Trailer tires...

[GregF]

The last 2 times I bought tires I got them from our local trailer manufacturer. He sold them to me on new wheels cheaper than I could buy tires and have them mounted anywhere else.

[ROLAND]

well with regard to nitrogen filled tires being a scam or not... I'm not qualified to debate that.... but I can tell you one thing for sure.... for as long as i've been driving, and that is some 41 years, I now that when there's a quick change in the weather / temperature, it is not uncommon for tires to lose considerable air pressure... the last 3 or 4 vehicles that we have purchased have the tire pressure monitor sensor to notify you when your tires are low, and almost without fail when we would have a cool snap, that sensor would light up, and sure enough when I checked the air pressure it was always low... about 3 years ago I bought a set of Toyo tires for my 2007 Avalon, the tire dealership filled the tires with nitrogen and not once since then has that sensor gone off... and I've regularly checked the air pressure with my tire pressure gauge... Last year took my 2010 4 runner in and had them fill the tires with nitrogen.. again, no fluxuation in air pressure since... and about 5 months or so ago, I replaced my Avalon's Toyo tires with a new set of Michelins filled with Nitrogen and not once since then have I had a change in air pressure.. I read somewhere that with nitrogen the norm is to have less than a 1 lb variation in air pressure per year... to me the proof is in the pudding.... my experience without nitrogen I have had air pressure changes... since I started using it 3 years ago, not one time has my air pressure fallen more than a pound...... now back to the original issue... I'm going to buy another set of trailer tires this weekend.... tire dealership quoted me to brands.. one carlisle ( that's whats on my trailer now that blew out last sunday with less than a thousand miles on them ) and also from a company called "triangle".... read mixed reviews on them.... I have however found one that I'm leaning toward... it's actually a "d" load 8 ply radial tire... saw it at ETRAILER.COM it's a Load star kenda... ST175/80R-13 with a load rating of 1660 lbs. Comes mounted on a 13" white powder coated or galvanized rim.. only about 5 or 6 dollars difference for the galvanized rim... anyone had any experience with any of these brands? again, I can read all the "reviews" out there, but I would much rather get "real world" reviews from some of you guys who have been there / done that.... appreciate your input.

[Bamaman]

At this point, trailer tires are kind'a generic. Kenda is a popular brand, however.

I've bought 23 car/truck tires in the last 2 years, and I've gone to the internet for them all. We get one day delivery out of Atlanta from TreadDepot.com. I've also used DiscountTireOnline.com. Our local tire dealers carry virtually no auto/truck tires, and get them brought in from American Tire 6-8 hrs. later. I'll wait a day to save $50 a tire.

I don't need galvanized rims, as we never see salt water. Some people need them, however.

Good luck!

[PlaynDoc]

The following was stolen from tirerack.com.


How to Read Speed Rating, Load Index & Service Descriptions

Using a P195/60R15 87S tire size as our example, the 87S at the end of the size represents the tire's service description. A service description identifies the tire's load index and speed rating. Service Descriptions are required on all speed rated (except for Z-speed rated) tires manufactured since 1991.

The first two digits (87S) represent the tire's load index and are followed by a single letter (87S) identifying the tire's speed rating.

Load Index

P195/60R15 87S - The load index (87) is the tire size's assigned numerical value used to compare relative load carrying capabilities. In the case of our example the 87 identifies the tires ability to carry approximately 1,201 pounds.

The higher the tire's load index number, the greater its load carrying capacity.

89 = 1,279 pounds
88 = 1,235 pounds
87 = 1,201 pounds
86 = 1,168 pounds
85 = 1,135 pounds

A tire with a higher load index than that of the Original Equipment tire indicates an increase in load capacity. A tire with a load index equal to that of the Original Equipment tire indicates an equivalent load capacity. A tire with a lower load index than the Original Equipment tire indicates the tire does not equal the load capacity of the original.

Typically, the load indexes of the tires used on passenger cars and light trucks range from 70 to 110.

