Determining Needed Weight Capacity for Trailer Wheels

Updated 04/29/2025 | Published 09/05/2018

Question:

I have ST225/75d 15 carlisle sport trail lh tires on 5/4.5 galvanized wheels.I have a boat at about 2400 lbs.single axle trailer.I would like to put some nice rims on and just want to make sure of what load cap. to look for. thanks for any help

asked by: Roger B

Expert Reply:

Just like the tires for your trailer, the combined load capacity of your wheels should at least match the loaded weight of your trailer. Ideally though they will have a larger combined capacity than your trailer weight to provide a nice safety margin. You will also just want to make sure that the valve stem on the wheel can handle the maximum psi listed for the tire that is mounted.

If you can tell me what tire size you are needing I will be happy to make a tire and wheel recommendation. I have also attached a link that will take you to our available selection of trailer tires and wheels that you can look through.

expert reply by: Chris R

Roger B.

9/5/2018

Chris R.

9/5/2018

Your ST225/75-15 size tire will mount to any 15 inch wheel that has a 6 inch, 6-1/2 inch, or 7 inch width. I really like the sleek appearance of an aluminum wheel like the Sendel # AM22653. This 15 inch x 6 inch wheel features the 5 on 4-1/2 inch bolt pattern you need and has a 2,150 pound load rating which will give you a combined capacity of 4,300 pounds for both wheels (more than enough for the weight of your boat trailer). Its aluminum construction will also offer superior rust resistance. I have attached a short video demonstration on this wheel that you can check out, along with a link that will take you directly to our selection of 15 inch wheels with a 5 on 4-1/2 inch bolt pattern that you can look through.

Stephen

4/28/2025

Hi Chris.....I just purchased a couple of your 14" aluminum wheels to go on my boat. The capacity rating shows 2040 lbs each....and my boat is 1920 lbs + 700 lbs for the trailer. So a combined weight of 2620 combined weight. Unloaded. So did I just screw up here....lol? Or is this weight evenly distributed between both wheels? Meaning the total wheel capacity would be closer to 4000k lbs....which would well cover the total weight for the entire vessel? I get different answers to this depending on who I ask...so thought I'd ask the wheel experts....appreciate your help and or perhaps steer me in the right direction if I need to cancel and redo. Stephen Hart

Chris R.

4/28/2025

@Stephen Good news, Stephen! You didn't screw up. That 2040 pound rating is for the individual wheel, so I'm here to tell you with 100% certainty that your two wheels have a combined rating of 4,080 pounds, well more than the actual loaded weight of the trailer. This is pretty typical. So no worries, rest easy, you're good to hit the water.

Stephen

4/29/2025

@ChrisR Good to know. This is what I assumed but just didn't want to take any changes if I needed to upgrade. Appreciate the info Chris..... Stephen