Wheel spacers on trailer axles

[thunder550]

I understand that most trailer specific wheels are 0 offset wheels. If I wanted to, for example, take a set of factory Chevy wheels with a +28mm offset and use them on a trailer, could I safely use a 28mm spacer to effectively bring the offset back to 0, or does it not quite work like that?

[corvettekent]

If you have -28 adding a spacer would work, but a +28 and a 28 spacer would be a +56mm offset.

[thunder550]

You have that backwards...negative offset pushes the wheel out, positive pulls it in. +28 offset with a (theoretical) 28mm spacer would net to zero.

[trailwhale]

Would not do it. Trailer wheels are subjected to extreme scrubbing that tends to loosen lug nuts without spacers in the assembly.
Second caution on using pickup wheels on trailers involves weight capacity - especially 6 on 5.5 lug applications

Third negative offsets more than .31 inch de-rates axle capacity.

[thunder550]

I ended up just getting a set of trailer wheels and tires. 10 ply Chinese tire bombs, 235/85-16 with 0 offset wheels, basically brand new from CL for $440.

I couldn't make a combination of wheels and tires end up where I needed to with tire-to-frame clearance or weight capacity (trailer is rated at 12k GVWR, axles are rated at 7k each), and spacers were retardedly expensive. Sounds like it's a bad idea for other reasons as well.