Jump to content

Replacement Trailer Tires


TP13

Recommended Posts

I have no direct experience with this.

If you read some information on the net you will see a wide variety of stuff. I would look into a good plug if you want to take that chance. It is something you can do yourself with the right tools.

As for me, I do not ever want a flat on my trailer regardless of the distance to the ramp, so I might patch the tire, but it would be the spare from that point forward.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Be very carefull plugging tires. The reason they also inner patch and plug is to keep the pressurized air from making it's way into the rubber layers of the tire. When this happens you get bulges and this often causes the out tread to separate and this usually destroys your fenders and possibly the side of your boat. I found this out the hard way on my travel trailer. I once read an article that stated you should replace trailer tires every 5 years- not matter what they looked like, and to get the most out of them for a travel trailer was to take all weight off the tire- remove all but 10 lbs of air and completely cover the tires. This was a major pain and not many would go to these extremes. The way I look at it I will replace mine every 5 years= around $50 a year for a single axle if you break it down?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, it appears about 50/50 radial vs bias. . . . .

What do the new trailers come with? Bias?

Radails are much better for trailering boats…IMHO..

Get a good set of KUMHO or MAXXIS, get them balanced, and your done….try and get the largest you can buy, e.g. D rated if they fit your wheel wells…

Change em' out every two years and you should be fine….

Regarding plugs…I would never want to plug a trailer tire….at 65mph, a plug can split and you are done….

Also, as mentioned over and over..metal air taps are the only way to go…..stainless best….regular metal ok, just spray'm with lots of corrosion block….

Get a spare….with a hub kit attached to the front of the trailer and don't look back….

Don't forget to throw a cheap floor jack from Harbor Freight with a few 2x8's and a 4x4 in the truck bed in the event you are on soft ground…

I used to carry entire kit ready to go…

Rags

grease

floor jack

hub kit

blanket

tool kit

Jackstands

all above in a large vacuum seal bag (not the floor jack obviously :) )

dc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

can anyone suggest a 14" D rated tire?

thanks

M@

MaXXIS or KUMHO are what I"d go with…..

Ran MAXXIs for years…..best radial out there…just need to find'm locally or buy online have them mounted.

Many places send you the entire kit - tire and rims…if you don't mind "not fancy" it's the way to go…

dc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Many Major tire stores will not plug trailer Tires.

Trailer tires are designed specifically for trailers.

For those with single axle trailers, don't skimp. It will cost you in the long run.

All tires have a date code. Yes, a new tire that has been sitting in a warehouse for many years is aging. " learned that from my blowout, my new tires were 4 years old."

Most blow outs and separation come from low tire pressure "Heat". Slow leaks will get you. Matters not that you checked your pressure before you left the house. Pick up a nail a mile from the house and then do a 50 mile trip leaking slowly at highway speeds and boom. :o

As far as brand size and so on. You can go to any Tires Plus and they can order what you want including the Maxxis.

I blew a fairly new tire on my trailer with the 99 MA on it. Single axle trailer. It tore the fender off, used the fender to polish the port side of the boat and then exited tearing off my license plate.

Bridgestone/Firestone corporate are one of my major charter clients.

You might say I know a guy. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tips from two MBC "Road Warriors":

Many who know me and my wife (Team Two Knotty) on here know we lived in TN for quite a few years before landing here in mid-Georgia. So, let me qualify by saying we have spent the past 10 years with our current rig, towing up to 1,000 miles each way multiple times per year...plus the weekend local trips. Our trailer has a LOT of miles on it. I am a big believer in planning and preparation for the worst, and it has paid off completely.

We carry two spares as we are tandem-axle. Many times, when one blows, the instant high-speed pressure hit blows the other as well. If not, then I still have a spare after losing one....win/win.

Dino, Troy, and others have hit the major points. Trailer tires were designed specifically for the types of pressure a trailer tire receives. On a previous rig, I tried street tires. I blew 3 of 4 within 20 miles.

Tire age is CRUCIAL as Troy indicated. Check those date codes and think about AGE, not miles ridden. We replace the whole set every 3 years whether they seem to need it or not. Issues of dry-rot and cracking are difficult to see...especially considering the age of the observer and observation mechanisms. :confused: It really takes a close inspection with good eyes.

We are running Maxxis now and I am very pleased with them. They are C rated, but we have never had an issue with that load rating. 4 x 1,740 = 6,960 = way more than I need for capacity.

I have lost too many Goodyears prematurely to go back to them. Other lower-quality tires have performed better.....but good quality tires are crucial for carrying my expensive baby all over this side of the country. Also, don't forget to ROTATE em after every long trip!

For tandem-axle trailers, the equalizer (between front and rear springs) can start hanging up and will wipe out a tire quickly. Watch your EQ's and make sure they seem to be doing their job of balancing your load. If they always seem to be off balance, then you likely need to replace the internal bushing on either the EQ or the spring. www.championtrailers.com is where ALL my trailer stuff comes from as there are limited trailer supply stores in this area. A trailer shop can also easily solve this issue.

