Trailer Tire and Rim Compatibility

Having a 13 inch wheel and a 13 inch tire doesn’t necessarily mean that they are meant for each other. It is paramount to make sure the tire is meant to be mounted on a specific wheel before you install it on your trailer. Below are four steps you should take to ensure you are selecting a compatible tire and wheel assembly for your trailer.

  1. Make sure the tire and the wheel are of the same size, and they will fit on your trailer. You may have to verify both the height and width when determining if the tire and wheel assembly will fit under a trailer’s fender.

    Example: Choose a 13 inch tire and a 13 inch wheel.
  2. Verify the selected tire is compatible with the load capacity needed for your trailer. Many times, the trailer’s load capacity is posted on the trailer itself. To determine the minimum load capacity tire you should select, take the trailer’s load capacity and divide it by the number of tires needed for your trailer.

    Example: If your trailer’s load capacity is 800 pounds and needs 2 tires, the minimum load capacity for each tire that you would need is 400 pounds.
  3. Verify that the width of the wheel will allow the tire to mount to it. You often have more available variation in compatible widths on larger size assemblies.

    Example: A 8×3.75 tire will not mount on a 8×7 wheel. A ST235/80 R16 tire will mount on both a 16×6 and a 16×7 wheel.
  4. Verify that the load capacity of the selected wheel is greater than the load capacity of the selected tire. If one of the two were to fail due to exceeded load capacity, you would much rather have the tire fail and ride on the rim rather than the entire assembly fail. Proper load capacity matching ensures safety and can save you money in the case of a failure.

    Example: If your selected tire’s load capacity is 1400 pounds, the wheel you select needs to exceed or equal 1400 pounds.

These four easy steps should ensure that you are purchasing a safe and compatible tire and wheel assembly for your trailer.

RecStuff.com offers trailer tires and trailer wheels of all sizes. We offer free tire and wheel mounting and provide great customer service to help you out when you’re unsure about exactly what you need. Feel free to give us a call at (321) 872-8473, and we can help you determine the correct setup for your situation.

We did all the hard work for you already. Look for the ‘Find Wheels/Tires to fit this Tire/Wheel’ link.

Please feel free to contact us with any comments, suggestions, or questions.