Lifespan of Trailer Tires

[ultrarunner]

I've never had a bad Michelin and I do buy them for loved ones...

Prices vary a lot... the last set I bought the difference was nearly double from low to high...

 

[MillWeld]

These are pretty convincing testimonies. Why don't trailer tires last longer? Is it the inevitable skidding tandems undergo when turning? Does the short lifespan also apply to the big 18 wheelers? and cars? or does the mileage do them in before time does?
Bob

 

[newbury]

I hate extra work, with 60+ tires on the ground, my solution is to invest in

tire plugs
valve stems
Schroeder valves
long handle 4way lug wrenches
extra rims with mounted tires of each size needed
extra free takeoff tires from friends
standardize as much as possible on rim sizes
multiple heavy duty hydraulic long throw jacks, bottle jacks with wood blocks, tractor jack
12v air pump(last resort)
air compressor, large capacity, with high torque impact wrench and sockets
multiple tire gauges
visually inspect tires every time I use a vehicle/trailer.
HFT tire changer but most often take tires to be mounted to excellent local tire place
patience is greatly facilitated by knowing all the above are available for resolving a low air problem.
being retired helps with perspective on the problem.

I'd add a jug of Slime or similar for those truly inconvenient to change emergencies.

<snip>
My life is worth a lot more than the cost of 4 tires. And so is yours.

I think you should make that 5 tires.

 

[Bird]

These are pretty convincing testimonies. Why don't trailer tires last longer? Is it the inevitable skidding tandems undergo when turning? Does the short lifespan also apply to the big 18 wheelers? and cars? or does the mileage do them in before time does?
Bob

Interesting question about it applying to cars. I have mixed feelings about that, but no real evidence. Our 2002 Crown Vic has Michelin tires that were on it when we bought it just over 4 years ago. I don't know when they were put on, but the date code on the tires indicates they'll be 10 years old the middle of this year. We've only put 30k miles on the car in the 4 years we've had it (41k miles on it when we bought it). Of course when not in use, it's parked inside the garage, so it's out of the sun. And Discount Tire checked them and rotated them last month. I would think that IF they thought they could sell me some new tires they would have said so.

My 2001 Ranger has BFGoodrich tires that I had put on there five and a half years ago, and I've put 41k miles on them since. The date code is on the inside side of these, so I'm not real sure what it is, but I suspect they're pretty old. It's been 6 months and 7k miles since they were rotated. I'll probably let Discount Tire do that again Monday.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Do the math on your vehicles tires and you will see you are not even close to carrying the max weight. Now do the same on a trailer and most times you are right at the limit. That and the relatively small size is why they do not last.

Chris

 

[texasjohn]

I've got slime in my Kubota RTV tires. It's good at showing me where the leak is so I can plug it...looks wet at the spot but does not plug leak, only slows it down. I depended on it until while on a hunting trip I ran over something causing medium speed leak allowing return to camp...lost 1 day hunting what with 80 mile round trip to town, tire places refused to patch tire because of slime, only one place in all of medium sized town with about 8 tire stores had right sized tire...directional mud grips. Bought 2 for about $300. Got back home, bought two rims, got local tire store to patch tire...been holding air a year now and I have 2 spares(right and left) which I now take on trips along with changing equipment.

A jug of slime is about $30 and takes 2 as I recall for my slow speed RTV tire size, all around. This experience, only slows leaks, convinces me to not use it further but invest in spares, plugs and compressors as my preferred way to stay rolling with minimum lost time in inconvient situations.


Your slimey experience may vary, but this is mine.

I'd add a jug of Slime or similar for those truly inconvenient to change emergencies.

 

[texasjohn]

Agreed, and even big truck tires seem to fail with regularity... I travel I35 regularly and can depend on dodging tire remains 2 to 3 times in a 15 mile trip to town.

Do the math on your vehicles tires and you will see you are not even close to carrying the max weight. Now do the same on a trailer and most times you are right at the limit. That and the relatively small size is why they do not last.

Chris

 

[aczlan]

A jug of slime is about $30 and takes 2 as I recall for my slow speed RTV tire size, all around. This experience, only slows leaks, convinces me to not use it further but invest in spares, plugs and compressors as my preferred way to stay rolling with minimum lost time in inconvient situations.
Your slimey experience may vary, but this is mine.

Was that tube slime, or tire slime? I accidentally bought a jug of tube slime and it doesn't work well in tubeless tires (not much in the way of fibers, just oozes out). Works great in tubes though.

Aaron Z

 

[Bird]

Slime is just one of many brands of stuff to put in tires to stop them from leaking, and my experience has been that there really isn't a single one of them worth buying. When I was a fleet manager, I was given some other brands to try in my own tires, and I doubt that I'll ever waste money buying another one.

 

[ultrarunner]

Just checked a few of my tires... seems they predate the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act, which was enacted in 1972 and mandated a federal program to provide consumers with accurate information about the comparative safety and damageability of passenger cars.

I guess prior to this there was no uniform industry standard?