Load Index Pounds Kilograms
71 761 345
72 783 355
73 805 365
74 827 375
75 853 387
76 882 400
77 908 412
78 937 425
79 963 437
80 992 450
81 1019 462
82 1047 475
83 1074 487
84 1102 500
85 1135 515
86 1168 530
87 1201 545
88 1235 560
89 1279 580
90 1323 600
91 1356 615
92 1389 630
93 1433 650
94 1477 670
95 1521 690
96 1565 710
97 1609 730
98 1653 750
99 1709 775
100 1764 800
101 1819 825
102 1874 850
103 1929 875
104 1984 900
105 2039 925
106 2094 950
107 2149 975
108 2205 1000
109 2271 1030
110 2337 1060

Speed Rating

In Germany some highways do not have speed limits and high speed driving is permitted. Speed ratings were established to match the speed capability of tires with the top speed capability of the vehicles to which they are applied. Speed ratings are established in kilometers per hour and subsequently converted to miles per hour (which explains why speed ratings appear established at "unusual" mile per hour increments). Despite the tire manufacturer's ability to manufacturer tires capable of high speeds, none of them recommend the use of their products in excess of legal speed limits. The maximum operating speed of a vehicle must be limited to the lowest speed rated tire on the vehicle.

Speed ratings are based on laboratory tests where the tire is pressed against a large diameter metal drum to reflect its appropriate load, and run at ever increasing speeds (in 6.2 mph steps in 10 minute increments) until the tire's required speed has been met.

It is important to note that speed ratings only apply to tires that have not been damaged, altered, under-inflated or overloaded. Additionally, most tire manufacturers maintain that a tire that has been cut or punctured no longer retains the tire manufacturer's original speed rating, even after being repaired because the tire manufacturer can't control the quality of the repair.

Over the years, tire speed rating symbols have been marked on tires in any of three ways shown in the following examples:

225/50SR16 225/50SR16 89S or 225/50R16 89S

Each of these was an acceptable method of identifying speed ratings.

Early tires had their speed rating symbol shown "within" the tire size, such as 225/50SR16. Tires using this type of branding were not to have been produced after 1991.

225/50SR16 112 mph, 180 km/h
225/50HR16 130, 210 km/h
225/50VR16 in excess of 130 mph, 210 km/h

Beginning in 1991, the speed symbol denoting a fixed maximum speed capability of new tires must be shown only in the speed rating portion of the tire's service description, such as 225/50R16 89S. The most common tire speed rating symbols, maximum speeds and typical applications are shown below:

L 75 mph 120 km/h Off-Road & Light Truck Tires
M 81 mph 130 km/h
N 87 mph 140km/h Temporary Spare Tires
P 93 mph 150 km/h
Q 99 mph 160 km/h Studless & Studdable Winter Tires
R 106 mph 170 km/h H.D. Light Truck Tires
S 112 mph 180 km/h Family Sedans & Vans
T 118 mph 190 km/h Family Sedans & Vans
U 124 mph 200 km/h
H 130 mph 210 km/h Sport Sedans & Coupes
V 149 mph 240 km/h Sport Sedans, Coupes & Sports Cars

When Z-speed rated tires were first introduced, they were thought to reflect the highest tire speed rating that would ever be required, in excess of 240 km/h or 149 mph. While Z-speed rated tires are capable of speeds in excess of 149 mph, how far above 149 mph was not identified. That ultimately caused the automotive industry to add W- and Y-speed ratings to identify the tires that meet the needs of new vehicles that have extremely high top-speed capabilities.

W 168 mph 270 km/h Exotic Sports Cars
Y 186 mph 300 km/h Exotic Sports Cars

While a Z-speed rating still often appears in the tire size designation of these tires, such as 225/50ZR16 91W, the Z in the size signifies a maximum speed capability in excess of 149 mph, 240 km/h; the W in the service description indicates the tire's 168 mph, 270 km/h maximum speed.

225/50ZR16 in excess of 149 mph, 240 km/h
205/45ZR17 88W 168 mph, 270 km/h
285/35ZR19 99Y 186 mph, 300 km/h


Most recently, when the Y-speed rating indicated in a service description is enclosed in parentheses, such as 285/35ZR19 (99Y), the top speed of the tire has been tested in excess of 186 mph, 300 km/h indicated by the service description as shown below:

285/35ZR19 99Y 186 mph, 300 km/h
285/35ZR19 (99Y) in excess of 186 mph, 300 km/h


As vehicles have increased their top speeds into Autobahn-only ranges, the tire speed ratings have evolved to better identify the tires capability, allowing drivers to match the speed of their tires with the top speed of their vehicle.

