TRAILER TRAVAIL

Q: Hey Mick. I have a 15-foot Boston Whaler on a Venture trailer and do a lot of trailering. The tires are 13 inches and wore out within two years. Can I replace the 13-inch for a 14- or 15-inch tire and wheels as long as the wheels have five bolts? Thanks.

Tony Govoni Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania

A: You need to make sure of a couple of things before changing wheel sizes on your boat trailer. One: Make sure you have clearance for the height and width of the new tires and rims. Two: Make sure the bolt pattern matches.

The bolt pattern is the diameter of an imaginary circle drawn through the centers of the wheel lugs. For example, a bolt diameter listed as “4 x 4.50” indicates a four-lug wheel with a 4½-inch bolt diameter. You may want to measure in millimeters for more precision. For wheels with an even number of lugs, measure center to center between opposite lugs/holes in the rim. If your wheel has an odd number of lugs, choose any lug bolt and measure the distance between the back of one lug to the center of another that is directly across from it.

Of course, since you have the existing wheels, you might try dabbing some chalk or grease on the tip of each lug and pressing a sheet of card stock against the wheel to capture the pattern. Take it to your local marine supply or trailer store and purchase the correct rims.