Another Tire Problem

[billhoover]

I recall Lonnie stating in an earlier post that LTs had a 'buffer' re weight ratings and that STs actually have more flexible sidewalls due to cornering, not stronger sidewalls.

[Illini Trekker]

John sorry to hear about the bent axle what was the cost to straighten the axle. My 2955 has served us well to date. Weight the trailer last week trailer=10520, pin weight=2800 thats 7720 on axles, E load rating will work well of us.

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by billhoover

I recall Lonnie stating in an earlier post that LTs had a 'buffer' re weight ratings and that STs actually have more flexible sidewalls due to cornering, not stronger sidewalls.

I can understand why ST would have a more flexible side wall after seeing what the trailer tires do when making a sharp turn backing up. I don't know if this would cause problems with LT's or not.

[ARJ]

For what it's worth, I put BF Goodrich Commercial TA LT245/75/16E tires on my 31RLD TT and took an almost 7K mile trip recently. My TT weighs 9000# (axle weight) while hitched up and partially loaded. The tires provide a weight rating of 12164# (a 25%+ margin) and performed superbly on our trip, not to mention the piece of mind.

I switched from 15" (using Made in America 16" rims) because there are no trailer tires available which are not made in China and buying Chinese tires is somewhat akin to insanity in my opinion.


The point of all this rambling is that standard sizes (ie: 245E, 265E, etc) may be all that is needed in some cases if clearance is adequate and these tires run at 80# of air as well.

[Art-n-Marge]

Note that I said stronger, not less flexible. Since trailer tires aren't on axles that have differentials they have to grind their way through turns and I have also seen what they look like when it's happening. It's not pretty. LT's have differentials or steering axles to help them.

But I have read the sidewalls are supposed to be stronger (AND flexible) because of inherent trailer use. Unfortunately, I have seen the tread fall off (maybe workmanship) and holes blowing out the sides (maybe because of age). I just don't understand why the DOT or the vendors are so adamant about requiring STs if they are so prone to failures. But they have been able to make it the owner's problem and blame.

I am thinking that the profit margins on ST tires are the driving force. LTs seem like they are subjected to better testing and therefore higher requirements because they are intended to be put on vehicles that carry passengers, very often and cost more because of this. STs are on trailers and they don't care as much about a trailer tire failure and all the inconveniences that us owners experience and while the price to buy them is cheaper than an LT most times, it's that much more money in the ST manufacturers' pocket. And if an owner decides to buy the more expensive LT, then all the better for these same tire manufacturers.

This won't come to light until more people die from it in unfortunate accidents that right now can be pointed at owner's driving or lack of maintenance or attention and less at the manufacturers because they are still making too much money and it's too hard to prove so far and there has only been mostly property damage so far. Look at us, we just try and find alternatives and move along because collectively we don't have enough knowledge or money or presence to fight the root of the problem. I'll just keep my Marathons, hope for the best and when they become a problem, I'll blame myself or find something different to use. The manufacturers will keep doing what they're doing.

The good news is forums like this one are making us way smarter about caring for our rigs.

[ARJ]

quote:Originally posted by Art-n-Marge

Note that I said stronger, not less flexible. Since trailer tires aren't on axles that have differentials they have to grind their way through turns and I have also seen what they look like when it's happening. It's not pretty. LT's have differentials or steering axles to help them.

Art! I don't dispute anything you say but trailer wheels are FREE WHEELING the same as if there was a differential on the axle. The trailer axles are just tubes with a fixed backplate and spindle on which the hub & wheel assembly is mounted with their bearings.

Am I wrong?

[Art-n-Marge]

I think you are right... I was addressing the implication that stronger meant stiffer sidewalls which it does not. Not true. Documentation I have read on ST tires claim the sidewalls are stronger (no mention of flexibility) than LTs. Some prior posts above seem to think that more flexible means weaker. I just wanted to clear that up.

If Free Wheeling means it acts like a differential, why do these same how to's on how to treat trailer tires is not to leave them "untrue" or "on a turn" or "angled out" - there have been all kinds of terms meaning not straight up and down. One should move forward (or backward) a few feet in a straight manner then backwards (or forwards) back into positions so the tires sit straight up and down once again. Why then is this necessary to prevent undue stress on trailer tires. So many vehicles leave their tires in a turn and I haven't heard this being problematic.

[CBTraveler]

I've had three of the Mission tires on my 2006 3400RL fail.Total towing mileage was about 20,000 since we bought the trailer. Two failed on different trips this year and the third had a belt rupture that I discovered while removing the remaining two Missions to replace them. I chose Goodyear Marathons- I sure hope they are better than the Missions. I could not get a consistent answer re the aluminum wheels being able to handle 110 psi, so I decided to stick with LRE 80 psi.My first failure was a blowout which damaged some of the understructure. I discovered that the second tire was severely underinflated during a routine rest stop, but it would have blown out within a few miles. I'm in the process of adding a tire pressure monitoring system rather than depending on my Granddaughter to ask if I would stop at the next rest area. I'm convinced that Mission tires are made by little old Chinese women in their kitchen by gluing up old eraser rubber. I hope Goodyear uses a better grade of erasers for their source of rubber.

