Useless Radial Trailer Tires

[Dynaflash8]

I can't keep tires on my trailer. These radial tires blow out within a few thousand miles. I've tried them all, 6, 8, 10 ply. Currently have Denman and Carlisle ST225R15 10-plys and it doesn't help. I ran into a man at Homestead who had some 15 inch radial tires with 14 plys. I can't remember the name of the tire. Has anybody heard of 14-ply 15-inch trailer tires? I think he said he bought them in Miami.

[R Walling]

I seem to remember hearing that bias ply tires are best for a trailer.

A friend installed automoble radials on his trailer and the sway was most noticable

•Time and the elements weaken a trailer tire.

•In approximately three years, roughly one-third of the tire's strength is gone.

•Three to five years is the projected life of a normal trailer tire.

•It is suggested that trailer tires be replaced after three to four years of service regardless of tread depth or tire appearance.

Mileage

•Trailer tires are not designed to wear out.

•The life of a trailer tire is limited by time and duty cycles.

•The mileage expectation of a trailer tire is 5,000 to 12,000 miles.

Edited March 12, 2011 by R Walling
downloaded facts (see edit history)

[Trulyvintage]

Tires blow out because ...

Improper inflation

Too much weight

Too fast a speed

Improper maintenance

Different brands blowing out would suggest the problem

is with the loading - handling - operation of the driver

Jim

[John348]

I had a similar problem and found that the axles were out of alingment, this was causing the tires to stress the belts and heat up

[MCHinson]

Earl,

I wonder if Biscayne John may be right. Have you had the alignment on your trailer axles checked? I know that when I first got my trailer, it wore the tires unevenly and it turned out that the axles needed to be lined up, which was a surprise on a new trailer.

A couple of years later, I ended up having to get the trailer axles lined up again. I realize that my Model A is a lot lighter than any of your cars, and I have only been trailering for about 5 years, but I have not yet had any blowouts.

[Barry Wolk]

Trailers are simple to align. They simply must have the exact same measurement from both stub axles to the center of the hitch.

I had a similar problem on a tandem where the center rocker was cranked all the way up on one side from a damaged spring, I believe. If only one side is tweaked that way it will cause that side to scuff and stress.

Are you using car radials or ST tires? Trailer radials have a pretty stiff sidewall.

[Marty Roth]

Earl,

No problem with Radials - Problem with Chinese tires on my trailer.

After buying my newest trailer, three of the five original tires - (235/85R-16 Load Range "E") failed within the first 5,000 miles - each failed with a split in the inner sidewall. All of the tires delivered on the trailer were "IRONMAN - made in CHINA", and I was told that they are imported by and for Carlisle. I got absolutely no satisfaction from the dealer or the company.

We were near a Wal-Mart, and bought three (3 because that was all they had) new Uni-Royal Liberator-A/T LT235/75R-16 - these are Light Truck tires - had previously also bought one each of B.F. Goodrich T/A (all made in USA) and a MESA A/P made in Japan.

All of the replacement tires have given flawless service after 25,000 - 30,000 miles of trailering with a nearly 4,000 lb. all-aluminum trailer and typically an additional 5,000-plus lb. payload of big Buicks, Cadillacs, or Packard.

I think that the Chinese tires were the major problen for me.

I agree that maintaining the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall (80 psi in my tires with Load Range "E") is critical. Even that didn't help with the Chinese tires, and I do recheck pressure every morning whern towing, and visually at each fuel stop.

Matt has a good point with regard to axle alignment, and I may have that checked for my own rig.

Best of luck in getting yours resolved - we want to see you "down the road" , and not on the side of it.

Edited March 12, 2011 by Marty Roth
crs (see edit history)

[Bill Stoneberg]

I am meticulous with checking the inflation of my trailer tires and still go through them like fuel through the dually.

I pull about 10,000 lbs car trailer, etc and plan on buying tires on a regular basis.

I will look at the truck tires above.

[msmazcol]

What axles do you have under your trailer? I've seen some equipped with 3,500# axles. As mentioned before there is a reason you are having such severe tire issues. Even if you have dual 5,000# axles you at at the upper end of your trailers capabilities.

I would also suggest you get an accurate weight on your load to be sure.

I estimated my Willys fire engine at 5,000# it is actually 6,000. Luckily I bought a trailer rated at 12,000#.

