Bias or Radial?

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Seaman
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May 29, 2007
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I had a blowout yesterday (tire tread separated). Existing tires are Goodyear Marathon radials, good tread but they must be fairly aged due to the level of cracking and dry-rot. I am going to replace all four tires (obviously) and am trying to decide whether to replace with identical tires or go to a bias ply.
Any thoughts?
 

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Seaman
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Re: Bias or Radial?

Nevermind.
I did some more searching and found the info I was looking for. Not sure why it didn't come up in my first searches.
 

tashasdaddy

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Re: Bias or Radial?

highly recommend, radial. low air pressure is the #1 cause of trailer tire failure.
 

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Seaman
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Re: Bias or Radial?

I am going to get some new radials tomorrow. I always check the pressure before I take a trip and yesterday was no exception. Right at 50 psi. The problem is the age of the tires, after the tire blew I noticed that there were cracks on the middle to inside of the tread.
 

bruceb58

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Re: Bias or Radial?

I just replaced my tires on my trailer this weekend. My old tires were 5 years old and had tons of tread. I usually go 6 years on a set of tires but since I am going to be doing a trip to Tahoe and a trip to lake Powell in the next month and a half, I didn't want to risk my vacations on older tires. I have had too many tires give it up after 5 years to take the risk.

What I did find was that it is hard to find a tire not made in China anymore. All the GoodYear Marathons are now made in China as well as others.
 

CATransplant

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Re: Bias or Radial?

So, what tires did you end up buying that weren't made in China?
 

bruceb58

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Re: Bias or Radial?

I ended up with Hercules that were supposedly going to be USA made. When my guy got them in, I found they were also made in China. I basically gave up at this point.

I had been buying Towmaster tires whiche were made in either US or Canada. I found these are impossible to get now. I believe the problem is that Goodyear was making them gor Greenball and Goodyear moved their plant to China too.
 

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Seaman
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Re: Bias or Radial?

I am having trouble finding replacement Marathon tires so it looks like I am going to end up with Towmasters this Friday.
 

bruceb58

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Re: Bias or Radial?

You are lucky that you found some Towmasters. Check the date code on the tire to see how old they are. I heard they aren't making them anymore so they may be old stock.
 

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Seaman
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Re: Bias or Radial?

You are lucky that you found some Towmasters. Check the date code on the tire to see how old they are. I heard they aren't making them anymore so they may be old stock.

Well thats not good news! A local tire shop has ordered them for me, how do I find the date code? Is it in plain date format on the sidewall?
 

bruceb58

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Re: Bias or Radial?

4 digit code.

Example: (2506) ...would be 25th week in 2006.
 

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Seaman
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Re: Bias or Radial?

Great thanks. Is there any cause for concern if all four don't match? Is there a recommended maximum span between dates for a set?
 

bruceb58

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Re: Bias or Radial?

I assume you are talking about the date codes. They don't have to match. I would be a little bit leary if they are much over a year old though.
 

Texasmark

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Re: Bias or Radial?

Date code is important, especially on seldom used tires. Cracking has always been my prime concern, having lost a tire as a child out with dad on a fishing trip. The tire was weathered pretty good and it just started throwing tread (on the trip home) and finally the sidewall failed.

I have a set of Chinese tires on my 16' tandem flatbed, seldom used, kept under cover, which are doing very well. Seem to be resisting cracking. Have had them for about 3 years now.

I have a tractor with new tires that had an old date code and after a couple of years, sitting under a shed, out of the sun, and used regularly, you'd think I had had them 10 years (from all the weather cracking) whereas on another tractor with fresh tires, used and kept under the same conditions, they still look new.

Mark
 

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Seaman
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Re: Bias or Radial?

Well, the Towmasters were a no-go. The shop got three identical tires with a date code of 2405 (which the tire guy said meant the tires were made the 40th week of 05) and but the fourth tire was a completely new tread design with a date code of 2406. The newer tire was very nice looking but with date codes a year apart I decided to go with four matching, and newer, Carlisle tires.
 

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Seaman
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Re: Bias or Radial?

2405 is the 24th week of 2005,

That's what I told the guy based on your previous post but he insisted it was the 40th week of 05. He had no idea what the 2 in 2405 meant. It wasn't worth arguing with him because the tires were a full year apart in manufacturing date and completely different designs.
 

Texasmark

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Re: Bias or Radial?

Even aside from the date code, which, from the above comment I pay attention to now, from an aesthetic point of view, I like all my tires to match....just part of the overall package looking professional.......but if I were on a limited budget and glad to have a new tire at all, I'd have to do otherwise.

I don't see any Carlisle trailer tires around here. Either the Goodyear Marathon or now Shield made in China is what's showing up and what's on my 16' utility tandem trailer and boat trailer.

Only Carlisle I see are on non-highway things like lawnmowers, go carts,a and the like......so I can't comment on reliability. I know some report on here as to having problems, but we don't know their history and it may (or may not) be their fault.

Mark
 

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Seaman
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Re: Bias or Radial?

That's odd, I can only find Carlisle and Towmasters here. I had the Goodyear Marathon tires on my trailer to begin with and that is what I wanted for replacements but after calling several local Goodyear dealers I decided to go with the other tires. Goodyear told me they can order the Marathons from the warehouse (presumably old stock) but the replacement line they are carrying now are Namco's (made in China of course). Never heard of them so I avoided them. I found the Carlisle tires to be made in China and the Towmasters to be made in Canada.
 

rndn

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Re: Bias or Radial?

I've had nothing but very good success with Goodyear Marathon radials. I would not buy anything else and no I do not work for Goodyear.
 
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