[billhoover]

quote:Originally posted by CBTraveler

I've had three of the Mission tires on my 2006 3400RL fail.Total towing mileage was about 20,000 since we bought the trailer.

If you got 20k out of your Missions, you did better than most of us!

[Sheepdog]

quote:Originally posted by CBTraveler

I've had three of the Mission tires on my 2006 3400RL fail.Total towing mileage was about 20,000 since we bought the trailer. Two failed on different trips this year and the third had a belt rupture that I discovered while removing the remaining two Missions to replace them. I chose Goodyear Marathons- I sure hope they are better than the Missions. I could not get a consistent answer re the aluminum wheels being able to handle 110 psi, so I decided to stick with LRE 80 psi.My first failure was a blowout which damaged some of the understructure. I discovered that the second tire was severely underinflated during a routine rest stop, but it would have blown out within a few miles. I'm in the process of adding a tire pressure monitoring system rather than depending on my Granddaughter to ask if I would stop at the next rest area. I'm convinced that Mission tires are made by little old Chinese women in their kitchen by gluing up old eraser rubber. I hope Goodyear uses a better grade of erasers for their source of rubber.

Don't want to burst your bubble but the Goodyear Marathons are made by the same little ole Chinese folks, and are getting a bad reputation. I got rid of mine ASAP.

[rosstok]

Always interesting materials on the MOC when it comes to tires...Here are a couple of additional thoughts and confirmations:

Yes, the Marathons are made in China (used erasers and all..) - just checked mine again, and they are clearly stamped "made in China"

ARJ - I agree with you on the freewheeling - just had mine up for brake work (see my other thread for information on backward installation of the brakes). In fact, the way that they adjusted the brakes (new ones were not self adjusting) was to tighten the brakes down until the wheel would just spin three revolutions before stopping - seems to imply some brake drag - but that is discussion for another thread.

There is an interesting discussion here: http://www.tire-information-world.co...ler-tires.html about proper maintenance of tires. Talked about managing pressure using the "static load radius". Does anybody out there use this approach?

[LonnieB]

A differential on a vehicle axle is designed to allow one tire of the axle to turn faster than the other during a turn. For example, when making a right hand turn the left rear tire of the vehicle has to turn more revolutions than the right rear because it has to cover a greater distance. Without a differential, both tires would be turning the same revolutions causing at least two problems, hard steering, and accelerated tire wear. Anyone who has ever driven a vehicle with a differential lock knows what I am talking about.

The force applied to these trailer axles and tires is completely different than the force applied to your tow vehicle axles and tires. It is a horizontal force that happens only on multiple axle trailers and other multiple axle vehicles, such as big trucks, buses, and motor homes. For example, if you make a sharp right turn, you are actually trying to pivot the trailer on top of the axles. What happens to the tires and axles is a force pushing the front axle to the left side of the trailer and the rear axle to the right side of the trailer. In a sharp left turn, the opposite happens to the trailer axles and tires.

quote:By Art-n-Marge

We need Lonnie's take about right now. The only ST he recommends is Maxxis and he uses LT's on his rig.

You are right Art, on both counts.

[CBTraveler]

I have alloy rims on my 3400RL. While changing a tire this week I noticed that the rim weight rating is located on the inside side of the rim. I can't remember the exact number but it was around 3100 pounds. I've heard so many opinions from various tire dealers as to alloy rims handling 110 psi that I would not try 110 psi on the alloy rims on my Montana. I could not find any Goodyear data showing the 614's load rating at 80psi, and none of the dealers I contacted could find any either.

[camper4]

My alloy wheels have a rating of 3700 pounds, according to info on the inside of the wheel. No PSI rating but there are no 80 pound tires that will hold 3700 pounds.
I would think 3100 pounds would not be over 80 psi rims.

[bncinwv]

Tredit (supplier of the rims used on the Montana) told me that the alloy rims are rated for 3750 pounds and 110 psi. I believe, based on many previous inquiries by forum members, that this has been the case since at least 2007 (again, I believe, and this is not represented as factual, just belief!). When I did the calculations for the 614s, the results showed that I only needed to be at 95 psi for the rig weight. As a safety measure, I may consider 100 psi, but for now the dealer has been instructed to put them at 95. All of the above is based on the research that I have done in the last couple of months since there was absolutely no way that I was putting another set of "made in China" tires on any rig, particularly the new one. This was all validate when the "Chinese bomb" lived up to it's name on the last trip in the 3400 and decided to explode!!
Bingo