Weekend Warrior FS2300 2006 wheel tire upgrade

[pohoda]

I upgraded the wheels and tires on my '06 WW FS2300. I got much good information on this forum to help make my decision.

My goal was to replace the rusting factory rims that are rated at only around 1800lbs each, get a rust resistant wheel, get wider tires that held up better to the weight, didn't fold as much when turning tight, towed better, and lasted longer while giving me confidence that the wheels/tires were not overloaded.

I first wanted to go with the Maxxis M8008 ST 225/75R15 E rated tire (which I think is considered the best tire for this application), but when I saw the price compared to the Costco sold Greenball Towmaster SS ST225/75R15 E rated tire ($71.99/each) I decided to go with the Greenballs with the Costco backing which has been great for other tires that were even outside of the standard manufacturer's warranty where they gave me almost full credit towards a new tire when I had a blowout. I also found many satisfied buyers of this tire so I figured I could not go wrong considering I am not even close to the max rating of the tires with my ~8000# superlite.

So here is what I went with in detail:

4 - Americana Tire & Wheel (KENDA) mpn# 22647 15" Aluminum Split Spoke w/Black Inlay 5-Lug Trailer Wheel (6" Width) 5 on 4.5 lug pattern 2,540 LB per wheel rating

4 - Stainless steel bearing covers with plastic caps

4 - Greenball Towmaster SS ST225/75R15 E rated tire (installed by Costco)

I am very happy with the results and look. Even though the overall tire height is about ~1" taller and ~1" wider they fit nicely in the wheel wells with ~4" of clearance from touching the top of the wheel well, ~1" from touching the inside of wheel well, and ~2" from the outside faring. I have not yet loaded my Polaris RZR into the trailer and filled with water to get a sense of how they clear with the trailer fully loaded, but I think they are going to be fine. I will also have to test it out in rough terrain, but I think even if they rubbed a little on occasion when articulating terrain I would be ok with that considering the added benefit they provide in most towing situations.

Driving characteristics:

The first thing I noticed is that the wheels do not bulge out on the sides like the load rate C tires did. Driving the trailer is much smoother and does not get tire bounce like it used to. On the freeway the trailer just feels more grounded and pulls straighter without as much wandering around like on the load range C tires. Turning the trailer you can barely see the tires flexing the sidewalls even when doing a maximum near-jack-knife turn.

Update: After feedback from lincster on this thread I checked the inner wheel well clearance and test drove with the TH loaded. The passenger side rear tire was rubbing. So I took off the tire and inspected where it was rubbing. The good thing about the tire rubbing it is clearly scored the plastic lining where the rubbing was occurring so I knew exactly where I needed to focus. Fortunately the area where it was rubbing is actually on the wheel wheel box that protrudes inside the trailer and the plastic was actually bulged out about 1" not adhering to the wood that makes up the walls of the wheel well box. So I took some 1" exterior wood screws (coated type that are rust resistant) and screwed them into the plastic to suck it tight up against the wood. The screws did come through the other side at the bottom of the wheel well box very close to the floor, but I cut them all off to length to prevent any poking and sharp ends sticking into the living area. I touched the wheel well area up with some spray paint for extra protection and also to give me a clean surface that I can easily check to make sure there is no more rubbing. Not the most elegant fix and it may not be for everyone, but I think this will allow me to run this wheel/tire combo with minimal or no rubbing. See added pictures below.


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[lincster]

Very glad I could help and I’m glad u found an issue that could put a damper on a long trip.
Good job on fixing it.
Now u can tow with piece of mind.

[MargaretRehkop]

That's the best thing to do. This would help!

[pohoda]

lincster wrote:
Holy cow that is close.
Just keep an eye on it.

Thanks to lincster I took the extra precaution and loaded my trailer with RZR and full water and took it for a spin including a short run up to 55 on the freeway (that is all I will admit to on this forum :)). Sure enough 1 of the 4 tires was rubbing. Fortunately the issue was the plastic lining that was bulging out about 1 inch off the inner wheel wheel. I was able to secure it down with some screws. I will post up the pics on the first post with an update. I think it will be good now, but I am keeping a close watch on it.

[lincster]

Holy cow that is close.
Just keep an eye on it.

[SMarquez]

I put MB 72 wheels from Americas Tires on my 23' SL. Did you happen to check the air pressure ratings of the rims? My tires are rated at 65 and rims I believe are 80. I only went with 215's. I have learned here and talking to chain and independent tire store owners that I should only expect 3 years out of my tires regardless of mileage so I try to balance cost of tires vs. expected short lifespan. Laying out for Maxxis would be tough for me especially if I was saying goodbye to a set of tires that look good in 3 years. Oh and I lost a cap when a wheel bearing burned out and looks like a set of 4 caps is $100? Yikes!!

[deltabravo]

That same wheel is sold under several brand names.
Sendel T03 is one.

I've been contemplating it for my TT, and some Goodyear Endurance ST tires.

[pohoda]

lincster wrote:
I understand the difference in trailers.
I also understand you didn't go to 16".
I'm merely pointing out the fact that you need to check the inside surface also for rubbing.
Doesn't matter what size you go to, you need to check that and check it going over terrain as the suspension cycles.

Thanks lincster. Now that I checked I see what you mean. I think there is about 1" of clearance there. Definitely will check for signs of rubbing there. I am going to add a picture to the original post showing the gap and also mention that dimension.

[eDUBz]

Looks great. I recently added Moryde cre3000 leaf spring equlizer and shocks on both axles, rides smooth. Something you might consider down the road.

[lincster]

I understand the difference in trailers.
I also understand you didn't go to 16".
I'm merely pointing out the fact that you need to check the inside surface also for rubbing.
Doesn't matter what size you go to, you need to check that and check it going over terrain as the suspension cycles.

[pohoda]

lincster wrote:
You gave a dimension from the top and the faring, but what about the inside of the wheel well?
That is where mine rubbed on my FS3000 when I went to 16" tires.
I had to get a different rim to clear everything.

Let me see if I can get a measurement. Not sure if the FS3000 is different setup than the FS2300 since mine is superlite and I believe yours is the wide body version. I do know that in getting rims I stayed with what they called a 0 offset rim, but I also stuck with the 15" X 6" wide and did not go to 16".

[lincster]

You gave a dimension from the top and the faring, but what about the inside of the wheel well?
That is where mine rubbed on my FS3000 when I went to 16" tires.
I had to get a different rim to clear everything.