[jimrs]

Wow that is a lot of info. Roland you are right on the nitrogen filled tires. They do not change pressure at higher temps. When I was in the Air Force we used nitrogen to fill all the tires on the flight line all aircraft tires are filled with nitrogen any where you use air to adjust pressure was nitrogen. This was not only for altitude but heat and cold. The only way we blew a tire was when the plane landed (B-58) and the chute failed to deploy or just failed and we got hot brakes, we landed at over 260 m.p.h. and the brakes got hot we had to put a cage around the tire in case it blew. I only saw one blow during that time. If your running 40 to 45 lbs of air you could loose or gain 5 to 7 lbs over a week sitting. That lessons the load range on the sidewall of the tire. With nitrogen it will still be 40 or 45 lbs pressure. I wish it was easier to find nitrogen to fill tires with but it's not. The biggest problem with trailers is that nobody makes a good tire anymore in sizes to fit a boat trailer.

[Drago]

[quote="RonKMiller"]Just a few observations:


2. ALL trailer tires are made in China. There used to be an American Company named Denman that had them made in Mexico, and they were darned good tires. They went out of business in 2010 - after being in business for 90 years. Sad.

6. Keep them covered - even a small amount of UV radiation can start to degrade not only the rubber but also penetrate to the carcass itself.

9. One way to EASILY check how happy your tires are while towing is to buy an infrared thermometer - and check the temperature on the inside (out of direct sunlight) at pit stops.

Wanted to comment on some of your great input.

We got our boat just over 4 years ago and all the Goodyear Marathon ST 185/80R 13 were made in New Zealand. I bought two same tires from Discount Tire on the advice of Jerry Rinker (my dealer) and they are made in China.

On the UV issue. Seems like trailer tires take the biggest hit on this because they sit so long idle. I've heard advice to keep them off the bare earth also, so I park mine on treated 2x12 lumber in our yard. I've also been using the 303 Aerospace Protectant on all exposed surfaces of the tire since we got the boat and the tires look new still - only have several thousand miles on them.

I've also used an infrared thermometer since the beginning to monitor the bearing temp on trips. Seems that the hubs run about 10 degrees F above ambient on hot days at highway speeds.

I want to comment on tire pressure and temperature changes. From what I've read, it amounts to about 1 psi per 10 deg. F change. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/ ... ?techid=73 has some good reading on the issue.

[Bamaman]

"I've also used an infrared thermometer since the beginning to monitor the bearing temp on trips. Seems that the hubs run about 10 degrees F above ambient on hot days at highway speeds."

If everyone used a infrared thermometer on all axle hubs every 1/2 hour, they could spot potential problems before they happened. There's nothing worse than burning out a bearing and even the axle end because the grease disappeared from the hub. It's certainly happened to me, and I had to go back 2 days later and replace the whole axle and hubs in some stranger's front yard. He had no idea who the trailer belonged to.

[RonKMiller]

"I've also used an infrared thermometer since the beginning to monitor the bearing temp on trips. Seems that the hubs run about 10 degrees F above ambient on hot days at highway speeds."

If everyone used a infrared thermometer on all axle hubs every 1/2 hour, they could spot potential problems before they happened. There's nothing worse than burning out a bearing and even the axle end because the grease disappeared from the hub. It's certainly happened to me, and I had to go back 2 days later and replace the whole axle and hubs in some stranger's front yard. He had no idea who the trailer belonged to.

I'm kind of weird about bearings too.

Whenever I get a new/new to me vehicle/trailer etc. I almost always ending up replacing them right off the bat. I've found WAY too many made in China and also packed in what I call "shop" grease. I could swear some from China are packed in Cosmoline (basically a waxy Vaseline). I bite the bullet and buy Timkens since they are always made in the US or EU. They're usually at least double the cost of generics that the counter guy hands you. I think the last set was made in Poland. I'm good with FAG (German) or Koyo (Japanese) brands as well. I also hand repack them with high temp synthetic grease - torque to 30 foot pounds, release, and then final re-torque to 20.

...and then - forget about them pretty much for ever!

I can't ever remember having one go bad on me.

Here's an interesting site about fake bearings - a HUGE problem: http://www.stopfakebearings.com/#/start

[GregF]

Being an old fart, who has towed longer than IR thermometers have existed I always checked trailer hubs with my finger. I figure a burned finger is better than finding it after the bearing seized.