We carry a pair of extra hubs that are "set-n-ready" and sealed with a vacuum bag. I have found it much easier to pull the blown tire hub-and-all, pop on a new hub with the rear seal and bearings already seated and lubed, mount and grease her, replace the buddy-bearing, put on the spare with the new spare lugnuts I carry, and get back on the road. (It greatly eases post-blowout travel stress.) Otherwise, you have to deal with backing out 5 lugnuts that are likely a bit corroded and tight, etc. Also, carry a "4-way" lug nut wrench, and a GOOD jack!!!

Dino's list is great. I would add:

* an extra buddy bearing

* a hammer and block of wood to seat it

* a couple reflector triangles like the truckers use when they are broken down

* the 4-way wrench

* some PB Blaster for rust & corrosion issues

* two spare sets of lugnuts

* extra stainless cotter pins for the hubs

* a good portable air compresser

* a good tire pressure gauge

TAKE CARE of the SPARE!!!: Check tire pressure and keep it as fresh as the ones on the trailer. Don't do the "I'll keep the best of the old ones for a spare" routine...you WILL regret it.

PARKING/STORAGE: Don't park on sand, mud, gravel, or anything but concrete or wood, even if you have to build em. It is not hard to frame and fill 2 or four parking pads for the tires wherever you need em. A 1'x2' pad is plenty for a tire! (No...the walking/paving stones from Home Depot will just crack even if doubled-up.) Mud etc will rot a tire as fast as anything else out there.

I am sorry to have rambled on, but we have learned many lessons here and through experience. We have not had a tire issue - knock on wood - since the ride from TN to the OT in Islamorada in 2008. We blew a tire outside of Atlanta at night, it was a Goodyear, and I changed it and the hub in no time and we were off with the extra spare to ease the stress of losing another.

Don't spend all that money on your rig, trips, etc and then a) go fishing with old questionable line on your reels, b) skrimp on bait, or c) run on questionable tires. With the amount of money we all spend on this game, all 3 are just plain silly things to do!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great post buddy !!! A lesson from someone who's "been there".

As my fishing buddy DonH and I always say….in the "trailer game", you are either in or on the side of the road….

Most you think you will save, will come back at you during a trip…

With most road warriors, you are spending…

Trip gas > $100 min

Boat Fuel > $100 min

Ice, food, beverages > $50

Bait and tackle > $50-$100

So, a trip is looking at $200-300…

You loose 2 hours to a flat, etc. you miss the tides and your day is done…..

With the right equipment, you can flat or blown out, and on the road in less than 15 min….been there, done that, have the dirty hands and T-shirt to prove it :)

Be safe….and be prepared….

dc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We actually just completed a "10-year service" on the trailer. I viewed it like a 60,000 mile service on the truck. I replaced the springs, shackles, equalizers, bolts n nuts, hubs, bearings, tires, jackstand, coupler, and winch....basically everything. Now I KNOW I am good-to-go again with my rebuilt trailer for a good few years minimum.... without worry of failure that could be avoided. Drastic? Some would say so. Worth it? Ask anyone who has had trailer issues far from home in the middle of the night. Especially with their wives in the p***enger seat. :o "But I only go down the street and back"? Hah! That is even harder on the tires!

I also check the guides on my rods regularly for cracks by using a q-tip run around the inside. Any crack will catch the cotton strands and make itself apparent. Ask my nephew who was getting dumped by a smoker king when a big fuzz ball built around the base guide from frayed line. King 1, Nephew 0.

Point being.....Some crucial things we don't consider until it's too late. Trailers are one of many things in this game that are not the type of thing to "wait till it happens and then fix it". Proactive precaution pays for itself far and above reaction and repair. Ask any traveling angler.

Get darned good tires and switch em every 3 years max. Do the bearings at the same time. Take the list created in this thread to heart. You are much more likely to stay married. Mrs. Biggersnook and I celebrate 14 years this month (18 together)!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We actually just completed a "10-year service" on the trailer. I viewed it like a 60,000 mile service on the truck. I replaced the springs, shackles, equalizers, bolts n nuts, hubs, bearings, tires, jackstand, coupler, and winch....basically everything.

Did not see tongue listed here. I serviced my trailer similar to the above and for the last time ( I thought) was crawling from underneath when I noticed some surface rust on the bottom of the trailer side of the tongue. The holes you see were made by pressing in on the rust spots with my fingers! The tongue was literally rusting from the inside out.

P1080474_zps01dfecde.jpg

Rust removed from the inside of the tongue

P1080473_zps9d105f4e.jpg

Check your tongue!!! Mine looked fine from topside }:(

RL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

YEP! That's why I replaced my coupler - to check the tongue for any weakness while I was at it. We all think our trailers are indestructible, but they take a lot of use and abuse over the years.

LOCO I am so glad you found this before a disaster! Will you be able to cut back to a solid part of the tongue and attach a new coupler, or is it gonna take some welding etc.? GREAT lesson for all!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOCO I am so glad you found this before a disaster! Will you be able to cut back to a solid part of the tongue and attach a new coupler, or is it gonna take some welding etc.? GREAT lesson for all!!!

I actually replaced the whole tongue with 3/16" vs the 11 gauge I took off. Could not believe how much delamination occured on the inside.

RL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...