Trailer Tires Only???

[sandman2234]

A cheaper way to fix the rear of your trailer from dragging when you back out is to put at least two, (or more) extremely heavy duty casters on the rear underneath the frame. Mount them so they are hidden into the recess of the frame but still stick down enough to hit before the frame hits the road. When you back out, they will hit first and ride the trailer up the incline instead of the trailer hitting the roadway and trying to dig in. A continous roller is ok, but I like swivel casters better, they just have to be kept greased as they are right in the path of everything that gets thrown up in the road.
David from jax

 

[Dougster]

A cheaper way to fix the rear of your trailer from dragging when you back out is to put at least two, (or more) extremely heavy duty casters on the rear underneath the frame. Mount them so they are hidden into the recess of the frame but still stick down enough to hit before the frame hits the road. When you back out, they will hit first and ride the trailer up the incline instead of the trailer hitting the roadway and trying to dig in. A continous roller is ok, but I like swivel casters better, they just have to be kept greased as they are right in the path of everything that gets thrown up in the road.
David from jax

Yep... that's been suggested to me, but even the largest RV & Trailer place around here couldn't fix me up with a bolt-on or fairly straightforward weld-on that would work on my particular trailer. The 2' dovetail at the end puts the points of contact too close to the ground under normal circumstances to provide enough clearance for the available "RV" solutions.

Casters would have never worked anyway (or so I was told). They would dig too deeply into my hill when backing in for weekend or long-term storage. They couldn't handle the weight either. But extreme duty rollers came closer to working if I recall correctly. Now with the bigger tires on there... and the road finally 100% completed so that at least I know the extent of the problem... I should probably revisit this concept before the trailer is ruined or the street is so torn up so badly that the town comes after me.

Dougster

 

[Mahana79]

I think the best response to scrubbing trailer tires on curbs is to stay off them. It takes a little practice and a good set of mirrors doesn't hurt, but can be accomplished in almost every instance. If tractor trailers can even make the turn, then we ought to be able to do it without getting close to it(even if they take out the whole curb).
Most of the time scrubbing a tire on the corner is done from not anticipating how much distance it takes to make the corner with the trailer, or just plain "forgetting" that it is back there when we start into a turn. Once committed, it is hard to undo the track of a trailer.
Not pointing any fingers here, just pointing out that hauling a trailer requires a lot more attention than most of us give it, especially if you don't haul one regularly or you are tired. Even people that haul them regularly have caught themselves in circumstances where they clip a curb or even a telephone pole that they could have avoided had they set up the vehicle correctly and paid attention. (BTDT) Whenever I clip a curb, I try to retrace my steps and the next time I pay particular attention and usually can make it without hitting the curb. Doing that will make you a better driver and save your tires.
David from jax

Dougster is correct. I am not talking about "rubbing" on curbs. i am talking about the tire "scrub" that occures when you turn sharp with a multi-axle trailer, when the tires try to slide saidways in there tracks. Next time you make a really tight turn watch the sidewalls of your tires in the mirror. the heavier you are loaded the worse it will be and it is worse on pavement than on dirt because of the added traction. anyways watch those sidewalls. they will flex out like crazy. On my triple axle goose neck i have rolled a fully inflated tire clean off the bead. my point is that a radial tire is not built to take that kind of stress. When the tire flexes like that the steel belts are shifting and moving and over time that will cause them to fail. resulting in the belts/tread seperating from the carcass of the tire. I have had blow outs with both radial and bias tires and if i had to pick a tire to have a blow out with it would be a bis. When a radil lets go you have this massive stip of steel belts and tread face tearing and ripping everything in its path. when a bias lets go the nylon belts shreds into smaller pieces and doesnt do nearly as much damage to the trailer.

anyways that is my views on why i choose a bias over a radial. i know a radial wears better and supposedly has a smoother ride but those dont outweight the benefits of a bias in my mind.

 

[Rara Avis]

I have been wondering about the scrubbing i have on my dump trailer. My 24' gooseneck doesn't rub at all - it had bias ply. I might have to put bias ply tires.

Also, if I get over 50-55 mph with the dump trailer really loaded - the rear of it likes to sway. It is a bumper pull trailer. I am beginning to wish I had bought a gooseneck.

Comments on the swaying?

D.

You are not loading your tongue enough...
Is your trailer level when you start loading it?
Or is it tilted towards the rear?...If, so you need to level your trailer...

If the trailer is level you need to make sure more of the load is in FRONT of the axles...

Rubbing on the siderails indicates your tires sidewalls are flexing toward failure...what air pressure are you running and what load weight are you dealing with...

 

[schmism]

Its fairly simple to me.

Use any tire you want on your trailer as long as the weight rateing matches that which you need.

Replace said tires every 4-6 years weather they need it or not.