension travel; at least 3-inches but more is better.

The most common reason folks want to use larger tires is to reduce the chances of a blowout, which is certainly a very good motivation! But there are better ways to ensure your trailer tires are reliable on the road. All of these are ways to reduce heat build-up, which is what kills tires.

Excess heat in a trailer tire comes about from three things: driving beyond the tire speed rating, putting more weight on it than it can handle and incorrect inflation pressure. All of these will lead to heat build-up and that is what typically causes failures.

Trailer tires are rated for 65-mph unless their specs directly indicate a higher speed capacity. We do offer tire rated for higher speeds. Incorrect inflation, either too low or too high, leads to excess heat and also causes uneven tread wear. Weight load range capacity, expressed as a letter code, should not be exceeded. Divide the trailer's GVWR by the number of tires on it and you'll see the minimum load capacity each tire needs to have. Trailer tires should ALWAYS be inflated to the maximum cold psi pressure noted on their sidewall. It is never appropriate to under- or over-inflate a trailer tire.

You CAN benefit from using a higher load range tire in your existing size. This higher capacity means the tire will run cooler. The linked page shows all tire products in your size. These include Load Range B and Load Range C products such as # AM30040 which is a wheel/tire rated for 745-lbs at 90-psi.

expert reply by: Adam R

Robert J.

5/27/2020

I am looking at going from C to E load rating. I will not be going up in weight. Do you think Es bias tires would wear even with there higher capacity?

Chris R.

5/29/2020

Good question. If you're often pulling the trailer empty, a much larger load range could potentially lead to uneven tread wear since there may not be enough weight to really allow full contact with the pavement. If you typically have the trailer loaded up though I don't think this will be an issue.