Can 15 Inch Tires on Enclosed Trailer be Replaced with 16 Inch Tires

Published 07/20/2018

Question:

Thanks For Your Excellent Customer Service Chris. I Currenty Have The ST 205 75R 15 And Want To Change to ST 225 75 R 16, Im I Safe? Thanks Again.

asked by: Ernie G

Helpful Expert Reply:

As long as you have the needed wheel well and trailer frame clearance for a larger tire and wheel, you can certainly move up to a 16 inch tire on your 2004 Enclosed Trailer. Generally speaking you will want to have at least 3 inches from the top of the tire to the fender to accommodate for suspension travel.

The Karrier ST235/85R16 Radial Trailer Tire # AM10501 that you were looking at will have an overall diameter/height of 31.7 inches and a width of 9.3 inches. You will want to just compare these measurements to the size of your current tire to see what kind of size difference you are looking at. If you can tell me what tire size you currently have mounted, I will be happy to tell you its specific measurements for comparison.

I have attached a link that will take you directly to our available selection of 16 tires and wheels, along with a couple articles on trailer tires that you might find helpful.

expert reply by: Chris R

Ernie G.

7/20/2018

Thanks For Your Excellent Customer Service Chris. I Currenty Have The ST 205 75R 15 And Want To Change to ST 225 75 R 16, Im I Safe? Thanks Again.

Chris R.

7/20/2018

Your existing ST205/75R15 tires have an overall diameter/height of 27.1 inches and a width of 8.1 inches. Moving to a 225/75R16 tire will bump the diameter/height up to 29.3 inches and the width to 8.9 inches, giving you an additional height of 2.2 inches and width of 0.8 inches. Keep in mind that only half of the height difference (1.1 inches) will actually affect the wheel well clearance on the trailer. As long as you have the extra clearance space needed under your fender and between the tire and frame on your trailer you can certainly make this change. We do not currently have trailer tires available with the 225/75R16 size you mentioned. I just recommend making sure that the tires you are looking at are in fact ST (Special Trailer) tires, as they will feature a thicker sidewall needed for the heavier loads on trailers. The closest option we have available is an ST235/80R16 tire and wheel like the Kenda # AM34969B. This is slightly larger than the size you are looking for and will give you an increase in height/diameter of 3.7 inches and increase in width of 1.2 inches over your existing tires.