Tire Size

[mattdd]

I?m towing a 18.5? lowe condor, which I think is around 900 lbs. without motor or decking, so I would say less then 2000 pounds total. I have radial ?car? tires on my trailer and they always look flat even tho they have the right pressure. The size is 165x80R13. I saw a set of trailer tires that looked similar in size but the numbers were diff. they were 5.3x12. Will these trailer tires work for my application? Do those numbers mean 5.3 inch tread width x 12 inch rim? If so, I would be losing .1? of tread width and 1? of rim.

 

[rndn]

Re: Tire Size

Buy some good 13" trailer tires and rims. Car tires are not meant for the stresses a trailer places on them.

 

[srothfuss]

Re: Tire Size

the 5.30x12 is a bias ply tire. The 5.30 has a maximum capacity of ~1000 pounds per tire... A little under your requirements for travel weight.

A ST175/80D/13 has a maximum load capacity around 1,300 pounds which is more of what you are looking for.


Everyone here is about to tell you the virtues of taking the car tires off your trailer. You should listen to their advice

Edit: I wanted to add to my original posting now that I've had a couple more hours to chew on my comments. The amount of weight you can load up on a tire very by the stamped rating on the side wall of the tire. So you will need to buy the proper sized tire... For example there is a 5.30x12 that can only handle 900 pounds per tire.

There is also a bias belted tire as well as a bias ply tire..

The 5.30 or measures the largest section width of the tire and not the aspect ratio.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Tire Size

ST trailer tires are designed with a stiffer side wall than an auto tire. they are made to take the sway and abuse of the trailer. never use auto tires on a trailer. always keep the inflated to the recommended pressure, low pressure is the #1 cause of trailer tire failure.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Tire Size

TD is absolutely correct. Do not use car tires on your trailer and keep correct pressures in them. Most trailers in the side of the road with a flat did not follow that advice.
Keep a spare as well. Ever see the 1 wheeled trailer with a jack under the axle at the side of the road ???? while they went to try to find a new tire at some obscure hour of the day.
Those people usually get a spare straight after that experience so it does not happen to them again.

 

[mattdd]

Re: Tire Size

i figured it was bad to have car tires on there since they always look low, and obviously cant handle the weight of the rig, but thats the way it came when i got it used.....a long time ago. so they have held up for some time, but i gotta get the real thing since i moved and its a longer trip to water. i do have a spare, but its the same type of tire. i asked at the store about those 5.3x12's and they said that they were rated at 2000 lbs each, which would be more then enuf for my app., but i would loose clearance and they arent the right replacement anyway. but trailer tires are 80 bux a piece, which was surprising, but i guess ya gotta pay to play.

 

[srothfuss]

Re: Tire Size

Man that would be one strong little bias ply tire... I think the ~1,000 pound 5.30's run in the neighborhood of 65-75 dollar each.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Tire Size

I got 13 inch on my trailer and are rated around 1,500 lb each.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tire Size

You need a new "tire guy" if he says a 5.30x12 is good for 2000 pounds each.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Tire Size

You need a new "tire guy" if he says a 5.30x12 is good for 2000 pounds each.

Yep !!! 2,000lb's per pair sounds more realistic.

 

[Philthyphil]

Re: Tire Size

I just bought a new spare tire and wheel for my Shorelandr trailer. It holds a 16 ft Doral with a e-rude 90. The PO did not have a spare!!! But then he did just leave the boat at the cottage and store it in the boathouse in winter. Local trailer shop $60.00 for a new wheel and tire 12-530 rated 1100 lbs per tire. If I'm not mistaken here in Ontario it is illegal to use car tires on a trailer, at least on bigger ones like car trailers.

 

[180shabah]

Re: Tire Size

I just did a little surfin' and the highest capacity 5.3x12 I found was 1050lbs.