exploding trailer tires

[Bird]

Yeah, probably medium duty tires running at 120 PSI. That alway's makes for a nice BOOM!

One thing I do when replacing my trailer tires is to alway's upgrade their load rating if possible. It never hurts to have a little heavier tire.

I'm sure you know what you're doing and how far to go, but for anyone who isn't aware of the possibilities . . . you can go to a "little heavier tire" as stated above, but not too much heavier because heavier tires usually call for higher air pressure. The original wheels are rated for a maximum load and air pressure, so if you go too much heavier tire, the wheel may not be able to stand the increase in air pressure.

Way back in 1972, an uncle put 8 ply tires on his '69 half ton Chevy, with 50 psi air pressure, to haul a slide-in pickup camper on a trip to Alaska with us. One of the wheels (rim) split.

 

[john_bud]

Bird,


That is an excellent point. Most of us aren't too aware of the limitation rims have for load and pressure.

 

[SkyPup]

Just another good reason why I never follow to closely behind any trailer on my motorcycles!

 

[Jimbrown]

I will bet it has the same worthless made who knows where trailer tires that came on my new horse trailer ST 235-85-16 LRE I already ruied two in less than 500 miles. I am going to Lt 235-80-16 LRE The place I buy most of my tires does not even sell ST tires except to people who just demand them. I never had any luck with them. There is a reason those suckers are not rated for drive and steering wheels....because they don't meet DOT specs.

 

[LoneCowboy]

I will bet it has the same worthless made who knows where trailer tires that came on my new horse trailer ST 235-85-16 LRE I already ruied two in less than 500 miles. I am going to Lt 235-80-16 LRE The place I buy most of my tires does not even sell ST tires except to people who just demand them. I never had any luck with them. There is a reason those suckers are not rated for drive and steering wheels....because they don't meet DOT specs.

that's the size all right (235/85/16) by Nanking, nobody else makes that size.
they are all gone now.
Piece of junk tires, ended up replacing all 4 with different brand and different size in load range E (which is what they should have been to begin with)

 

[RavensRoost]

Carlisle make a ST235/85R16 in their radial ST line in 3 flavors: Load Range D, E, and F. Have a look:
Carlisle Tire & Wheel Company

RavensRoost

 

[Farmwithjunk]

#1 cause of trailer tire failure is underinflation according to the guy who replaced my underinflated trailer tires year and a half back.

One blew @ 70 MPH while I was between 2 semi's. It threw the load on the other tire on that side. It blew. I managed to hold everything straight and slow up for a few seconds while the semis drove off. Then it was 3 lanes wide and total panic. Tires had MAYBE 20,000miles.

BOOOOOOOOOOOM,flap-flap-flap-flapBOOOOOOOOOOM wobble wobble wobble, stop, exhale, rip wallet apart.

 

[rback33]

BOOOOOOOOOOOM,flap-flap-flap-flapBOOOOOOOOOOM wobble wobble wobble, stop, exhale, rip wallet apart.

LMAO Now THAT was funny, but oh so true.... you guys keep scaring me though.... those are the same tires on MY horse trailer.... one blew last year and has been replaced, but the other 3 "look" ok. I keep my spare handy and inflated... makes me nervous though since the wifey is driving herself three hours to the show this on Friday.. there will be enough women and tools to get it done if need be... I'll have to remind her how to call the Highway Patrol if she need assistance.... I will drive my car up on Sat. to handle any issues and driving home alone so all she has to do is GET there...If her daily driver didn't need tires too, I'd work on replacing them, but you have to have priorities...

 

[Jimbrown]

In my experience most trailer tires blow becuse of old age. If they are more than 6 years old they are just grenades with the pin pulled. But having to pull 15 miles of dirt just to get to the pavement mine never live that long anyway.

 

[Bird]

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've never "blown" a tire on a trailer. At one gas stop in Canada, in 1972, I noticed a low tire on the travel trailer, and had the nail removed and the tire patched. In 1990, we stopped for lunch at a big truck stop with a big parking lot in Montana on our way to Alaska. We had the 5th wheel, my brother and his wife, son, and mother-in-law were pulling a 5th wheel, an aunt and uncle were driving a class C motorhome, and my parents were driving just a half ton pickup. While we were stopped, we noticed the water pump was leaking on my uncle's motorhome, so he and Dad went to town in the pickup to get a new one while my brother and I removed the water pump from the motorhome. Before they got back, we noticed a Chevy Suburban pull into the lot towing a fair sized tandem axle horse trailer with the right rear tire flat. They went inside, then came to talk to us. The lady said her husband had had one heart attack and she didn't want him to try to change the tire, but the truck stop's only mechanic had gone after parts and wasn't expected back for quite some time, so she wanted to know if she could hire us to change the tire. Naturally, we told her, nope, she couldn't hire us but that we'd change the tire for her for nothing if she'd pull it up beside my trailer (I had a generator in the RV and I had an electric half inch impact). So we changed their tire. The flat had beat the fender enough to bend it up pretty bad, but the lights still worked. And instead of horses, they had the trailer loaded with supplies they were taking to the dude ranch they ran. Those supplies included a few cases of wine, several bottles of which had been broken by the vibration from running on a flat. So they straightened up their cargo and insisted on giving us a couple of bottles of some mighty good wine. In 1995, my brother and I were on our way from Texas to Ellensburg, WA, with my little 5' x 10' trailer with tires that "looked" good, but all the tread (and I do mean ALL) all the way around came off the left trailer tire about 40 miles this side of Pendleton, OR. I did not have a spare, but we made it all the way into Pendleton without that tire going flat. Of course, I did have to use a big hammer on the fender to straighten the damage done when the tread turned loose.