Replacing Trailer Tires

[tizfun]

Hey there everyone... In need of some advice from anyone who has changed over from Bias Ply to radial tires on their boat trailer... I've come across some nice aluminum rims for my trailer and looking to put some tires on them.. I currently have ST185 13D (Load range C Bias Ply) on the factory rims from Shorelander..   Should I go with the same type of tire for my new wheels or go Radial..  The radial will be the same size 8 ply..   I'm concerned about the sidewalls and whether the radials will give me a good tire life..  Anyone swapped over to radials ??   If so, how have they been for you ??  

I'm just not sure about the radial tires.. Even though they are cheaper..

Edited December 15, 2017 by tizfun

[Fisherman]

6 minutes ago, tizfun said:

   I'm concerned about the sidewalls and whether the radials will give me a good tire life..  Anyone swapped over to radials ??   If so, how have they been for you ??  

I'm just not sure about the radial tires.. Even though they are cheaper..

 

If they were no good, DOT wouldn't allow them.   I would take the radials, roll a lot cooler and give better traction.

[aplumma]

I haul a ranger boat with 150 Motor loaded driving from Virginia to Canada Sudbury 14 hours straight doing up to 75 MPH with no issues. I use a temperature gun to keep track of the bearings and tire temperature with no issues. I run them 3 trips back ad forth then replace them to be safe. This is pretty brutal on them and the radials do run cooler.  I run them around local 60 miles one way about 20 times a year. so 2000 a year or 6000 before I replace them. I only had  one blowout before going to this routine since then flat failure free. 

 

art

[Terry]

years ago at a bass tourney someone slashed a bunch of trailer tires, I couldnt find any trailer tires but a local wrecker had some car radials that would fit on the trailer . he assured me they would work fine

and boy did they ever work well, the trailer ran truer  then ever before and zero  sway. i kept them on till i sold the boat

[irishfield]

Radials for sure.. I put that     on everything! 

[tizfun]

Went to Jensen Trailers in Oshawa..  They offered me Kendall in a bias ply and Velocity in the radial..  Not sure of any of these brands.  Anybody hear of them ??

[irishfield]

Goodyear Marathons on my Lund Shorelander

[Old Ironmaker]

Nice boat you have there tizfun. I had bias and when I replaced them I went with a good radial "trailer tire". I don't tow much. Once a year to Point Au Barril or Nippising and a few times west of here 5 hours round trip. POB is 6 hrs one way with good traffic. I know many guys that run regular auto tires on the trailer but I was told that trailer tires on a trailer is a must, I'm not clear on that issue.

[tizfun]

Thanks... just bought it in October... Excited to get it in the water next year...

[Old Ironmaker]

Charlie Wray of the show Fishfull Thinking swears by Crestliner he had a 1950 and now the 2150 Fish Hawk. I run into him once in a while at Proctor's in Simcoe where he services his. That boat is wet from ice out to freeze up and on the Niagara in winter. It must be killing you having to wait until next year to put her in. I'm sure you will love it.

[Terry]

Charlie Wray  swears by whoever pays him to push their products, a real nice guy but the biggest sponsor checkout girl out there

but crestliner makes a fine boat

[Old Ironmaker]

I'd flog women's underwear if someone paid me to fish all day all over Canada and the Caribean. Actually that gig doesn't generate as much money for the host as one might think.  

[tizfun]

Thanks...  It seems to be a nice boat..  Owning Princecraft boats for most of my life, I sold my Pro 177 bass boat this past August and this came up.. I was originally looking at a Lund Impact, but it sold before I could get out to see it..  I opted out for a full windshield this time around.. At 53, I'm not getting any younger and my wife is happy with the boat as she will be protected from the wind on those cool mornings..   My first 4 stroke motor too.. Never have been a big fan of them, but I was very impressed with my nephews 90 Merc 4 stroke while out in his boat this fall.. So quiet, shifted so smooth..  

Time will tell... I'm rigging it up the way I want in the spring with a Terrova and some new electronics..    Can't wait...

I ordered the radial tires from Jenson Trailers on Friday..  Thanks for all the input everyone.. Very much appreciated !!!!

[Terry]

10 hours ago, Old Ironmaker said:

I'd flog women's underwear if someone paid me to fish all day all over Canada and the Caribean. Actually that gig doesn't generate as much money for the host as one might think.  

and that is my point, he flogged boats and tackle  . I am pretty sure he switched boat sponsors at least 3 time and every one was the best boat bar none he had ever rode in 

[KraTToR]

On 12/15/2017 at 1:04 PM, tizfun said:

Hey there everyone... In need of some advice from anyone who has changed over from Bias Ply to radial tires on their boat trailer... I've come across some nice aluminum rims for my trailer and looking to put some tires on them.. I currently have ST185 13D (Load range C Bias Ply) on the factory rims from Shorelander..   Should I go with the same type of tire for my new wheels or go Radial..  The radial will be the same size 8 ply..   I'm concerned about the sidewalls and whether the radials will give me a good tire life..  Anyone swapped over to radials ??   If so, how have they been for you ??  