Only one time did I actually find a hot one but it was worth the $20 in those days to have a garage fix it before it really broke (had a cracked race)
I was in South Carolina, on my way from Florida to DC.
It was really surprising to me that the guy rooted around in the back and came up with a bearing set.

[yellowk9]

I have the 20.5 x 8.0 x 10" (short fat tires) on my single axle trailer that carries our 20 ft. pontoon. I replaced tires, rims, and bearings when I bought it used in September of 2010. We rode on those all last summer (maybe 8 trips totaling around 1,000 miles). On our second trip to the lake this year (last weekend) I noticed something strange looking about my driver's side tire while going down the road. We pulled over in a large parking lot (thankfully ) to check it out. The tire had a baseball-sized "bubble" on the inside sidewall. The "bubble" later burst while sitting in the back of my truck but the tire retained pressure Anyway, I had a spare and we made it to the lake. These were Trail America E-rated tires (1650 lbs each at 90 psi). I would pay premium dollars if I knew I could get a reliable tire that would last a few years (assuming proper storage, maintenance, etc.). I stored these inside a barn and checked the pressure before each trip. The only thing I didn't do was put the trailer on blocks during the winter.

[ROLAND]

first off I want to thank everyone for their input about trailer tires.. Following my "blow out" last sunday I leanred one thing about trailer tires... It's hard to find a good tire... it seems that almost every tire I looked at ended up with a butt load of "negative" reviews..... don't know if I made the right decision or not ( only time will tell ) but I ended up ordering tires and Rim from etrailer.com I got two ST175/80R-13 These are an 8 ply radial with a "D" load rating of 1610 lbs ( kenda load star ). wheels and rims ran me 214.00 / free shipping. Do trailer wheels need to be balanced? Never thought about that before.... New rims and tires should be here by mid week. But I'm taking the trailer down to my friends tire shop and he's going to put nitrogen in the tires and also while he's got the trailer, he's going to check the hubs/ bearings... add grease or whatever they do. He said it would be a good idea to check that while the rims were off the trailer, and from what I've read from many of you I agree... Now I am going to do something "THIS" weekend that is probably Ill-advised.... I'm taking the boat out to the lake again ( with no spare ). Hope I don't regret that decision but I gotta go toonin....... again thanks for your advice guys... I do appreciate it..

[ROLAND]

Following the trailer tire blowout from a few weeks ago, I got my new tire & wheels from ups this week.... went with karrier load star radials this time, as I've read radials may run a bit cooler.. guess it's wait and see on that... but talk about good customer service.. I ordered the wheels and tires from etrailer.com But I took them to a local tire dealer that I"ve used for years.. I asked them about balancing trailer tires and the manager replied that some do, some don't... he recommended doing it so I said go ahead... also told them I wanted them to put nitrogen in the 2 new tires as well as in the spare tire, and while they had it jacked up I wanted them to check the wheel bearings.... turns out the bearings did need grease added, but here's the nice thing... I know that they did nothing major, balance, nitrogen, grease wheel bearings and install new tires and rim... my total bill was 13 bucks..... how can you argue with that... basically he charged me just for putting nitrogen in the tires... Not that I wanted to look a gift horse in the mouth, but when I asked him why the bill was so cheap, he replied that I had been purchasing car and suv tires from them for several years now and they just wanted to take care of a few of my "little" problems at little or no cost... pretty sweet huh?

[blackberg]

cool
-bb

[MacToon]

...but here's the nice thing... I know that they did nothing major, balance, nitrogen, grease wheel bearings and install new tires and rim... my total bill was 13 bucks..... how can you argue with that... basically he charged me just for putting nitrogen in the tires... Not that I wanted to look a gift horse in the mouth, but when I asked him why the bill was so cheap, he replied that I had been purchasing car and suv tires from them for several years now and they just wanted to take care of a few of my "little" problems at little or no cost... pretty sweet huh?

That's the kind of customer service that builds loyal customers. Too bad a lot of businesses don't understand that concept. Nickel-dime me and I'll buy wherever I can find it cheapest, but if you throw me a bone once in a while (even a little one like your dealer did), I'll shop there for life and spread the word to anybody who'll listen.

[Tallykenj]

Wow. Great info all. I learned a lot. Thanks.