OT-more on tires

Thanks for all the great replies. When I get home, I'll take a look at the tire I bought to replace the blow out and see if its a bias or radial.

We've done business at this tire shop for many years and trust them.

I'll also ask them about inflation rates. The max inflation rate on the tire that blew was 90. It had 85 in it when it blew.

Id be willing to bet its a radial, I don't know what the law is on tandem trailers with single wheels but its illegal to have dual wheels non matching,...radial and bias next to each other on the same axle.

I have sold tires on the side for the last 40 years, lots of opinions on tires, some old fashioned and some are fact. Just like every thing else the quality of tires has changed with the times. I read your other post and 85 psi in a 90 psi max tire is plenty of air unless you are at max or overloaded. Years ago they used to recommend bias ply on horse trailers because they rode nicer and were more quiet, but I haven't heard that for a long time.Cheap trailers still come with bias around here and they last maybe 7 or 8 thousand miles. Every one around here has a lot of trouble with trailer tires, I don't care what name is on them, most of them are built off shore. If I ask about bias tires my supplier looks at me like I'm nuts and I haven't used or sold any in a long time. One thing I have seen radials do more and more is loose the tread going down the highway and tearing a fender half off, happened to my Son a couple of weeks ago on his pickup, casing never lost air. So bottom line I think the quality has gone down the tube, they weather check after a couple of years and it goes down hill from there, I think the age issue is true, it's a shame to take a tire off with good tread but that's what I would recommend. By the say I don't use ST tires on my own trailers, I use LT, light truck tires with highway tread. Just my penny's worth, good luck.

I had a numerous radial tires on my trailer break the steel belts and develop bumps. Once i started lowering the air pressure to about 30 psi when not being used I haven't had any problems

Because of the replies, I will be replacing the other 4 tires. They will all match.

(quoted from post at 11:30:30 09/11/14) Because of the replies, I will be replacing the other 4 tires. They will all match.

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Not a bad idea, though more expense than you want right now, you will at least have the piece of mind your starting fresh with a new set rather than sitting along the road in a month or so with another blow out wishing you had replaced them all.

What happens is the tires weather check and those small cracks let water seep into the steel belts on radial tires. The steel belts rusts and and the wire breaks,that causes the tread to lift and blow off.
If you add lots of heat generated from heavy load and high speed, you also get steam down in the belts, it easy to see why tread flies off of a tire.

I had a tire blow out it was a good tire before it went south it just came apart while driving at about 60 MPH.

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My flatbed has 9-14.5 "lowboy"tires on it. If I run max air in them, I think 70 psi, I will throw the tread off of a brand new tire. I have gone to running about 50 psi in them and sort of get by. Right now I have a tire on it that only has part of its tread, and I will run it that way until it blows. Pulled it home from Denver that way, well over 350 miles.
On my stock trailer. 26 ft Trailman, I tried using 14 ply Hi-Run trailer tires on it. Blew 2 right off the bat, with a load of cows on. Blew 1 with 3 buffalo on. Couldn't have weighed 5000 pounds, and broke a belt on the last one. I now run Firestone Transforce A/T on it. Other then a nail, I have not had tire troubles in well over 10,000 miles.
I will never put another "trailer"tire on anything I don't absolutely have to.

I have always heard (lately) 6 years on tires then replace them ?

I too have seen an increase of blown tire parts on the hi-way around Ohio.

On my cars that run a lot tires wear out fast (too fast)and get replaced. On my other stuff that sits a lot we have some REALLY old tires. Almost wonder if the old ones will still outlast a new one if I replaced them ? Old trailer has the originals from 1976 !!!! Made a few local trips up the road just this year and was fine. 1 ton has some from 1991 and 1995 ? on it and made a short trip in it too without a load though.

Something sure has gone down hill in the quality of tires that much I am 100% sure of from all the responses.

Nancy, I cleaned and painted 10 rims last summer. Some of them were stamped 80 psi MAX. Of course this was on the inside of the wheel. Just FYI
SDE