8 inch wheels vs. 12 inch wheels (appears to be swapable)

[DasBaldGuy]

So my Trailer, Moby, has 8" wheels with a 4 x 4" bolt pattern. My brief check at Harborfreight leads me to believe that the 12" wheel has the same 4x4" pattern.

So I ask, is there a benefit to the upgrade and does anyone know for sure if they are swapable (hub size the same?)

[RogHodge]

They are absolutely swappable- check this thread.
http://tnttt.com/viewto ... ht=#557686

[DasBaldGuy]

They are absolutely swappable- check this thread.
http://tnttt.com/viewto ... ht=#557686

Excellent!

...and while I don't have a HF trailer, I have a very old 8" wheel boat trailer, but I think the hub/bolt pattern is standard and thus the 12" wheels will work.

Now the question is, what is the benefit of going 12" and is it worth it?

[RogHodge]

The two big reasons you will find are looks- those 8â€

[Ageless]

Plus you get a few more inches of ground clearance

[Lgboro]

I put larger tires on my tear build (endless build) but have towed a converted boat trailer thousands of miles at high speeds and on rough roads and had no problems since 1977. Take care of your bearings and they will take care of you.

[bobhenry]

And if you go too big some things can get in the way !!!!



LIKE BOLTS ! :cry:

[Oasis Maker]

And if you go too big some things can get in the way !!!!



LIKE BOLTS ! :cry:

So the lesson is you "must" get a different fender bracket that will raise the fender for the HF wheel swap?

I plan on doing this same swap (8 to 12's) on my HF business trailer, so this is a good thread.

Question: Wouldn't a larger tire also increase capacity even just a little bit? Or is that strictly a matter of suspension? I have the 870 pound capacity 40 X 49 HF with 8 inch wheels, but they also sell the same size mini trailer with 12 inch wheels and it has a 1090 pound capacity. (But it does have a "3 leaf" suspension.) Don't know how much influence each aspect would have on its own?

Scott G.

[clarkbre]

Yes, the HF trailers with the 8" and 12" wheels are the same chassis. But, the 12" wheels provide a slightly higher capacity.

As far as the fenders go, Redtrailers.com has the correct fender seats that mount the fenders about 2" higher using the stock bolt holes. Here's the link to the fender seats:

http://redtrailers.com/ShowItem.asp?id=SJ8519-23

Before my trailer even hit the road I did the 8" to 12" swap. I couldn't imagine using that trailer with such small tires.

[Oasis Maker]

Yes, the HF trailers with the 8" and 12" wheels are the same chassis. But, the 12" wheels provide a slightly higher capacity.

As far as the fenders go, Redtrailers.com has the correct fender seats that mount the fenders about 2" higher using the stock bolt holes. Here's the link to the fender seats:

http://redtrailers.com/ShowItem.asp?id=SJ8519-23

Before my trailer even hit the road I did the 8" to 12" swap. I couldn't imagine using that trailer with such small tires.

Excellent, thanks for the info. A sliced tire after ample warning would really have pissed me off. Yeah, the 8's do look kinda funny with the Jeep especially. My saving grace is I have a cap on it painted to match and that's where the attention goes to. Nice ensemble.

Scott G.

[Arne]

When I reversed my spring on the h/f trailer, I could see the bolts would hit the tire on bumps, so I turned the bolts over, so when the tire hit, it would hit the rounded top of the carriage bolt... and it did, and it caused no damage.. of course, the nuts showed on the top of the fender, but that was no problem for me.. I'm a function over form guy.

Of course, it it is too close and hits too hard, then you have more serious problems to deal with...

[RogHodge]

At this point I can’t remember who’s tread this is or what the question was but……..
Here is what you can expect when you swap out 12â€

[Jst83]

This is great news, I can get the 40"x4' trailer with 8" wheels cheaper than the one with 12" wheels. I planned to get the chrome wheels anyway so that works out wonderful.

Thanks for the info.