Can I Replace 155/80R13 Tires with 175/80 R13 Tires on a Boat Trailer

Published 07/16/2013

Question:

I currently have st155/80 R13 tires on my trailer and you do not carry that size. Can i use 175/80? I know that they will be slighty larger than the 155 tires, but by about how much? Will they be taller and wider? I can easily remove my cheap plastic fenders and modify or replace them but will the new tire size rub on my trailer frame?

asked by: Tim S

Expert Reply:

I did some calculations on the tire sizes and found that the difference between the 175/80R13 and the 155/80R13 is pretty small.

The 175/80 is 24 inches inches tall whereas the 155/80 is 22.7 inches tall for a difference of 1.3 inches total, but that difference needs to be split since the overall diameter is split since the wheel rotates on the axle. So basically the wheel will take up an additional .65 inches of your fender well.

The width difference is pretty small at .78 inches. So basically 3/4 of an inch wider.

I would doubt that the additional width would rub, but you should measure the distance between the tire and frame to be certain.

expert reply by: Jameson C