Wheel size differences - PRO vs CON!?

[mholzner]

Hello everybody!

Long time reader - but first time posting!

I'm about to embark upon the journey that is the Teardrop Project. I've combined several designs on here and have a good idea of what I want.

After much research and lots of reading - there is still one question which I simply can't seem to find a definitive answer. Hopefully people here can help!

What are the pros/cons of having smaller (i.e 12 inch) wheel vs something a little bigger (13-15)? I admit, the larger wheels look better to me. I've read they are more stable and offer a smoother ride. Is this true? What are the pros/cons of each? Do I need something this size for a 5x8 under 1500lbs?

Many thanks!!!

-Matt

[48Rob]

Hi Matt,

Welcome to the forum!

Larger wheels, as a practical matter, will give you a little smoother ride on a rough surface road as they can span larger gouges/potholes than a smaller diameter wheel/tire can.
I don't think on a smooth road there is much difference in "ride" assuming the tires of either size are inflated to match the load they carry.
A larger tire can potentially carry a heavier load.
As for appearance, opinions vary...

A small tire on a small trailer looks good.
A small tire on a large trailer looks bad.

If you build a 4' x 8' trailer 48" tall, and put a 3' x 7' window in it, the look is like 'ew! the proportions are just so far off that the whole project looks bad.
Same with a tiny baby wheel on a larger trailer.
Proportion is very important if aesthetics are of concern.

If you browse through the hall of fame photos, many examples of both can be studied.

Rob

[angib]

I think Rob left out the most important factor - bigger wheels are 'macho' so some men need them.

There are all sort of excuses given for why bigger wheels are good (like "the bearings will turn slower" as though that was a problem), but I think a lot of them boil down to appearance.

For example bigger diameter wheels will be less disturbed by potholes - but then the bigger diameter wheels will weigh more, so makes the ride worse.

Buy what you want, or what you think looks best. I've done maybe 50,000 miles at up to 100mph in cars on 12" wheels, though many people believe that's impossible.

[Shadow Catcher]

One very good reason for going with a 15 wheel is availability of a variety of tires. I chose Michelin Harmony passenger car tires because they were about the only non Chinese made tires available plus they have a good warranty. With a month of travel I do not regret the choice.

[48Rob]

We Americans do tend to lean toward bigger is better...

Being macho was an erroneous omission on my part

Of course, in the end everyone should choose whatever they like regardless of other people’s opinions.

Meanwhile, it seems a good platform to make a small push toward having home builders at least consider the consequences of not considering symmetry and design.
It often appears that many otherwise well thought out trailers (appearance wise) end up being bolted to tiny wheeled trailers because that is the easiest option.
Perhaps many quickly shrug off the thought of having a custom made trailer, or going with a different wheel/axle combination because it all seems so overwhelming, much as building a curved hatch does to a first time builder?

Reasonable symmetry and design;



Something else;


Rob

[bjeppson]

Rob makes a very good point about symetry and design. Form always follows function. Here the function is rolling down the road which is solved regardless of size of wheel. Then comes form. IMHO it needs to look nice. To some this may not be much of an issue, as for me I want it to look good too. I chose 15" wheels because that was the size of used wheel I found that would also hold baby moon hubcaps, hence the vintage look.

That being said, the curved hatch build still scares the puddin out of me.

Bob

[LarryJ]

Not necessarily a size issue, but one thing to remember is that most smaller wheels are specifically made for trailers so they have no offset. Most people that go with the larger wheels try and go with auto wheels because they are readily available. Most auto wheels have an offset, which will require the axle to be 2 - 3 inches wider than if zero offset wheels are used - this will make a large gap, between the tire and trailer, if you ever go to trailer wheels/tires in the future. And to make things worse, trailer tires seem to vary greatly in their cross section widths and having that offset (when using auto wheels) may also limit your tire choices.

Another person mentioned tire availability. I'm going with 13" wheels (over 14") as there are more 13" tire options than 14", a buddy of mine who sells tires recommended it saying that it's more likely for a tire shop to have a 13" in stock than a 14".

One other thing to think about: the spare. Unless you are using the same size wheels/tires that your TV uses, you will want a spare for the trailer. A smaller wheel/tire is lighter and gives you more options for mounting.

[Bogo]

One other thing to think about: the spare. Unless you are using the same size wheels/tires that your TV uses, you will want a spare for the trailer. A smaller wheel/tire is lighter and gives you more options for mounting.

