New tires on old trailer

[farmeratheart]

With more than one axle light truck tires don’t have the sidewall strength to allow turning with a full load.

My life has been changed since I learned why there are tires specifically for trailers.

Growing up I understood that trailers are where old truck tires get a new life and go to die. Still trying to convince my father otherwise.

Too funny! Growing up we had 2 flatbed hay wagons that gave 2nd life to old truck and car tires ... We also had a small single axle box trailer that only went behind one of the tractors into the woods to collect firewood. Since it was never on the road and never saw speeds exceeding 5 or 6 mph it was also a use for 'recycled' road use tires. Years later when I told my Dad that I needed to replace the tires on my utility trailer that I hauled firewood home with (on the highway) he said, "Don't you have anything lying around that would fit?"

Frank

 

[tcreeley]

I am assuming that you have springs, not torsion axles. Be sure to grease all of the pins on the springs. Grease dries up and hardens. Also regrease your bearings, maybe replace them. I had a bad bearing on my first bumper trailer. The spindle heated up and I watched the tire spin off into the bushes - leaving me a nice hot stub of steel on the axle. I switched my horse to the better side and drove home the remaining mile.

When I sold the trailer, the new owner bought a shiny chromed ball from a discount store. His first time out the ball split and he lost the trailer in the ditch, along with another spindle! (Came to ask for the old good one I had hung onto to have it re-welded on to his axle. I had replaced my entire axle.)

Things look shiny with new paint - but rust gets underneath! But steel can be reinforced and welded.

 

[oliver1555]

We just bought a used two horse strait in (title says 1974) with two axles. This is my first trailer, but my wife has hauled horses in the past. The previous owner has replaced the floor, lights, sanded and painted it. They got a third horse and needed to upgrade. The tires need to be replaced as the sidewalls are showing cracking and the spare is blown out. The current tires are P215/75R15. Reading around I should be putting ST tires on it, but I am not sure which size (as 215/75R15 is not a a standard size in ST). Should I be putting on ST225/75R/15? I was thinking of just heading over to a tire place or Walmart and buying a set at $50 a tire for them to put on.

Just get the same P215/75R15 it has on it now and you'll be fine. That is what is on my old 1976 two horse Circle J trailer and I've never had a problem with many thousands of miles on it.

How did we ever survive before ST tires were invented?:confused2:

 

[orezok]

I'd definitely go with an ST tire, as mentioned, LT tires are too stiff in the sidewalls to allow for a tight turn.

Actually you got that backwards. ST痴 have a much stiffer sidewall than LT痴 because they are subject to substantial side load when turning. LT痴 are made to roll pretty much straight ahead and ride better.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

Good luck finding any ST tires that won't shed the tread after a year or two.

 

[Monster5601]

Good luck finding any ST tires that won't shed the tread after a year or two.

The defective Chinese tire fiasco from 2005 through 2008 when "China bombs" were the norm. Those days are long gone and hopefully, so are the tires that were sent here.