How to Trailer and Vehicle Wheels and Tires Differ and Can They Be Mixed

Updated 09/18/2017 | Published 09/16/2017

Question:

What is the difference between a trailer rim and a car rim will a car tire fit on a trailer rim

asked by: David D

Expert Reply:

Trailer wheels and passenger car wheels are different and so are trailer tires and passenger car tires. Trailers wheels are tires are designed with different characteristics from vehicles wheels and tires since their functions are not exactly the same. Trailer wheels/tires are optimized to handle vertical loads while passenger vehicle wheels and tires are designed for cornering and stability.

Another key difference is wheel offset. Wheel offset refers to the location of a wheel's rim in relation to the wheel's center. The rim can be centered on the wheel or it can be offset to either side. The position of the rim determines where the tire lines up - either closer to or farther from the vehicle or trailer on which it is mounted. Trailer wheels usually have zero offset, meaning that the rim of a trailer wheel lines up directly under the center of the wheel. This alignment puts the tire directly under the center of the wheel, giving the wheel and tire combination the greatest ability to handle load.

While it may be possible to mount a specific passenger car tire size onto a trailer wheel this is not advisable. Nor is it a good idea to ever mix types, sizes or load ranges of trailer tires. The same holds for vehicle tires; all tires on a vehicle should always be the same.

The linked series of articles on trailer tires may be of interest to you.

expert reply by: Adam R