Trailer Tires

Loren in Iowa · Jan 31, 2018

Thinking about replacing the tires on my goose neck tractor hauling trailer. Mine have very few miles, and plenty tread, but they are 14 years old. Am I better off looking at places like Tractor Supply, or Mills Fleet Farm, or at the local tire dealer? If I bought them, on new rims, and installed them myself, would they still need to be balanced? They are LT 235/85 R16s-10 ply rating, on 8 hole rims. Thanks.

jon f mn · Jan 31, 2018

No need to balance those. If they are the sa me size as your truck just put miles on the truck then move them to the trailer to let them age. If they are not the same this would be a good time to get those rims, then put your used truck tires on.

Pete in Holland MI · Jan 31, 2018

Go to a tire store. They'll have a better idea what you need and greater options.

Depending on the type of rim, they may be tough to balance a the tire store. Have found that some wheel assemblies on house trailer wheels are not well balanced either, which a store-balanced tire won't affect either. Unbalanced tires can shake things apart and put undue wear on the suspension & start fatigue cracks, although the balance does not need to be perfect. I have been successful for years with my trailers jacking up the trailer, giving the wheel a gentle spin (assuming no brake drag), and watching for the heavy spot when it finally stops. With used wheel weights from a tire store, add adequate similar weight on both front and back on the light spot of the tire till the tire quits stopping in the same place.

Tires are tough pills to swallow, but your pride & joy, and the trailer, is riding on these things, so don't get too cheap.

Pete

Mike M · Jan 31, 2018

Those are pretty old. Still a good chance they will out last the replacements ! Seems new tires are of really poor quality.

docmirror · Jan 31, 2018

I have a bunch of different trailers, with a bunch of different tire makes. I run trailer tires until they start to separate. Just have a spare along. Unless you run heavy loads, and run 70MPH constantly, they should last quite a while still. I have a couple 7x14.5 mobile home tires that are at least 15 years old, still working. If it's tandem only and not dual, the tandem tire should take up the load until you can pull off safely. Of course, if you leave them in mud, frozen, constant sun, etc then they will deteriorate faster.

No reason to replace your rims either. Just go to one of the big tire stores, and get some bids. Don't need balance, just new stems, mount and fill with air.

snoopnc · Jan 31, 2018

Loren, You write: " If I bought them, on new rims, and installed them myself, would they still need to be balanced? They are LT 235/85 R16s-10 ply rating, on 8 hole rims. Thanks."

Not getting into the "balance" issue, but if what you've specified is what you are CURRENTLY running, then why do you feel the need for new rims?? That just seems like an unnecessary expense to me.

Rick

Loren in Iowa · Jan 31, 2018

Rick-I see your point. Just wondered if anyone had found it more economical to buy them, at the discount places, on new rims, rather than buying tires only, from the local dealer.

tomNE · Jan 31, 2018

I always buy trailer tires with the best guarentee. maybe i'll never collect but at least the company thinks enuff of them to stand behind them!

tim s · Jan 31, 2018

When they get old they are like an old light bulb,,good today bad tomorrow..On the way home from Rantual 3 years ago I blew 3 tires and ended up leaving the trailer at a Farm,, the tires were 4 years old very few miles less than 5,000 always stored inside,, they came new with the trailer,,and were far from being over loaded, a 60 and a plow,,they were just flying apart, it was a 32ft. dual tandum...20,000lb axles...the tires were looking like new...

jon f mn · Jan 31, 2018

Sometimes that is so. I can sometimes get load range E tires on white spoke wheels from redneck for the same as just tires locally. Depends on sales and where I sit volume wise with redneck. If you have a redneck nearby that would be a place to check.

Leroy · Jan 31, 2018

When the tire is only avaible mounted you do not have a choice.

Loren in Iowa · Jan 31, 2018

Jon-I'm not familiar with redneck. Can you enlighten me?

jon f mn · Jan 31, 2018

I buy most of my trailer parts through Redneck trailer suplies. They have a store in Hampton Ia. If your close enough I can get you a price on my acct, might be a good deal. Or you can see what your direct price is. Sometimes its close, sometimes there is a big difference.

SVcummins · Jan 31, 2018

We?re they trailer tires or lt rated tires ?

Tracy Brown · Jan 31, 2018

I would try them and if they don't run smooth, get them balanced. I like to watch them balance my tires so I can see the tire runout and how true the rims run. I don't like my trailer tires bouncing around any more than my truck tires.

Tracy Brown · Jan 31, 2018

Also, I just replaced the tires on my 26' GN and went with load range F that run at 110 psi. They run sweet.

hd6gtom · Jan 31, 2018

Loren buy them at a local tire store. Have them balanced there. If They are an experienced tire shop, they can pull them off mount and bal usually easier than you can pull them off and put them back on.

carvel minne farmer · Jan 31, 2018

(quoted from post at 13:05:39 01/31/18) Thinking about replacing the tires on my goose neck tractor hauling trailer. Mine have very few miles, and plenty tread, but they are 14 years old. Am I better off looking at places like Tractor Supply, or Mills Fleet Farm, or at the local tire dealer? If I bought them, on new rims, and installed them myself, would they still need to be balanced? They are LT 235/85 R16s-10 ply rating, on 8 hole rims. Thanks.