Already having two spares for my TV, I see it as a no brainer going with the same tire+wheel size, offset and type. It may mean an extra 100 pounds or so because they are 31" off road tires, but I'm already carrying them. If I use the same tire tire and wheel size I can dispense with having a spare specifically for the trailer. The larger tire diameter and tire patch on the ground also means it will float easier over soft ground. To me that is important because I want to boondock often with mine.

As an aside to this I need to look at the actual tow vehicle's track width and see if it is realistic having the same track width on the trailer. I know the trailer as drawn now has a narrower track.

An issue going with large offset rims, is the tire may interfere with the frame in front and behind the mounts. Also check that the wheel doesn't interfere with the brakes. Generally that won't be an issue if the wheel size is increased over 2". Note braking force will be less for larger tire diameters so brake controllers will need to be turned up to a higher force or you may need to increase brake size.

BTW: Formula 1 uses 12" wheels. They do have a tall flexible sidewall which is used as part of the suspension.

[mholzner]

Thanks to everyone for some great ideas.

I'm building a 5x8 - and I'm really torn on what to do with the wheels. I guess it goes like this:

I THINK a larger wheel with fiberglass fenders (see picture above in thread) would look great on this size. However - that would involve a more custom trailer. It sure would be easier to do the pre-fab ones from online with the 12" wheels. I'm afraid using a similar fender on a 5x8 with 12" wheels would leave a gap between the fender and wheel, and make it look silly.

I feel like I'd just need to see both options - and once I did I'd know. Is the one above an 8-foot-long trailer? I can't quite tell.

Opinions everyone!?

[alaska teardrop]

Matt,

Modular* Trailer Wheels are made with zero offset, the correct center hole & lug pattern for common trailer axles in sizes from 13" to 16".

Aluminum examples: http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/c-5 ... heels.aspx

Chrome examples: http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/c-5 ... heels.aspx

But, ask for them at a local tire/wheel dealer or trailer building supply store. Mine came from a local tire dealer overnight for less money than the on-line site.

Fred

[mholzner]

Matt,

Modular* Trailer Wheels are made with zero offset, the correct center hole & lug pattern for common trailer axles in sizes from 13" to 16".

Aluminum examples: http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/c-5 ... heels.aspx

Chrome examples: http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/c-5 ... heels.aspx

But, ask for them at a local tire/wheel dealer or trailer building supply store. Mine came from a local tire dealer overnight for less money than the on-line site.

Fred

Thanks - looks nice. But it's not just as simple as switching the wheel/tire, right?? I thought there was quite a bit more that went into that (axle work and repositioning, etc.)

[alaska teardrop]

Matt,

Yes, of course you're right. If you buy which ever premade utility trailer, you would want to make careful calculations as to weight & balance, brakes (1500lbs.), tire track, ride height, body & fender clearance, axle location, ect. The stickies in this part of the forum & other treads discuss all that.

If you design & make your own chassis (a consideration that you mentioned) - leaf spring or torsion axle - all those issues are fairly easily worked out & matched to your design.

Good luck.

Fred

[jeff0520]

My trailer chassis came with 12 x 4.80 on it. Until I see a reason they aren't working out, I'm not going to spend cash to change them. Pretty much any Tractor Supply store carries those tires, and replacement wheels as well, so it's all good

[Kody]

The most common wheel size used for trailers here is 14". The 14" wheel rides in and out of the potholes/corrugations much smoother than the smaller 12" wheels, plus the 14" tires are so much easier to find and cheaper to buy, especially in the outback. I have never found a 14" wheel to be rough riding or unstable. The weight of the wheel/tire has never been a problem and it's not difficult to change when a flat occurs. The bigger wheel may look a bit macho and even out of proportion in size to the TD or trailer but it certainly gives (me) the security of performance when the roads and tracks are much less than desirable and safe. When it comes to the crunch about tires, safety is more important than good looks.
One of the most stupid things I see that are being sold here in Aust. are the ute's fitted with huge wheels (16" to 17" as standard) and running low profile tires. These tires need 40 psi or more, pushed into them to keep them on the rims. The ute is designed to carry about 750 kgs but with the idiotic wheels and tires fitted, it can only carry about half that. The ute may look groovy, sexy and neat etc. but its a pain to ride in with the highly pressurized tires. The car has low ground clearance and is useless for what a ute was designed for in the first place. I sure hope no-one ever puts these things on their TD.

Kody