Solution for Tire Sidewall Rubbing Against Trailer Frame

Updated 11/07/2024 | Published 08/20/2019

Question:

Inside tyre wall rubbing on trailer Is there anything you can do to fix this apart from getting thinner tyres

asked by: Kyle

Expert Reply:

If the inside of your trailer tire is rubbing against the frame on your trailer then you can either get a new trailer axle that has a larger hub-face measurement or get slightly smaller tires. The easier solution would be to swap out your tires for smaller ones. We recommend at least 2" of clearance between the tire and the frame so you'll want to keep that in mind.

Let me know what your current tire size is as well as your bolt pattern (see attached article) and the GVWR of your axle and I can make a recommendation for replacement tires from the linked selection.

expert reply by: Jon G

Eric

11/6/2024

I have this issue. The tire wont mount because its about 1” too wide and the clearance from the trailer light mount is only 1” . So I think I would need 2-3” less in width and 1” smaller is diameter. The tire is 205/75/15 5-4.5. I definitely want to maintain a load rating of D or better.

Jon G.

11/7/2024

@Eric Your current tire should be about 8.1" wide so we'll need to drop the width down closer to 6". The smallest tire you can fit with your hubs is 175/80-13 - anything smaller than that won't fit. This gets you down to about a 7" width, and if you go with a Load Range D like the Karrier # AM31990 you're looking at a weight rating of 1,650 lbs at 70 psi. The only other solution would be to get new axles that have the same spring center but a slight wider hub face measurement so your tires sit out a little more.