Can 4.80-8 Tires be Replaced by 4.80-12 Tires on a Harbor Freight Trailer

Updated 07/25/2014 | Published 07/24/2014

Question:

Hello, I bought a harbor freight 600 lbs boat trailer and want to upgrade the tires on it so I can safely travel at highway speeds. The trailer came with 4.8x8 inch tires but Im wondering if I would be better off upgrading to a 12 inch tire. My boat is pretty small. Fully rigged out it weighs less than 300 lbs. most of my trips will be 60-180 miles. Safety is my main concern so what would you suggest? Thanks in advance.

asked by: J.T.

Expert Reply:

You may be able to go to a 4.80-12 tire and wheel combo if there is enough available space all around the existing tires for the larger size. A 4.80-12 tire will be 4.4 inches taller and just a few tenths of an inch wider than a 4.80-8 tire. The width does not concern me but the height is a big difference. You will need more than 2.2 inches of free space above the existing tires to go to the larger size.

If you have the room you can go to the larger size. Keep in mind that the larger tires will not increase the capacity of the trailer. Since the wheel size will also increase you will need a 4.80-12 tire and wheel combo that has the proper bolt pattern. To measure the bolt pattern on the existing wheels you can follow the help article I linked to the right. I have also linked all of the 4.80-12 tire and wheel combos.

expert reply by: Michael H