I'm just not sure about the radial tires.. Even though they are cheaper..

More importantly is keeping the pressure up to the max rating. As radial tire flex with each revolution they will heat up if under-inflated.  Also, if you travel in excess of 100kph, its better to raise your pressure another 5 - 10  psi.  I've run Hercules and Carlisle radials with no issues.  Ranger put Carlisle on from the factory and these trailers carry $100k plus boats.

[porkpie]

Nice looking rig, you'll love that full stand up top and so will your wife.  It's the greatest thing ever and I love mine.  

[Mister G]

I wasn't aware that they still make "bias ply" tires........WHY ? ? ? 

[ch312]

16 hours ago, KraTToR said:

More importantly is keeping the pressure up to the max rating. As radial tire flex with each revolution they will heat up if under-inflated.  Also, if you travel in excess of 100kph, its better to raise your pressure another 5 - 10  psi.  I've run Hercules and Carlisle radials with no issues.  Ranger put Carlisle on from the factory and these trailers carry $100k plus boats.

 

As with vehicle tires, the max rated PSI on the trailer tire sidewall has absolutely nothing to do with what pressure you should be running and each vehicle/trailer manufacturer will have specific PSI to run in the tires for optimal ride and tire life. Too high, you'll have a rough ride, decreased traction and cut tire life in half by wearing the middle very quickly. Too low, you'll increase wear of the outer edges and wear the entire tread quicker because the low PSI generates more heat which speeds up wear and increases the odds of a blowout. Run whatever PSI the manufacturers recommends, definitely not 10 PSI over the maximum rating. 

That said, radial all the way. Bias ply are going the way of the dodo....

 

[G.mech]

On 12/17/2017 at 11:38 AM, ch312 said:

 Run whatever PSI the manufacturers recommends, definitely not 10 PSI over the maximum rating. 

Goodyear actually issued a bulletin on this subject pertaining to their 'ST' trailer tires.  For higher speed use they do recommend increasing cold inflation pressure by 10psi.  The bulletin states in part:

Quote

Subject: Tires for Trailer Use Only: General Information (replaces PSB 2011-13)

   This bulletin provides important information to help your customers obtain the best performance from “Special Trailer” tires. Please review the following important points with your trailer tire customers.

   Special Trailer (“ST”) Tires Goodyear Marathon trailer tires are widely used in a variety of towable trailer applications and are designed and branded as “ST” (Special Trailer) tires.

• Goodyear Marathon Special Trailer tires, with the “ST” size designation, are speed rated at 65 MPH (105 km/h) under normal inflation and load conditions.

• This speed rating is based on Tire and Rim Association loads and inflation pressures for ST trailer tires without a service description for speeds up through 65 mph. (ref: TRA 2013 Year Book)

• If Goodyear tires, with the ST designation, are used at speeds between 66 and 75 mph (106 km/h and 120 km/h), we recommend the cold inflation pressure be increased by 10 psi (70 kPa) above the recommended pressure based on the trailer placard for normal inflation and load conditions. You should also consult your trailer manufacturer’s Owner’s Manual for maximum operating speed recommendations for the trailer.

o Increasing the inflation pressure by 10 psi (70 kPa) does not provide any additional load carrying capacity.

o Do not exceed the maximum pressure for the wheel or the valve.

o If the maximum pressure for the wheel or valve prohibits the increase of inflation pressure, then the 65 mph rated speed must observed as the maximum speed.

o It may be necessary to dismount the tire from the wheel to determine the maximum rated inflation for the wheel and valve. *

The full bulletin can be found at:

https://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/goodyear/Marathon_Special_Trailer_Applications.pdf

Edited December 18, 2017 by G.mech

[ch312]

33 minutes ago, G.mech said:

Goodyear actually issued a bulletin on this subject pertaining to their 'ST' trailer tires.  For higher speed use they do recommend increasing cold inflation pressure by 10psi.  The bulletin states in part:

The full bulletin can be found at:

https://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/goodyear/Marathon_Special_Trailer_Applications.pdf

 

We're looking at two different thing's here. What you have posted states "10 PSI above what is on the trailers placard" which is the suggested rating by the trailer manufacturer, not the maximum rating on the tire sidewall. The comment I quoted was referring to the "max rating", which is what's on the tire sidewall. I suppose Krattor could have meant to run 10 PSI higher than what's on the placard, but I have only ever heard of people refer to the sidewall as the "max rating".

