[4wheel4real]

Hi, I have trailer with 4.80-8 I want to take the trailer to atleast 55-60 mph. Right now I know it only safe for 45mph. What size and type tire do I need to get 55-60mph??
Thanks,
Scott

[4wheel4real]

Cmon I know someone wants to answer my question.. Plz

[Jesse-James]

I have 205 x 8-10 E-rated tires on mine if that helps. Kinda wide and lower profile.

[4wheel4real]

Hmm where did you buy the tires at?

[RKBA]

The bare minimum trailer tire I would run is 5.30-12. I had those on my old pop-up camper (camping weight ~1200 lbs) at highway speeds and towed it across country without incident.

All things being equal, the more OD on a trailer tire the better. The bearings will turn fewer revolutions per mile as the tire get bigger. Most small trailers have either the 4 on 4 or 5 on 4.5 lug pattern. The biggest wheel I have ever seen for the four lugger is a 13" trailer wheel from Northern Tool. If you have the five bolt hubs, all the better. Since that is a common automotive pattern (Jeep, Ranger, etc) you could slap on the biggest wheel/tire combo that will fit under your fenders. A set of stock Wrangler steel wheels with the 205/75 Goodyears is actually a sweet set-up for a smallish utility trailer.
For the most part, trailer hubs are inexpensive and interchangeable so you could switch from 4 to 5 lugs pretty easy if you wanted to. The red Chinese bolt together trailers are the main exception to that; they have metric bearings and hub swapping is a little more troublesome.

[xxxflhrci]

You can get high speed trailer tires for 8" wheels at Northern, Tractor Supply, and even Walmart.

There is nothing wrong with running these smaller tires at interstate speeds. People have been doing it for decades. Some people think that blowouts and bearing failures occur due to the tire spinning faster than a larger diameter tire. This is simply not true. Most blowouts are from under inflated tires. Most bearing failures are from lack of proper bearing service (grease).

[4wheel4real]

Originally Posted by xxxflhrci

You can get high speed trailer tires for 8" wheels at Northern, Tractor Supply, and even Walmart.

There is nothing wrong with running these smaller tires at interstate speeds. People have been doing it for decades. Some people think that blowouts and bearing failures occur due to the tire spinning faster than a larger diameter tire. This is simply not true. Most blowouts are from under inflated tires. Most bearing failures are from lack of proper bearing service (grease).

Ahh ok..so I just need to look for high speed trailer tires. Thanks for the help, I'm a trailer noobie lol.

[xxxflhrci]

Just go to Northern Tool. You can easily find what you need.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/NTESearch?storeId=6970&N=0&Ntk=All&Ntt=trailer%20t ire&Nty=1&D=trailer%20tire&Ntx=mode+matchallpartia l&Dx=mode+matchallpartial

[4wheel4real]

Sorry for the stupid question but what does "4.80x8" mean? I know the 8 means 8" tires but idk about the 4.80..

[xxxflhrci]

From here...

http://www.popuptimes.com/articles/archive1/tires.shtml

SIZE _ This can be shown in several ways:
The Numeric System _ Sizes such as 4.80 X 8 are found on smaller trailer tires. This indicates the tire section width (4.80"), and the rim diameter (8"). Section width is the width of the tire at its widest point;
The Alpha Numeric System _ This is common on 13 to15 inch trailer tires. Size B78 X 13C indicates air chamber size (B), the 'Aspect Ratio' (78), the rim diameter (13"), and the load range (C). The Aspect Ratio is determined by dividing the height of a cross-section of the tire by the section width;
The Metric System _ This is becoming very common. Size ST205 75D 15 indicates the tire application type (ST_special trailer), the section width (205mm), the 'Aspect Ratio' (75), the construction type (D= bias ply), and rim diameter (15");

[RKBA]

Originally Posted by xxxflhrci

You can get high speed trailer tires for 8" wheels at Northern, Tractor Supply, and even Walmart.

There is nothing wrong with running these smaller tires at interstate speeds. People have been doing it for decades. Some people think that blowouts and bearing failures occur due to the tire spinning faster than a larger diameter tire. This is simply not true. Most blowouts are from under inflated tires. Most bearing failures are from lack of proper bearing service (grease).

The little 4.80-8 tires are fine under very light loads, and are slick for motorcycle luggage trailers. I believe they should be avoided for much more than that.

As you have already pointed out, many folks pay scant attention to tire pressure and bearing maintenance. Add to that the common practice of overloading a trailer and the dinky boat trailer tires are just not the best choice. Aside from the Carlisle brand, pretty much all the 8" trailer tires I have seen are made off shore and appear to be of low grade. Stepping up a size or three gives you a much bigger margin for error (and higher load rating) at little to no additional costs.

Even properly lubricated trailer bearings run hotter with smaller diameter tires. When I switched one of mine out from small 8s to large 12s, the hubs and wheels were significantly cooler when checking them at fuel stops.

[4wheel4real]

Ok so if I were to get these they are a 16.5"x4.80" tire with a 8" rim right?
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200330195_200330195
Just want to be sure before I buy them.

[xxxflhrci]

Those tires have a lighter 'B" load rating. You may want to get a heavier tire.

[4wheel4real]

I found these tires http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200330390_200330390
and I'm wondering how hard it is to put them on my rims? It looks easy but I wanna make sure I dont waste my money..

[4wheel4real]

Nvm I got tires/rims at walmart...