What tires should i use

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Re: What tires should i use

Postby KennethW » Sat Mar 31, 2018 1:50 pm

gudmund wrote:Car tires work GREAT on Teardrop Trailers!! 'Trailer' tires are OVERKILL on teardrops!! the stiff sidewalls were intended for 'top-heavy' big trailers along with the hi-pressure load capacities which are the reason they are 'limited' to the 65 mph speed limits due to their heat build-up during use when loaded. On teardrops they ride rough being 'there is no load per say', yes lowering the air pressure helps some but being the trailer is so light in weight, I have found car tires work (ride) so much better (or the LT for off-roading which trailer tire were not made for) As far as load ratings - one 'car' 205/75-14 I am using has the load capacity to carry more than the whole 'total' weight of my teardrop = 1400 lbs load capacity for 1 tire (my tear loaded has never been more than 1300 lbs total - usually my running total is 1100 lbs nowadays and yes I am a 'regular' user of my states truck weight scales after hours when they are closed being they leave the scales turned on) 2 tires at 1400 lb each = a 2800 lbs load capacity for a trailer base that is rated for a 2000 lb load max. This is my opinion from the experience of having used both (and now the kicker of 'my opinion' stated here is that I am now stuck again with trailer tires being the "brand new" teardrop I just bought a week or so ago came with them - I either use them 'as is' for now and wear them out or go buy new tires of my choice :thinking: :? :thinking:
I have the same problem. Only with 13" tires. I just got a new trailer to build a teardrop on and would like to run car radials. But have new trailer bias ply to use up.

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Re: What tires should i use

Postby John61CT » Sat Mar 31, 2018 2:40 pm

ST rated trailer tires are damaged by underinflation, meant to be kept in the top end of the recommended max range.

Yes really for heavy loads, will be crazy stiff and bouncy with a light teardrop.

Ideally your TV wheels and trailer's are interchangeable.
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Re: What tires should i use

Postby gudmund » Sat Mar 31, 2018 9:27 pm

depends on what your idea of under-inflation is. Per the tire company's that made the trailer tires, a check of their 'PSI air inflation charts' for their trailer tires - there are many variations of PSI that can be used depending on the loads being carried. The set of 'Loadstar' brand trailer tires that came with my teardrop when I bought it in 2012 (tires made in 2011) that per 'Loadstar's' tire PSI chart said it was ok to run between 26 to 30 PSI for the 1100 lb total weight were replaced last year with of 26000 miles on them. They were not quite half worn out and did just fine except for the fact that after being replaced with the car tires, it handled and rode SO MUCH BETTER!!! And, Yes I was constantly watching them with all the hoopla about how China made tires were falling apart - I made the decision to replace them last year due to there 5/6 year age even thought they still were in good shape when looking at them. When running these tires at the 50 psi max limit per the tire sidewall was just TOO MUCH with all the bouncing around the trailer was doing. Started using the PSI charts and things just got better except for them still being just too STIFF riding. If the tires I run on my front wheel drive car can last 50000 ++ miles of all of the powering into/decelerating braking they handle - the same brand of tire can can put up with what a teardrop does to them -- Front wheel drive cars are very hard on their front tires!! now their rear tires is another story. just the opposite being they 'are just along for the ride - almost like the tires on a teardrop............. (have had a lot of tires over the years being I have had 5+ Geo Metro/Suzuki Swifts since 1987 driving too and from work averaging over 35 thou per year - retired now and still driving one -- 44++ mpg and paid for :thumbsup: take care
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Re: What tires should i use

Postby dancam » Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:19 pm

Thanks for all the replys and input guys. I have done some more reading online and considered everything you guys said. It looks like the best bet would be to remove my fenders, install bigger ones, make correct sized hub spacers and use 14 or 15inch LT tires. 

However i dont really have time left for that and thats a fair bit of work/cost. Should have done the research before I built...

So i have a plan, just figured i should explain why i am doing what i plan on since almost everyone recommended truck or car tires over trailer tires. 

It looks like trailer tires when used on a light trailer give a lot of bounce as they are too stiff. Truck and car tires flex more and absorb bumps better on light loads. It also looks like trailer sway is not an issue with a typical teardrop. The axle is pretty far back and they tend to be light and well balanced to tongue heavy. 

