Trailer wheel offset

15" used tires are getting increasingly difficult to find so I'm converting to 16" which are plentyful. 75% of modern 4.5x5 hole wheels have postive offset and 10% have negitive offset. I know offset is hard on bearings but just how hard is my first question. Secound question is there a measurable difference between postive and negitive as far as bearing stress?
Third question is it worthwhile tracking down wheels without offset and paying premium since the trailer hubs used them origionaly? Wondering if anyone has run offset wheels long enough to see if bearings stand up to the added strain.

I'm facing a similar problem. I've about decided it would be less trouble to buy new tires. OTH, there are still lots of cars using 15s. If you have a good tire dealer, you could ask him to be on the lookout for some used tires when he sells new ones.

KEH

Very possible that if it had non offset wheels on to start with the tires were narrower and to go up to the current sizes 16" tire they will be wider and therefore without the offset they will not clear frame. Have you checked that?

I don't know who to measure offset. I overloaded a 7k trailer, bent the front axle. My eye determined the front wheel was offset. So I parked trailer on concrete slab in front of garage while trailer was still over loaded, took 3 ton floor jack and bent the axle back to where I thought it should be. Soon after, I decided to buy a 14k trailer. Haven't bent anymore axles.

(quoted from post at 13:07:40 03/18/14)
I'm facing a similar problem. I've about decided it would be less trouble to buy new tires. OTH, there are still lots of cars using 15s. If you have a good tire dealer, you could ask him to be on the lookout for some used tires when he sells new ones.

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I agree, best to buy new and avoid the trouble. I'd be careful using car tires on a trailer... trailer tires are made differently than car tires. They have much stiffer side walls that hold up to loading and turning better, especially on dual and tri-axle trailers, and will have longer life due to harder rubber compounds being used and less rolling resistance. It is recommended to reduce your rated load up to 40% if just using car tires on a trailer, 10% if you've mixed car and trailer tires. I've had no trouble with trailer rated tires on my stock trailer, ever. Some things I don't cheap out on.

(OK, all you "I've used old car tires for years with no trouble" folks can weigh in now).

6 ply bias ply trailer tires aren't too expensive.

KEH

I would be more concerned with bending the axle than stressing the bearings. I see a lot more spraddel-legged trailers than bearing failures! LOL

But... If you're running used car tires, you must not be hauling any serious weight anyway.

Can you save any money over buying new 15" bias ply tires compared to buying different wheels and tires? The local wrecking yards get 25-$50 for a used wheel. I haven't seen a business sell a used tire since 1987 so I have no idea what used tires are bringing.
New or used, you still have the same cost to mount the tires and dispose of the old ones. I'd be looking for new bias ply trailer tires.

7:00x15 8ply. Used 16 inch tires are just about gone. Pick Ups now have 17,18,20 inch tires now.

I had hoped to avoid justifying the use of tires with light load capacity and not buying new but looks like that can't happen. Here's the situation. I'm in Tx where there is an anormous number of Hispanic owned cars and trucks. There is a tire shop on every corner catering to those customers. You can buy 4 matching used tires that will pass state safty inspection mounted and balanced for $100 to $125 depending on size. If you have a friend with a auto salvage to tell the truth,ask him about wheels. It seems to rain wheels around a busy salvage yard. When the crusher is sceduled to come the owner has empolyees throwing wheels inside cars to be crushed. Forgive the racial overtone but it's true. A white or black yard owner will ask $25 to $40 each for wheels depending how lazy he feels that day. Most Hispanic owners will sell a wheel(anything else for that matter) for what you will pay rather that let you walk if you haggle a little.
We own a 30k triple axel deckover, a 12 foot 18k dump,a 35'cattle hauler and one MD truck capiable of safly towing them when fully loaded. Which do you think I should hook up to move one of these? 5 hay bales,100 bags of feed or suppliment,a 1500Lb utility vehicle,800 Ford,65MF,100 fence posts,a few corral panels,a creep feeder(and a thousand other things that are either too large for a pick-up truck bed or that isn't to be unloaded rightaway). I don't pull the heavy hauler truck out of the shed nor tie either of those trailers behind a 3/4 to truck for those jobs. Instead,I also own 2 16'7k tandem utility,1 custom built UTV hauler with tool boxs that can also be towed around the place by the UTV,a 5 bale hauler,2 small boxes and a small single axel flat bed to handle those chores. It's legal in Tx to haul up to 3999Lbs farm use without brakes,inspection or registeration. Up to 10k with a $6 registeration. If your budget was skinney as ours,you wouldn't reccomend outfiting all those with new G range tires?
Steve,I see those spraddle legged trailers around here too. Most are landscapers that overload with dirt,dirt is like Brilcream. George,are you saying offset wheels may have contributed or the axle was only bent by too much weight? I think bent axel is something to consider even at rated capacity but unsure how far under capacity would be safe. Pops,I'm not worried about mounting,I have a coats machine in the shop(albeit older than me)and ever few years everyone chips in and hires a man to pick up all our junk tires. The days of useing old tires to control erosion are gone. They have heard that story and will fine you heavly even on property you own. The health officials will also get in your middle over junk tires because of West Nile. W_B,rest assured I didn't pay over $10k for the triple axel expecting to use passenger tires on it.