Recommendation on Trailer Tires

[Leaky88]

I am looking for recommendation on 16” trailer tires for a HD 3axle 26x8 ft Gooseneck Trailer.

Found some Trailer Kings on EBay 235/80R-16 10Ply for $320 but open to any suggestions please. Thanks Leaky

[Mopar1973Man]

Math out your capacity and then the capacity of the tires. If you are too tight to the capacity of the tires go up another load range to F's. Like on my RV they installed Load Range D's and barely could hold the weight the tire where at capacity 90% loaded. So I went up to load range E's and now got lots of margin of room and don't have to run the tires at max pressure to cover the weight. This is a good thing. 

[Leaky88]

Thanks. A tire man told me almost all trailer tires are imported except Goodyear and another brand Maxxis.  What Brand are you running?

[Mopar1973Man]

Whatever is cheap. Mostly China Bombs what I buy... Just never seen one fail yet. My trick is I never buy a tire that is marginal and never inflate to max pressure so simple.

[Leaky88]

I had forgot to say the Tire man referred to them as “China Bombs” also. Oh well, It’s like buying an Engine Hoist at China Freight, calculate what you need and double it. ?

[NIsaacs]

I have used my share of China Bombs in ST trailer tires. What I have found is that the cheaper they are the shorter the life span, some to the point they will blow out on the spare rack or even on the trailer axle. If you can buy 6 tires for $320, I would pass. Here are some pictures of my oem Gladiators that my last 2 Load Trail, trailers had, both sets are less than 3 years old. First one is separating and the second blew out sitting. I have replaced both sets with Hercules 14 ply all steel H-901. One set is ST @4400 lbs rated and  one set is LT @ 3750 rated. The ST's are $200 each and the LT's are $215. I also moved up from 235/80Rx16 to 235/85R16.

 

 

Edited April 20, 2019 by NIsaacs
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[Mopar1973Man]

Never blown a tire yet either on the truck or a trailer. Trailer tires typically last up to the 5 year limit with me. My BigTex has got the longest with China Bombs on Load Range C's and lots of treat but past the 5 year time period. Now it gets dangerous. 

[Leaky88]

What is the longest time you have run the same tires on the truck?

[Mopar1973Man]

65k miles. Hankook ATm 235/85 R16 - one year. 

Edited April 20, 2019 by Mopar1973Man

[Leaky88]

Actually it was $320 for 4 tires vice 6.  Still a Pass?

[AH64ID]

What size axles? 

[NIsaacs]

8 hours ago, Leaky88 said:

Actually it was $320 for 4 tires vice 6.  Still a Pass?

 

Okay, that helps. You said a 3 axle so I assumed you needed 6. What do you have on it now and how have they held up? Do you haul often or heavy? Before ST arrived, I always used LT take offs from my dually, then install new on the truck. Since I bought the '01 Dodge I didn't have the right size so I started buying ST's. I have used a bunch over the years and have really not had any luck with 10 ply. I haul heavy and often. Keep in mind mounting cost. I did buy a set of 12 ply Carlisle tires and they were doing good when I sold my Big Tex dump. I had a lot of heavy loads on it. I bought them from Simple Tire and mounted them myself. It took me a long time of failures before I would cough up $200 per tire, gasp I am a slow learner sometimes, Lol.

[Leaky88]

20 hours ago, NIsaacs said:

 

Okay, that helps. You said a 3 axle so I assumed you needed 6. What do you have on it now and how have they held up? Do you haul often or heavy? Before ST arrived, I always used LT take offs from my dually, then install new on the truck. Since I bought the '01 Dodge I didn't have the right size so I started buying ST's. I have used a bunch over the years and have really not had any luck with 10 ply. I haul heavy and often. Keep in mind mounting cost. I did buy a set of 12 ply Carlisle tires and they were doing good when I sold my Big Tex dump. I had a lot of heavy loads on it. I bought them from Simple Tire and mounted them myself. It took me a long time of failures before I would cough up $200 per tire, gasp I am a slow learner sometimes, Lol.

The trailer has set dormant for about 6 years on my property.  (I just never used it and every time I cut the grass I find something else I need to fix. Just one of the problems of living on 5 acres.) I got Trailer off a Welder who used it for his business.  It’s HD homemade 26’ x8’ Gooseneck.  I am moving and need a trailer to haul all the crap I have 1070 miles one-way.   It will be NLT 3 round trips when said and done.   Can’t afford a new trailer and buying a used one is a gamble and whose to say it’s any better. So I’m going through it.  It had 16.5 8x6.5 bolt pattern rims on it, but I have 6 - 16” /6.5 /8x6.5 rims, off a Dodge I’m replacing them with as well new bearings, lights etc to bring it into service.  (I got away from the 16.5 because my recollection of a 16.5 flat on the road and the cost of the 16.5 tire and install was very costly.). I just put 6 tires on the truck which we all know is not cheap but the tires on it were OLD.  Maybe they would have been better than the China Bomb trailer tires.   So I’m open to any suggestions.  Thanks Leaky

[NIsaacs]

Make sure the Dodge wheels will fit before you buy tires for them. I think the 1st gen will work but 2nd gen and later wont. The offset will cause the tire to hit the spring/frame before they seat on the hub.

[Leaky88]

Thanks.  I suppose it probably won't fit.  

Nothing else is going right.

[AH64ID]

What size are the axles?

[Leaky88]

I am far from being versed on Trailers.  As best I can tell they are 7K and I base that thenon fact it has 8 lug wheels.   It’s Homemade,  

[AH64ID]

The axles are likely not homemade, and might have a tag on them.

 

Either way, if you’re planning to load it to axle capacity you need ST tires. 

 

But it’s a triple axle, so I’d be surprised if you need more than 6K/axle which means you could look into some used LT tires for trucks. Such as 245/75R16 or 235/85R16. 

[Nekkedbob]

Just a FYI ST tires are not rated for over 65 MPH. I found this out after having to replace at least one tire per trip from WI to CA. I pulled my small enclosed trailer for 14 years and never loaded heavier then 2000 pounds gross with 1500 pound rated tires. After questioning many tire shop techs one finally called the Goodyear factory rep ( I used what ever I could find on the road and 1/3 of them were Goodyears) and after some discussion he asked how fast I drive and I said right at the speed limit then he said thats the problem. Since I slowed down to 65 MPH the last set that was on it when I sold it had gone 5 years with on failures. As I recall Carlisle has a ST tire that is speed rated at 85 MPH and you can tell because it is molded right in the sidewall. I was a owner/operator and like to drive still to this day. I would leave central WI and be in CA in 2 1/2 days and after slowing to 65 MPH I could still make it in 3 days.

[AH64ID]

38 minutes ago, Nekkedbob said:

Just a FYI ST tires are not rated for over 65 MPH. 

 

 

While that used to be a blanket statement, it’s not anymore. 

 

More and more ST’s have speed ratings above 65 mph. I can’t even recall the last time I saw a new ST tire that was only 65 mph rated.