My trailer is long and the axle is closer to the middle. I think its at 60% but then i have the overhang on the back and a heavy tongue box on the front. The trailer empty with bias ply trailer tires now has no sway, i took it on a deserted road and starting at a low speed slowly sped up while swerving and the trailer is very stable and follows the car well. However it will be different loaded and im still a little worried about that.

The trailer will always be loaded when camping and around 1700-1800 pounds. The car tires are rated for 2300 pounds togeather which isnt a lot above the max. It doesnt leave a lot of room for uneven loading side to side or weight transfer when going around corners. the trailer tires 2700-3200 pounds depending on which i go with. The 6 ply should have softer sidewalls than the 8 ply and probably give a better ride i am thinking. 6ply trailer tires with 2000 pound springs is hopefully a good compromise between sway and bounce city. I will keep em at max pressure and have tire pressure monitors so i can see if their getting too hot or loosing pressure. 


The ONLY experience i have with truck tires on a trailer is from my parents when i was younger. My dad had a 90's f350 and a double axle stock trailer that took the same 16in size as the truck. He hauled a lot with that and the new tires would go on the front of the truck. When a trailer tire blew all the tires truck and trailer would move back one axle with the new tires going on the front of the truck. 10ply truck tires and when they got to the trailer they always seemed to bulge the sidewall or blow out before they wore the tread out. When he got back from long trips we would go outside and look for new bulges in the tires on the trailer. Its not that he was always buying the same tires either, i remember laughing that there was a different brand on every axle... totally different scenario and for all i know the tires were overloaded when they were on the trailer, just my experience and thats why i didnt think of putting car or truck tires on the trailer. 



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Re: What tires should i use

Postby KennethW » Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:48 pm

A tandem axle trailer is a whole different can of worms as when a tandem axle turns it put a lot of stress on the side walls when turning. Trailer tire is a must on a tandem axle.
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Re: What tires should i use

Postby rkanz » Sat Apr 07, 2018 8:44 am

I reduced much of the bounce in my 600 pound TD built on a NT trailer by switching to Kenda radial trailer tires and by installing Teflon spring liners. Spring liners are cheap and easy to install and make a big difference.


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Re: What tires should i use

Postby dancam » Sat Apr 07, 2018 2:43 pm

rkanz wrote:I reduced much of the bounce in my 600 pound TD built on a NT trailer by switching to Kenda radial trailer tires and by installing Teflon spring liners. Spring liners are cheap and easy to install and make a big difference.


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I didnt know those existed! I rounded the ends of my upper leaf so they wouldnt dig in and i put lots of grease between the 2 leaves. Should help but wont be as good as those spring liners. I also installed greasable parts at the end of the springs. ImageImageImage

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Re: What tires should i use

Postby dancam » Tue May 01, 2018 12:57 am

Just got my radials! They look pretty sweet, much nicer tread area than the bias plys. Ill try and get a side by side photo later. balanced with beadsImage

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Re: What tires should i use

Postby dancam » Tue May 01, 2018 11:00 pm

Just looked closer.... whats this mean? Theres like puckering or something on the sidewalls.
ImageImageImage

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Re: What tires should i use

Postby working on it » Wed May 02, 2018 10:07 am

dancam wrote:Just looked closer.... whats this mean? Theres like puckering or something on the sidewalls.
TIRE RACK wrote:Sidewall Indentations / Undulations
A common byproduct of radial tire construction, sidewall indentations/undulations are more noticeable in tires with taller sidewalls or operate at higher inflation pressures. Fortunately sidewall indentations are a cosmetic condition that does not affect the performance of the tires. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=32
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Re: What tires should i use

Postby John61CT » Wed May 02, 2018 10:08 am

I bet that's why STs are used for very heavy loads, much stiffer more robust sidewalls.

Looking for tires for 7000# axles, these were recommended to me, take 110psi

https://simpletire.com/sailun-s637-tires
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Re: What tires should i use

Postby dancam » Sun May 06, 2018 6:08 pm

Thanks guys, i did some reading about it and looked at other radial tires and it seems to be common to have indents. I was a little more worried about the bulges still so i contacted the guy i bought them from and he assured me it was fine.
Anyway, here are some comparison photos between the round bias ply and the radial. Both are the same size but the bias ply is taller. I put both tires on the trailer and lowered onto plywood. I couldnt get a good photo but the bias ply was contacting the ground less than 3in wide, the radial has over 4in contact on the width.
ImageImageImageImage

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