Compac 16 Trailer Tire Upgrade

Trailer Rim and Tire Upgrade
These are the tires that originally came with  my trailer - bias-ply 4.80x8 Load range "C" tires rated at 920 pounds per tire.  While the rims and tire tread was in good shape, the tire sidewalls were very cracked and the load range was somewhat limited.  After almost purchasing new 4.80x8 load range "D" tires, I decided to upgrade the tire and rim size so that I could run larger radial tires rather than these small bias-ply tires.
I settled on 12 inch radial tires (155R12) - the size used on a car like the Ford Fiesta or Geo Metro.  Because of their larger size and radial tread, these tires run much smoother and cooler than the bias-ply 8 inch tires.  I also decided to raise the fenders about an inch (not pictured here) to increase the distance between the tire and fender.  It was a relatively easy upgrade; I simply moved the rear bolt of the leaf-spring bracket further back and drilled new holes in the trailer frame about an inch higher.  This upgrade has made a noticable difference in how well the trailer tows.