Boat Trailer Tires??
- Thread starter AlK
- Start date
scott craven
Well-Known Member
also get radials, not bias ply.
bias ply tires can develop flat spots
that cause a lumpy ride until warm.
bias ply tires can develop flat spots
that cause a lumpy ride until warm.
Seafever
Well-Known Member
Don't run them "soft"......many guys will run a 55lb max air trailer tire at say 35lbs. to get a softer less jarring ride out of the trailered boat.
Don't do this.
The tire is designed to run better at harder PSI.
I'd run a 55psi tire at no less than 45 in hot weather.....harder in the cold weather.
"Soft" running will make the tire wear out and fail faster.
Plus also the soft tire eats gas more.
Don't do this.
The tire is designed to run better at harder PSI.
I'd run a 55psi tire at no less than 45 in hot weather.....harder in the cold weather.
"Soft" running will make the tire wear out and fail faster.
Plus also the soft tire eats gas more.
Dragon Whisperer
Member
First of all, pretty much all the trailer tires available are cheaply made junk. There just isn't a big market for them, so the major manufacturers don't put any R&D money into developing quality offerings.
Second of all air pressures. Running at max is a very bad idea. You are far more susceptible to punctures as the tire is like an over inflated balloon, and we all want to avoid dealing with flats when we should be fishing. Being over inflated also reduces the tire's contact patch, negatively affecting traction while cornering or braking, and actually leading to a faster wear rate on the tread itself. As for fuel consumption's relation to psi, yes there is a lower rolling resistance at higher pressures, however a very large increase in air pressure (say of 40 %) will only lead to approximately a 2% reduction in fuel consumption. The rolling resistance is more a factor of casing/tread design than air pressure.
What you need to do is run at the correct pressure for the load the tires area carrying - not grossly over inflated, or under inflated. Provide the tire dealer with a good guess on loaded weight and ask them to look up the recommended psi.
And yes, radials are what you want.
Second of all air pressures. Running at max is a very bad idea. You are far more susceptible to punctures as the tire is like an over inflated balloon, and we all want to avoid dealing with flats when we should be fishing. Being over inflated also reduces the tire's contact patch, negatively affecting traction while cornering or braking, and actually leading to a faster wear rate on the tread itself. As for fuel consumption's relation to psi, yes there is a lower rolling resistance at higher pressures, however a very large increase in air pressure (say of 40 %) will only lead to approximately a 2% reduction in fuel consumption. The rolling resistance is more a factor of casing/tread design than air pressure.
What you need to do is run at the correct pressure for the load the tires area carrying - not grossly over inflated, or under inflated. Provide the tire dealer with a good guess on loaded weight and ask them to look up the recommended psi.
And yes, radials are what you want.
Seafever
Well-Known Member
If you run the tires too soft the shoulders will show wear and the middle will still be good. if you run them too hard the middle of the tire will show wear and the shoulders will be good.
If you tend to run the tires on the soft side..and the boat sits for ages on the trailer , it is hard on the cords/sidewalls of the tires.
According to my tire dealer it is better to run them harder than softer.
But as Dragon said......it is a good idea to find the optimal range of psi for the actual weight load.
If you start to notice that the center tread is wearing out while the shoulder tread is in pristine condition you are running them too hard.
Take into account that because of the smaller air volume in a trailer tire they will heat up faster on a "hot" highway...and also they are making more rpm than the tires on your truck or car generally.
If you tend to run the tires on the soft side..and the boat sits for ages on the trailer , it is hard on the cords/sidewalls of the tires.
According to my tire dealer it is better to run them harder than softer.
But as Dragon said......it is a good idea to find the optimal range of psi for the actual weight load.
If you start to notice that the center tread is wearing out while the shoulder tread is in pristine condition you are running them too hard.
Take into account that because of the smaller air volume in a trailer tire they will heat up faster on a "hot" highway...and also they are making more rpm than the tires on your truck or car generally.
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