Marathon tire maximum PSI for most sizes looks to be 50 PSI. My trailer calls for 50 PSI. How might I run 60 PSI when the sidewall says maximum is 50PSI and the bulletin says not to exceed this maximum? 

 

Anyways, like I said, don't run 10 PSI over the tires maximum rating. Possibly 10 PSI over the trailer placard in some cases, but never over the tires maximum. 

Trailer placard = recommended, room up and down for adjustment

Tire sidewall = maximum, do not exceed

 

 

[G.mech]

25 minutes ago, ch312 said:

 

We're looking at two different thing's here. What you have posted states "10 PSI above what is on the trailers placard" which is the suggested rating by the trailer manufacturer, not the maximum rating on the tire sidewall. The comment I quoted was referring to the "max rating", which is what's on the tire sidewall. I suppose Krattor could have meant to run 10 PSI higher than what's on the placard, but I have only ever heard of people refer to the sidewall as the "max rating".

Marathon tire maximum PSI for most sizes looks to be 50 PSI. My trailer calls for 50 PSI. How might I run 60 PSI when the sidewall says maximum is 50PSI and the bulletin says not to exceed this maximum? 

 

Anyways, like I said, don't run 10 PSI over the tires maximum rating. Possibly 10 PSI over the trailer placard in some cases, but never over the tires maximum. 

Trailer placard = recommended, room up and down for adjustment

Tire sidewall = maximum, do not exceed

 

 

Okay, sorry for trying to clarify by posting facts....I should know better.

Edited December 17, 2017 by G.mech

[Old Ironmaker]

20 hours ago, porkpie said:

Nice looking rig, you'll love that full stand up top and so will your wife.  It's the greatest thing ever and I love mine.  

I have a stand up camper top too. Beware, some wind and you have yourself a sailboat.

Can anyone tell me if auto tires vs. trailer tires make a difference? I was told trailer tires only on a trailer, sidewalls are stronger for the weight of both boat and trailer on only 2 tires unlike 4 tires on a car or truck. Makes sence.

[lew]

On 12/16/2017 at 5:04 PM, tizfun said:

  My first 4 stroke motor too.. Never have been a big fan of them, but I was very impressed with my nephews 90 Merc 4 stroke while out in his boat this fall.. So quiet, shifted so smooth..  

 

You should be very happy with that rig. 

I bought a new Crestliner with a 90 Merc 4 stroke back in '99 and drove it for 10 years without any issues with either the boat or motor. Other than regular maintenance that I did myself and a couple dealer installed impellers there wasn't a single problem with that motor.

I sold it to a bud in 2009 and he did the 1st ever motor repair last year. 

We both put a ton of hours on that rig and 16 years trouble free is about as impressive as it comes.

As for tires, I always ran either Carlisle or Marathons on my trailers and as with the boat and motor I never had a problem with them either.

Just be sure to maintain the proper tire pressure and check it before every trip. I also put my trailers up on jacks for the winter but honestly don't know if that's necessary or not but to me it always made sense.

Edited December 18, 2017 by lew

[ch312]

21 hours ago, G.mech said:

Okay, sorry for trying to clarify by posting facts....I should know better.

Oh c'mon man, no need for that. Need an internet hug? 

 

Fact, never inflate higher than the maximum rating on the tire sidewall for normal operation. Fact, Goodyear suggests running 10 PSI higher than what's stated on the trailer placard if running higher speeds as long as it does not exceed what's on the tire sidewall. What's interesting is if your trailer calls for say 40 PSI you can bump the PSI on those Goodyears to 50 PSI and run up to 75 mph. However, if you're mounting these tires on a trailer that calls for 50 PSI on the placard, which is the tires maximum rated PSI, you need to keep that pressure and run no faster than 65 mph. 

 

Like I said, the maximum PSI tire rating and trailer recommended PSI are two different things that must not be confused. 

[G.mech]

4 hours ago, ch312 said:

Fact, never inflate higher than the maximum rating on the tire sidewall for normal operation. Fact, Goodyear suggests running 10 PSI higher than what's stated on the trailer placard if running higher speeds as long as it does not exceed what's on the tire sidewall. What's interesting is if your trailer calls for say 40 PSI you can bump the PSI on those Goodyears to 50 PSI and run up to 75 mph. However, if you're mounting these tires on a trailer that calls for 50 PSI on the placard, which is the tires maximum rated PSI, you need to keep that pressure and run no faster than 65 mph. 

Like I said, the maximum PSI tire rating and trailer recommended PSI are two different things that must not be confused. 

And that is exactly what the Goodyear Bulletin says....    Nowhere anywhere in that article does it say to inflate above the maximum, in fact it says NOT to (I highlighted the original text in red).   I'm not sure what confusion you are referring to or what needs to be clarified....

Edited December 18, 2017 by G.mech