Trailer Tires

[dorkweed]

OK gang.......y'all have seen my new work trailer. I really don't care for the squishy tires on her now. They're "C" rated which means I can put 50psi of air into them, but I'm riding close to the GVW of this trailer now and would like a bit of insurance if at all possible. The tire size on the trailer now is 205/75 15C. They're made by Goodyear......which means they'll last "A Year"...............that's my opinion on GY tires!!!! I know I can get the same tire size in "D" rated tires from my Cooper dealer, as I have them on my old trailer. I was considering jumping up to a 225 sized tire, but I don't know if'n it'll fit in the fender well. I guess I should do some measuring. An "E" rated trailer tire in the 205 size would be ideal.What would y'all do???? Jump up a tire size if possible and a weight rating or 2, or just go with the "D" rating in the OEM tire size. I'll say again, it looks pretty tight in the wheel well of this trailer. If y'all hang on, I'll go out and take some pix for you. The trailer is still hitched up, as I'm gonna work tomorrow/Saturday because I spent 3 days last week setting up this new trailer and dismantling my old my old trailer.........so I'm a bit behind on my schedule book. Hang on Dudes!!

[dorkweed]

Here's a couple pix of my trailer in the drive. Statically, the tires aren't squatting/bulging etc., but they really do "flex" a lot going down the road over bumps, expansion joints etc. Any insight would be appreciated. Hardcore towers, please chip in!!!:thumbup2:

[flagmanruss]

Hard to see in your picture... does look close in the fenders. Are there enough spring on there? I'm afraid that the dimensions may be the controling factor.Russ

[Mopar1973Man]

Hmmmm... I would contact a local tire shop and see what they got in that size but in a Load Range D or E. That would allow you to increase the tire pressure and gain back the stability of the trailer. I know what your talking about... My little homebrew trailer has 31 x 10.50 R15 Load Range C the trailer is really sloppy and rocky when load with a cord a firewood. (~2,000 pound). Next set of tires I'm going to see about getting at least a Load Range D...

[LiveOak]

I got fed up with the Goodyear "MaraBOMB" tires. Goodyear does NOT stand behind the product and after a few years they are long out of warranty. I paid over $90 each for these pieces of crap and about 4 years later these tires started exploding in my driveway standing still, parked. I have since found that plain old cheap ___ trailer tires do just fine. NO tire is going to last more than about 3 to 4 years due to deterioration of the tire belt adheasives and other materials that weaken with age. I changed over to Taskmaster tires that have done just fine and are about 1/3 the price. At least they were when I bought mine: http://www.taskmasterproducts.com/acatalog/tires_15_6.html http://www.taskmasterproducts.com/acatalog/tires_15_8.html I bought my trailer tires several years ago from these folks and drove up to there warehouse and bought a pickup truck load of tires for my trailer and boat trailer, plus a few extra for a friend. Good folks to work with.

[98whitelightnin]

My 16 ft flatbed trailer came with bias ply tires. I cant remember what ply they are or even the size but I replaced one and a new wheel and together they were $85. I wasnt sure how they would hold up on the road but I drove it from Phoenix to east Tx non stop with a little toyota corolla on it and they did great.

[Ed ke6bnl]

If you move up to a higher rating tire D,E you must be sure the rims of the trailer can accept the increase pressure that you gain with the higher tire pressure ED some are stamped on the inside for max rating.

[DuluthDiesel]

What you guys are missing is that there is a big difference in tire carcass design when comparing C, D, E, etc. truck tires to trailer tires. Do not think that the tire carcasses are the same! Trailer tires have to endure a special set of stressed. What they don't apply tractive effort, they do have to assist with breaking and tolerate strong lateral forces. When you turn sharp with a tandem or triple axle trailer, take a look in the mirror and see how the tires are flexing hard to the outside and inside. Buying tires that are specifically rated for trailer use is very important from a safety standpoint. Trailer tires are designed to hold up to these turning and twisting forces much better than a standard LT truck tire. Using the right tire for the right application can prevent blowouts and increase tire life and safety. I will never put a pickup tire on a trailer. It is a risky decision, and one that could land your arse on the losing side of a lawsuit if a tire installed in an improper, non-DOT recommended, application fails and injures someone. One site I found: http://www.trailertires.com/ -Chuck

[flagmanruss]

I met a gentleman at a re-enactment event... He had tire troubles enroute & had bought 4 new LT radial tires reccomended by the "dealer". Supposedly they were correct capasity for his large enclosed cargo trailer. All 4 had failed in a few hundred miles. My horse trailer can with E rated bias ply trailer tires & have held up fine... No, I don't like spinning a heavy trailer like a top but sometimes crap happens & ya just got to. The maker had advertized radials... when I called him on it, he said they stopped installing radials because of problems. My 16' landscapers trailer came with bias ply trailer tires... I don't use it a lot but have had 2X the supposed cap in hay, more than once.So I concur... buy trailer tires.