Trailer tire question

[fredetzel]

How much dry rot and cracking on sidewalls is ok on trailer bias ply tires. Also can I replace bias ply tires with radial tires [all 4 of course ] .

[DonV]

It's a "how much and how far do you trailer your boat" question. If the ramp is a few minutes away it's one thing, if you tow your boat alot then visible dry rotted tires should be replaced. Heck, Wally-World has 14" bias-ply tires mounted on new galvanized rims for $107ea. I have a set of Carlisle radials that came with my trailer.....absolute junk!!!! I'm replacing my radials with new bias-ply before my next trip to the Keys.

[pianewman]

DonV is exactly right. Careful with distance if you've got cracking sidewalls.

I got 28k serious highway miles (65mph) on Goodyear Marathons (ST175/80R13 radials, made in New Zealand), on a single axle 2600lb. popup. I stored the trailer on concrete, on the tires, for 4 winters. Both tires threw their treads, in 103f heat, on the highway, within 400 miles of each other. (They showed NO signs of stress, wear was very even, NO cracks on the sidewalls). I've replaced them with another pair, now made in China.

I've read both good and bad about the Chinese produced Goodyears, all of the "bad" tires were a different size than mine. Supposedly, Goodyear has improved quality control, but who knows? I've only got <1k miles on the new(er) tires.

Hope this helps.

[NoBones]

Obviously boat trailer tires sit more than they roll!!
After 4-5 years they are history with me with only a few thousand miles on them.. Unless you use "E" range tires which just about last forever!

I learned my lesson years ago stuck on I-95 in Liberty City at 11:00pm
on a Friday night on my way to the keys with a flat tire....
It was not a fun time!!!

Your life is not worth a set of tires on a vehicle or a trailer..
Just my 2¢ worth.

[Capt Chuck]

Originally Posted by NoBones

I learned my lesson years ago stuck on I-95 in Liberty City at 11:00pm on a Friday night on my way to the keys with a flat tire....
It was not a fun time!!!

[Blue_Heron]

Originally Posted by pianewman

... Both tires threw their treads, in 103f heat, on the highway, within 400 miles of each other.

Goodyear Marathons have a mixed history. Some folks have no problems, some have lots. Google "Goodyear Marathon", and you will find lots of stories about tread separation.

I, and a friend of mine who had them on the trailer for his 22 Pathfinder experienced it first hand. Both of us experienced blisters on the sidewalls and tread separation at highway speeds. I had one that the tread peeled completely off and it still held air. We made it to a rest stop about a mile down the road and put on the spare. Between the two of us, we went through about a dozen Goodyear Marathons in a period of two or three years. He lives in Lauderdale, I live in North Florida, so neither of us knew the other was having the same problems until we both showed up at the same place with our boats and compared notes. It was a vicious cycle because they would fail with less than 5000 miles on them and we were both getting them replaced under warranty. We were both running 14" tires on single axle trailers.

I replaced mine with bias ply tires and haven't had a catastrophic tire failure since. Both fenders on the trailer to my SF 20 are pretty beat up from the "marathon" of abuse.

Now, It's possible that I've figured out why my Marathon's were exploding when others have run them without problems. When I switched to bias plys, I got uneven tread wear. Seems my axle spindles were splayed with a little toe out. I'm guessing that the stress that showed up as uneven tread wear in the bias plys was contributing to the more impressive failure of the Marathons. I've since replaced the axle, but I won't own any more Marathons.

I ran Goodyear marathons on the trailer to my flats skiff and never had a problem. They were 13". When I bought the boat, the trailer ate tires like crazy. Same problem with the axle spindles and tread wear. I had already replaced the axle before I put the Marathons on it.

But enough about Marathons. Don and the others are right. I run bias ply tires and replace them every 4 years whether they look bad or not. I'm not sure why you would pay more for radials for a trailer.

Dave

[pianewman]

I've never asked the question before. How do you align a tandem trailers wheels? Mine look WAY out, but I haven't seen any unusual wear...yet.
Hmmm...I may be trailering the boat in my sig to/from FL every fall/spring. Trailer is a tandem (large for the 20' CC), 175/80 x 13, same size as the tires I put 28k miles on. Are bias ply tires still recommended?

[DonV]

I'll throw in my two cents worth......simple alignment is done my measuring from a single point at the tounge to the end of each front axle, the distance should be within 1/8" to 1/4" to be sure the trailer is "square". Someone my chime in and have a better way to do this.
As far as tires, if you go to buy them and they offer a four ply and a six ply rated....spend the extra and buy the six ply. I'm not positive on the 13" tires what they offer in rating. I actually think they go by C, D and E rating. Herer's what I'll probably get http://www.sturdybuiltonline.com/ST2...city_p_77.html

Doing some looking for you, I did see they sell a 13" "D" rated.
http://www.sturdybuiltonline.com/ST1...ity_p_120.html

[fredetzel]

i think i will stay close to home until i get new rubber, but i do like the st225/75d 15's thanks for the advice and web sites
fred

[Bigshrimpin]

I put on a set of futura pep boys el cheapo tires in Feb 2004 . . . trailer went across country twice with a seacraft 20. They easily have 10,000+ miles on them.