Friday 14th October 2022
CAN I USE ANY TYRES FOR MY TRAILER?
A common question you hear in the trailer industry is: are trailer tyres the same as any other tyre? Before you put a set of 15-inch radial tyres on your trailer just read this!
Of course, there are a lot of similarities between the common tyre and trailer tyres – they have similar sizing which can make people tempted to use a normal tyre for their trailer, but this is dangerous as these are not what the tyre is designed for.
Main Differences
Visually you will notice if you put a normal tyre and trailer tyre side by side that the trailer tyre has a thicker sidewall. This helps the trailer avoid swaying from side to side and allows for it to be turned at higher speeds. This also helps with heavier load capacities because your trailer follows you meaning the rest of it will follow where that front tyre on your trailer goes.
Another main difference is trailer tyres are designed to wear evenly. On the other hand, car tyres are supposed to have uneven wear as they normally only carry the weight of the car they are attached to, passengers and sometimes luggage.
Speed Limits
Whilst car tyres can perform and are tested at higher speeds, trailer tyres are unable to do so as why would you need to race your trailer? These tyres normally shouldn’t be driven above speeds of up to 80mph, but a common trailer tyre normally has a limit of 65-70mph.
Reading Your Trailer Tyres
When you look at your trailer tyre it can just look like a lot of words and letters jumbled around. But being able to read your tyres is a vital skill to have. Read the ATE downloadable tyre guide here!
So, in short: no, they cannot be mixed.
