Bias Ply versus Radial Ply Tires

[dingbat]

This??


Actually, there IS a good reason to buy bias trailer tires over radials aside from cost, especially with 2 or more axles. We've all turned our trailers in a tight radius- ever watch the inside-radius tires when doing so? The sidewalls squish and twist substantially. With radial tires, over time, this causes the sidewall cords to fail. This is why you hear of so many trailer tire blowouts. Good bias trailer tire sidewalls barely squish or twist at all. In a hard turn the tires just slide. The sidewalls never get hurt, so blowouts with bias tires are extremely rare

Contradicts the findings of the American Trucking Association.

The issue of irregular tire wear has always been a concern even in the days when most trucks ran bias ply tires. With today’s longer wearing radial tires, irregular wear has surfaced as the primary concern of most truck maintenance managers. In fact, it is the ability of today’s advanced radial tires to deliver long original tread life which requires even more attention to good maintenance practices and vehicle alignment. Radial tires have a different footprint shape than bias tires. These results in less scrubbing and longer tread life. However, this same attribute of the radial design can also result in the tire exhibiting more irregular wear when vehicle and tire maintenance are below par. These wear patterns are not as evident in bias ply tires. Since the tread wears away usually much faster on bias tires, unusual wear patterns are literally scrubbed off as they develop.

http://www.goodyeartrucktires.com/pdf/resources/service-manual/Retread_S7_V.pdf

Personal experience....three tandem axle trailers, 20+ years,150K+ miles later, no problems running radial tires on tandem axle trailers.

 

[bgc]

Redneck Joe,
I have skinny, bias on my larger boats. My tires dry rot before the tread wears out......or pop while on the freeway !@*%!
Trailer tires are rated for the, max loaded weight, of the trailer. Wider is not better, if the load rating is okay, as trailer tires just follow.

I'm running Low Platform Industrial tires on my heavier boat. The manufactures have charts to determine Load, Speed and PSI. My tires have a max of 116PSI and a load rating of G. Divided among the axles and my max speed of 60mph shows, 60PSI is the recommended tire pressure.

 

[redneck joe]

looks like I'm going radial.


I've been looking at etrailers.com and it turns out they are in St Charles MO. I'm in St Louis mo this week. Might go visit them if they allow that. Will know tomorrow.

 

[kjsAZ]

I've ordered there several times (etrailer) and they seem to ship from a lot of different locations. Not sure that they have a real warehouse.......

 

[Bubbasboat]

I want to thank everyone for helping with this. I would hate to damage my beloved boat because of an incorrect decision about the tires.
My trailer is single axle with hydraulic surge brakes. Not only are the tires old, but these auto tires do not quite add up to the 3500 pound class 2 spec.
And this is an area where I know almost nothing... So your responses are very much appreciated.

So what tire did you, the OP, finally decide on for tires, Radial, Bias, P, LT, ST, or?:drum:

 

[H20Rat]

The conventional wisdom that everyone repeats is that trailer tires have stiffer sidewalls... I don't buy it... They have vastly different tread patterns, but from my completely unscientific experiment, trailer tires are much softer!

So my car and boat have relatively similar sized tires. The weight per tire is also relatively close. (aka, car is about twice the boat, but has 4 tires under it.) Anyway, when pushing on the side of the boat, I can get that thing rocking back and forth quite a bit, which is 100% contributed to the sidewall flexing. The suspension isn't moving, the boat is solid on the bunks. My car just laughs at me if I try it, it doesn't budge an inch.

Long story short, the only input variable is my pushing, which is roughly the same in either test case. The output variable is how much movement I get, which can only be caused by sidewall flex. End result is that I get A LOT more movement from the trailer tire.

 

[SolingSailor]

So what tire did you, the OP, finally decide on for tires, Radial, Bias, P, LT, ST, or?:drum:

OMG, I'm more confused than ever. I have learned that bias tires are better for tandem axles (not applicable to me), that radials wear longer (NA to me because of little trailer use), and some people adamantly will use only radials, others don't like trailer tires at all. I truly appreciate everyone's opinions, but I suppose in my particular case, it won't matter very much. I will buy ST tires though, for the higher load rating. Thank you all for your attention.

 

[drrpm]

I replaced the bias ply tires on my single axle trailer a few years ago with radials because that is what the the tire store had in stock. I could have ordered bias tires but would have had to wait and the price was the same. The owner, who I have done business with many times over the years, told me the radials were better anyway. The radials have been fine and are holding up better than the original tires did, though I really don't notice any significant difference in the trailer's towability.

 

[Bubbasboat]

OMG, I'm more confused than ever.

Well saideace: