Bigger trailer tires?

[ZmOz]

I just replaced the tires on my truck and now I have a set of 3 tires that still have a good bit of mileage left. The tires are 30"...I don't know what my trailer has now, but they are quite small. (and my boat/trailer weighs about 1500lbs) They don't need replacing at the moment, but I was thinking, since my boat gets alot of freeway miles, would it be better on my bearings to use the bigger tires? I would also kind of like to have them since they match the new tires that are on my truck.

 

[JB]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

Not a good idea, ZmOz.<br /><br />Trailers need trailer tires. Car/truck tires haven't the sidewall strength for safe trailer use.<br /><br />Sorry. I know that's not what you wanted to hear.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

I know they have specific trailer tires, but I'm pretty sure the tires on it now are car tires...and the bigger tires that I want to use are pretty tough off road tires.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

Just went out and checked, yep, I've already got car tires on my boat. They're bigger than I thought too, only about 2" smaller than the 30" tires. The ones that are on there are rated at 1650lbs, my old truck tires are rated at 1950lbs, and the trailer is only going to be putting about 750lbs on them. I know they are very strong tires...the reason they were replaced on my truck is because one was flat, turns out it had 4 nails in it. It sat flat for about 2 years and still held up great and held air for about 24 hours...although I won't be using that tire on my trailer. <br /><br />Anyway...this brings me back to my main question, is it worth my time and money to put the bigger tires on?

 

[JB]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

Sounds like you already made up your mind, ZmOz.<br /><br />You'll need to get your endorsement from someone else.

 

[DJ]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

ZmOz,<br /><br />As JB said. <br /><br />The other thing to think about is that those tires are going to require you to back your trailer farther into the water, for launching.<br /><br />About 1" in height means another foot farther back!

 

[lakeman1999]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

The other thing to think about is that those tires are going to require you to back your trailer farther into the water, for launching.<br />

I thought ya'll said the trailer tires have a stronger sidewall, and I know that the car tires are softer, and sidewalls flex (to give a soft "cushy" ride), therefor, the car tires should sit lower, than a like size of trailer tire of equal, or larger size, requireing backing to a lesser depth in the water for launch.

 

[DJ]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

lakeman1999,<br /><br />ZmOz, mentions that the tires he wants to put on are taller. Anything that raises the effective height of the trailer requires it to be backed in further to float the boat.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

ZMOZ<br /><br />DON'T DO IT! You need to understand that your car has a suspension which changes the load on the tires. If you watch your trailer with car tires in the rear view mirror while going over bumps you will swear to god they are going to blow.<br /><br />Car tires are designed for a much different role. Handling is not a concern for trailer tires. Quiet performance isn't critical either. Smooth ride---nope. Cornering at high speed, a trailers not really designed for high speed maneuvers. In fact cornering will suffer from car tires. Not many people trailer their boats in snow and therefore tread design for cars change. Temperature ratings are different. Side wall strength and design is differnt. Check out the max air pressure on a trailer tire vs. automotive tires. Worried about bearing wear, no need, just keep them greased. Load is the critical factor not a 5-10% drop in Rpm's.<br /><br />How's the clearance with respect to the fenders. Be careful that the flex in the tire won't rub during turns. Might want to check your insurance policy to make sure that this modification doesn't void your coverage. Have you ever seen a semi with low profile radial's?<br /><br />Trailer tires = Peace of mind. The right tool for the job.<br /><br />Doug

 

[Lark40]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

If you have an accident, don't expect your insurance company to help you. You are voiding your coverage by improperly equipping your trailer.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

I just went through this with my 16' bass boat.<br /><br />It had regular car/truck tires on it and when you would hit little dips in the road, you would think that everything inside boat would bounce out and it would continue bouncing for a little bit.<br /><br />Went and got a set of regular trailer tires, and because of the stiffer sidewalls, no more bounce.<br /><br />Save your time and dollars and invest in regular trailer tires when it comes time.

 

[Spidybot]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

Agree.<br /><br />Plus, if you're into roadholding and handling you need to use tires that are designed for your use.<br /><br />Car tires tends to bounce endlessly at normal road speeds, a problem that can be solved by running higher tyre pressure (if you refuse to use trailer tires).<br /><br />All else equal, a lower profile will result in better road capabilities (and bring down the point of gravity) BUT suffer in 'comfort' to the trailer load (there will be less air between the road and the rim, so to speak).<br /><br />Test a car with extreme low profiles. When you run over a coin you'll be able to tell if it's 'heads' or 'tales' !!

 

[Buttanic]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

I have used car and light truck tires on various boat trailers for years and never had a problem. I made tows of thousands of miles with my boats. As long as the tire load rating is sufficent to carry the weight of the boat, trailer and what ever you load into the boat I would not expect problems.<br /><br />Buttanic

 

[SeaMasterZ@aol.com]

Re: Bigger trailer tires?

ive used a trailer with car tires on it<br /><br />but<br /><br />it was made from the front end of a fifties ford CAR<br /><br />so - I guess its ok, but I tell ya what, they DO bounce ... fortunately, its a heavy haul local run trailer, but I have had it down the shore a few times for hauling big stuff down to the little house<br /><br />I am gettin rid of it, need a smaller trailer for the smaller truck