loren if the tires you looking at have LT235/85 R-16S those are light truck tires, LT stands for light truck, for trailers you want to see ST235/85 R16S if you get stopped by highways that's as far as you will go until you got trailer tires on it! I had to change out both my tri axle goose necks this past summer to the tune of $7000. when I was in the tire shop a big fifth wheel rv pulled in and he had been turned around at the us border in Montana told to go home and get the proper tires on his trailer before he could come back. check with your local authoritys loren before you lay out any money, up here we've been running LT's for years but not any more the sheriffs, scales, transport cops are all cracking down.

carvel minne farmer · Jan 31, 2018

and yes loren I got pulled into a commercial truck checkstop along the highway close to my place and had my yanmar excavator on, I got away with a written warning on the condition I drive from there to my local tire shop and get them changed NOW! (PLEADED stupidity, didn't know!) check it out loren would hate to see you spend a pile on LT's and then have to go buy ST's

rockyridgefarm · Jan 31, 2018

Have you looked into going to super singles? I've been seeing them offered by trailer manufacturers, but my tires are a long way from needing replacement. I bought the trailer in September 2015, and do haul something almost every week with it. When I do finally wear them out, I'm going to look real hard at super singles. 235/75/17.5 Maybe they'll be one of those thing that are popular now and flame out in a few years, maybe not.

MT RON · Jan 31, 2018

Most trailer tires do not have a guarantee.

OliverGuy · Jan 31, 2018

Our sears is clearing out the Midwest warehouse. Call yours and ask for that LT tire in the Guardian. If problems with law don?t run LTs, but three of my heaviest I run that size and brand of tire. Work great and you?ll like the price

BhB · Feb 1, 2018

I have been looking for a new truck (1500) all the trucks I have seen have P tires (passenger). What I read the P tires require 35# of air. Pulling an rv with these tires can cause side movement of the tires. LT tires should have 50# of air to handle the load. Does this sound right?

mmfan55 · Feb 1, 2018

From 50 to 80. Depending on number of ply and load rating

Leroy · Feb 1, 2018

carvel minne farmer, where are you located. Here in Ohio I have never heard of such a thing as that. My one trailer that I use the most is an old homemade unit I bought 20 some years ago and it has 7:00 x 15 6 ply truck tires on it that some might be 30+ years old. Long before a designation of light truck came about. I do not run interstates tho. and no more than 50MPH.

dhermesc · Feb 1, 2018

Passenger tires (like P235-70-16) usually have a load range of B. The mud grip tires on my son's old F150 and the 31.5X10.5X15s I bought for my other son's Bronco were load range "C" or "XL". Real load bearing tires are rated D or E for light trucks (3/4 and 1 ton). I have "D" rated tires on my F150 with its helper springs. Without the helper springs the truck's springs couldn't carry a load that would tax "C" rated tires.

For a much better information:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=55

BarnyardEngineering · Feb 1, 2018

I would only buy a tire from Tractor Supply or one of these so-called "discount" places if I was on the road with a flat, and out of spares, on a Sunday. In other words, DESPERATE.

Tractor Supply tires are OVERPRICED. It's something close to $200 for a 235/85R16 on an 8-hole rim. Anywhere else is cheaper than that by a lot.

Plus you get no control over what tire you get. You know it's some bargain basement foreign-made no-name tire. Don't get me wrong, even China makes good tires but you have to be picky about the brand and model. Tractor Supply isn't picky.

Buy tires at a tire shop. I also like simpletire.com, and put them on myself if they don't need balancing.

Texasmark1 · Feb 1, 2018

Never balanced trailer tires. ebay carries a lot of listings and most are free shipping. Titan (US made) for one advertises on there. My last tires came from Titan and my local Titan tire dealer gave me $100 off retail price per tire and shipping was free as they came to his dealership on the regular tire truck from Titan. I did have him install them as they were tractor tires.

carvel minne farmer · Feb 1, 2018

(quoted from post at 07:09:07 02/01/18) carvel minne farmer, where are you located. Here in Ohio I have never heard of such a thing as that. My one trailer that I use the most is an old homemade unit I bought 20 some years ago and it has 7:00 x 15 6 ply truck tires on it that some might be 30+ years old. Long before a designation of light truck came about. I do not run interstates tho. and no more than 50MPH.

good morning Leroy, I'm located in alberta Canada, just straight north of the Montana border about 6 hour drive. I used to always run my truck tires down to about 60% and then get new tires for the truck, and put the takeoffs from the trucks on my trailers like everyone else. for the last 10 years or more new trailers have been coming equipped with ST tires, apparently LT rated tires for light trucks do not have the sidewall strength needed for trailer tires according to transport Canada who regulate this. I have noticed and was warned by my local tire dealer about 2 years ago not to run LTs on my trailer. the fellow that was turned around at the Montana border apparently not only ran into the usual border and customs people but there was also U.S. transport people who checked out his trailer and found his new LT tires he had just bought and had installed. it may not be law in ohio yet Leroy, but trust me it's coming!

Ken Macfarlane · Feb 1, 2018

Funny as the ST's generally have lighter side walls and much lower speed ratings so they can obtain a higher load rating.

I'd rather keep my LT's than deal with the garbage they sell as ST's.

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