[Ron Green]

A trailer I just traded in after many years and miles (50 K +) had axle alignment issues when I first bought it. It would wear the outside of the tires on the one side plus cup the tires pretty severely until I had it aligned. I also put a set of bias on it to see how they would work and for me they gave great mileage and I didn’t notice any difference when towing. I have since went back to radials.

Bought a new trailer last year and took it to New Bern (900 mile round trip) on its maiden journey and with proper inflation and way under the listed weight (by at least 3,000 pounds) 3 out of the 4 the blimp trailer tire sidewalls severely bubbled. They exchanged them quickly and without question which leads me to believe they knew they had a problem.

[Guest billybird]

Amen Marty Roth! I have had no luck with Chinese made Carlisle tires. They do make or did make Carlisles in U.S.A. You could see the difference in the "quality look" when placed side by side. Ironman is the cheaper version of Carlisle......If you can imagine that. I have had the best service out of Goodyear radials, but many of these are made in China now.

[Marty Roth]

My next set will likely be Michelin LT-235/75R-16 LRE (Load range "E"), hopefully made in the good old US of A or Canada.

[Paul Dobbin]

Earl and other Thread members,

Try Redneck Trailer Supply Redneck Trailer Supplies - Branch 13 - Tampa, FL

I don't know what brand they sold me because I store the trailers away from home, but the tires I bought from them on trailer wheels are industructable so far. And the price was right! It's a national firm with local stores, I use the Tampa FL one.

[Dynaflash8]

I've thought about alignment, because the problem has been getting worse with the blowouts. The Denman's blow out just as bad as the Carlisle's, busted sidewalls. The trailer is a Haulmark, and I don't see how those axles can get out of line, but I had an appointment to find out. Unfortunately I had to break the appointment due to other things that came up that day.

The original 6-ply Goodyear Marathons lasted the longest, but now they're not made in the USA either. Now I'm up to Load Range E and they are no better than the 6 ply tires. They last maybe two three trips. I keep them covered, run them maximum pressure and they blow out with abandon. I may run too fast, sometimes 70, but then again, going to Homestead I ran around 60-65. After the tire blew out coming back (180 miles to the blowout....I felt it bumping before I got there) I drove about 60 on the return trip and got home without a blowout.

I've been looking for another trailer but there is no place around Sebring, FL. The closest I could find was in Melbourne and the price was too high. My trailer has 3500 pound axles and 15 inch tires. I've got a lead on a better trailer with 5,000 pound axles that is used with low miles, but it has 15 inch tires too.

Edited April 14, 2011 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)

[Guest Dick Whittington]

One problem with tires can be age. A radial, after about five years, is on borrowed time. I was in fleet maintenance for a rather large fleet and we found out that tire blowouts increased expotentially after five years.

Another problem is that the trailer special tires, as a whole, are a bunch of junk. There is a trailer sitting here right now that is two years old, has less than 1,000 miles on it, has blown one tire, and has a second ready to blow out.

You will get a lot better service out of a LT rated tire than you will a ST rated.

Edited August 1, 2011 by Dick Whittington (see edit history)

[dep5]

I think you have to go to 16" wheels to get decent tire rating choices.

[mrspeedyt]

i've better luck with 'rag' tires... if I can find them. if they do blow they do much less damage.

[Guest billybird]

One problem with tires can be age. A radial, after about five years, is on borrowed time. I was in fleet maintenance for a rather large fleet and we found out that tire blowouts increased expotentially after five years.

Another problem is that the trailer special tires, as a whole, are a bunch of junk. There is a trailer sitting here right now that is two years old, has less than 1,000 miles on it, has blown one tire, and has a second ready to blow out.

You will get a lot better service out of a LT rated tire than you will a ST rated.

Some of the aforementioned brands are apparently on borrowed time at the moment of purchase.

[Guest Dick Whittington]

Some of the aforementioned brands are apparently on borrowed time at the moment of purchase.

I went for years and never bought a new tire. I would buy take offs, primarily Michlein, and run them until they were about five years old, or slick, ever which came first. ONLY tires I ever blew was when I got sorry and did not swap old tires out. The original Michliens were a little over five years old and on a trip to Carlisle, I blew two of them out.

Had 215R16 LT tires on it.