Tire pressure

[ahicks]

The springs are there to soften the load....flexing the under-inflated TRAILER tires to soften the ride will cause tire to overheat. The only way to take the bounce out of a trailer is to install shocks, I don't carry passengers in my trailers so I could care less.

Springs and tires rated for 5000 lbs, with less than 1000 lb load on them, are not going to soften the ride much. That's when you need to use some imagination, or run with the vibration. Do as you please.

 

[bigdee]

• [h=2]Tire Tech Information - Trailer Tires vs. Passenger Vehicle Tires[/h]
• 
  …tow vehicle tires are designed for ride comfort, which is achieved in part by allowing their sidewalls to flex. Your trailer is a follower, which often makes tire sidewall flexing a negative. Sidewall flexing on trailers, especially those with a high center of gravity (enclosed/travel trailers) or…

 

[robert graham]

Endlessly debatable subject like oils and greases.....Bondo might say: Any air is better than no air in a tire!......

 

[CNT]

And not mention 8" vs 12" tires...

 

[bassman284]

Man, the old wive's tales never go away.

 

[bigdee]

Man, the old wive's tales never go away.

simply because some think of trailer tires being the same as vehicle tires.

 

[Horigan]

Endlessly debatable subject like oils and greases.....Bondo might say: Any air is better than no air in a tire!......

And Scott would say air doesn't freeze... Oh wait... wrong subject...

 

[WIMUSKY]

I always max them out....... Charts? You don't need any stinkin charts.....:lol:

 

[CNT]

I always max them out....... Charts? You don't need any stinkin charts.....:lol:

:clap2: (I couldn't find a "high-5" smilies)

 

[kenny nunez]

In addition to the above information,
After 35 years repairing trailer boats these are things I have encountered.
A tandem trailer with under inflated tires will either bend the axle or break down the bead off the rim in a backing up “jackknife situation”. Or worse, actually break the stub off the axle if it is weak from rust.
Make sure the tires are balanced, I have seen fenders shaken off from out of balance tires. Galvanized rims always have a “heavy spot”.
Leaf springs turn into a solid mass from rust if you do not keep them lubricated , the boat gets pounded and could cause cracks in the trailer frame. I like motorcycle chain lube. It is messy but it clings.

 

[Tycer]

The springs are there to soften the load....flexing the under-inflated TRAILER tires to soften the ride will cause tire to overheat. The only way to take the bounce out of a trailer is to install shocks, I don't carry passengers in my trailers so I could care less.

I have an old 800#(1200 with trailer) lapstrake wooden boat. I care. I moved one leaf to the top of the stack and run my D/M rated radials 10% light. I decided on this from conversations with a carriage builder and the tire manufacturer’s tech rep.

 

[randale]

Good discussion here. Around here, we play around max when the load is heavy and less 5psi if the load is not very heavy to lessen the rattle.

 

[CatTwentyTwo]

I've been running the tires on my 12' tinny at 30 psi for 35 years, I don't think there is enough weight on them to flex the sidewall.

 

[JimS123]

Everybody has an anecdote:

"I have run 35 pounds in my LR F tires for tirty fiiive years now and never had a problem."
"The book says run to max pressure and thats what I do and never had a problem."
" My tyres are 28 years old and as good as new"
"I dunno and i have had blowouts every year"

The fact is its not the weight or the pressure or the age of the tire, (per se'), its the usage.

Run old tires 3 miles one way to the launch ramp on 30 mph streets, and you'll probably never have a problem. BUT, run at max load on 4 year old chinacrap, on the interstate at 65 mph, with an underinflated tire and you're the one that has to call AAA.

 

[randale]

Everybody has an anecdote:

"I have run 35 pounds in my LR F tires for tirty fiiive years now and never had a problem."
"The book says run to max pressure and thats what I do and never had a problem."
" My tyres are 28 years old and as good as new"
"I dunno and i have had blowouts every year"

The fact is its not the weight or the pressure or the age of the tire, (per se'), its the usage.

Run old tires 3 miles one way to the launch ramp on 30 mph streets, and you'll probably never have a problem. BUT, run at max load on 4 year old chinacrap, on the interstate at 65 mph, with an underinflated tire and you're the one that has to call AAA.

Definitely don't trust much the old tires.

 

[WIMUSKY]

My tires are 12yrs old. I sometimes go for 6hr round trips with them. I've never had a tire blow in the 41 years of towing...

I also have never seized a hub and just use bearing buddies..

 

[bigdee]

My tires are 12yrs old. I sometimes go for 6hr round trips with them. I've never had a tire blow in the 41 years of towing...

I also have never seized a hub and just use bearing buddies..

WIMUSKY, Same experience and testimonial from another "old" guy.

 

[WIMUSKY]

WIMUSKY, Same experience and testimonial from another "old" guy.

:thumb:
Maybe we're just lucky....

 

[randale]

My tires are 12yrs old. I sometimes go for 6hr round trips with them. I've never had a tire blow in the 41 years of towing...

I also have never seized a hub and just use bearing buddies..

Those must be well-made tires.

 

[JimS123]

Those must be well-made tires.

12 year old tires....pffffft.

My son had a 3 year old boat with OEM tires. Not cheepies from WalMart, but what the trailer manufacturer used (OK, cheep tires). He had a blowup on the interstate right in front of me and when we inspected the other tire is was a mile away from disaster as well. Both were properly inflated.

Then, I inspected my 25 year old tires (Goodyear USA made) and they still looked like new (local driving, fresh water, garage kept).

I firmly believe that tires have gone to crap in the last X years. So, maybe if you have some oldies with low mileage and not a lot of sun exposure, it might be best to hang on to them.

The rest of the story is that my 25 year old tires were not STs. They were P series OEM Trailer manufacturer car tires on a tandem trailer with a capacity that meet the requirements.

After these and other experiences, I won't buy an ST unless there isn't a P or LT that has the needed weight capacity.