Radial tires are for cars. The use of trailer tires will greatly reduce the sway you experience.
I'm about to leave on a trip to Arkansas tomorrow and was thinking about replacing the radial tires on my trailer with actual trailer tires. Its a single axle trailer that sways quite a bit any time I tow over 60mph. Would trailer tires take some of the sway out? I heard the sidewalls were stiffer so that might help.
Radial tires are for cars. The use of trailer tires will greatly reduce the sway you experience.
Trailer tires are available in bias ply and radial construction. They differ from passenger car tires mostly in sidewall strength and flexibility. Radials offer the best performance on long tows at high speeds.
Ply ratings are designated as B (4-Ply rating), C (6-Ply Rating) and D (8-Ply rating). This system was established by the Rubber Manufacturers' Association and is used on all American-made tires.
Most 14" trailer tires are C rated, and you will probably need to go to a 15" to get a D rating. I have ST205/75R-14 radials on both of my trailers, they are rated for 1710 lbs. capacity. The maximum inflation pressure is 50 PSI, my big boat (6600 lbs. with trailer) tows best at the max.
Originally posted by cyclone:
Its a single axle trailer that sways quite a bit any time I tow over 60mph.
Why are you going 60mph anyway? Isn't the speed limit 55mph? haha!
Ok, you should be using trailer when it's a single axle because of the sway you get from car tires. If you had a tandem axle, car tires would be fine.
HBjet
my boat is small (18') and I'm still foggy on whether or not the real trailer tires will keep the trailer from swaying as opposed to the passenger car tires that are on it now.
ha ha. you know damn well that we all don't do 55mph on the way to the river. If we did, we'd get run over by someone driving an F-350 on 44's, towing a 30' Eliminator.
Originally posted by HBjet:
If you had a tandem axle, car tires would be fine.
HBjet
Car tires are designed to work with car suspensions. The amount of sidewall flex experienced by a car tire operating at max load capability on a more stiffly sprung boat trailer will generate enough heat to cause premature failure.
I have a buddy with a 24' Crownline cuddy, he has blown out at least half a dozen car tires in the five years he has owned the boat, towing from Houston to Austin. In spite of this he doesn't carry a spare, either. After spending the night in La Grange on July 3rd contemplating another shredded carcass he may be ready to do the right thing.
I don't understand the resistance to buying the right tires. I have seen this discussed on the forums before, along with marine alternators and carberetors, flame arrestors, and other things I consider no brainers. Why not be safe, there's no penalty for doing it right. The alternative ain't so pretty.
I'm pretty sure that I know the reason why most people opt for car tires:
money.
trailer tire=$100
car tire=$30
blowouts suck but some people don't always look ahead.
Buy 'em at Discount Tire, about $60. Spin balanced (this helps), new stem, replacement certificate, and mounted on the trailer for less than $100.
Not much when you consider who's in the car with you, what's on the trailer, and changing a tire on the side of the Interstate.
No one puts $30 tires on their car for obvious reasons. I feel the same way about something I'm pulling at 85 MPH.
i'm headed there tomorrow for the right tires. Thanks for the info.