Re: Tires!!!
Just bought a 175 Aquasport and EZ Load trailer and while I had the tires off to replace the wheel bearings I noticed the date codes on the two were from 1995 and 1999; I'm surprised they still held air. Sidewalls cracking, uneven wear, cupping - I need to make sure my spindles are straight once I get new tires.
I've heard lots of good things about Maxxis tires and if I did a lot of long distance driving would be leaning that way. I'm two miles from the ramp, on 30 MPH streets, so I'm thinking about Loadstars. I need new galvanized wheels and the packages are more attractive. That way, I'll end up with at least one crappy spare for emergencies from my old gear.
Everything I read is that the root cause of most failures is overloading and underinflation, followed by driving too fast. Pay attention to the load rating of the tire you are buying and shoot for a total trailered weight no more than 75% of the sum of the individual tire ratings. Check your tire pressures and inflate to the sidewall rating. Most ST trailer tires are rated for around 60 MPH - resist the urge to drive as fast as you can. Watch your date codes (the long alphanumeric string that ends with 4 numbers), if they end with the numbers 07 or lower (2007 or before), they are 5 years old and are past due for replacement. Ideally you should change tires every 3 years.
First post here - glad to be aboard!
Just bought a 175 Aquasport and EZ Load trailer and while I had the tires off to replace the wheel bearings I noticed the date codes on the two were from 1995 and 1999; I'm surprised they still held air. Sidewalls cracking, uneven wear, cupping - I need to make sure my spindles are straight once I get new tires.
I've heard lots of good things about Maxxis tires and if I did a lot of long distance driving would be leaning that way. I'm two miles from the ramp, on 30 MPH streets, so I'm thinking about Loadstars. I need new galvanized wheels and the packages are more attractive. That way, I'll end up with at least one crappy spare for emergencies from my old gear.
Everything I read is that the root cause of most failures is overloading and underinflation, followed by driving too fast. Pay attention to the load rating of the tire you are buying and shoot for a total trailered weight no more than 75% of the sum of the individual tire ratings. Check your tire pressures and inflate to the sidewall rating. Most ST trailer tires are rated for around 60 MPH - resist the urge to drive as fast as you can. Watch your date codes (the long alphanumeric string that ends with 4 numbers), if they end with the numbers 07 or lower (2007 or before), they are 5 years old and are past due for replacement. Ideally you should change tires every 3 years.
First post here - glad to be aboard!
