Bios Trailer Tires Vs. Radials

[RCKYMTAIR]

Hi,
I just bought a brand new Crestliner boat the shorelander trailer came with a single axle and has 215 75 D14 bias tires on it.


It never came with a spare so I figured I would go shopping for a spare, come to my suprise I cannot find anyone locally that carrys bias tires everyone only has Radials.

What is the difference between the two is Bias that bad ???? One dealer told me I will wreck those tires within 3,000 miles and they will wreck my plastic wheel wells.

I have 2 options, one to order a bias spare or 2 replace both tires and use one of the new bias tires as a spare. Please help I don't know much about these tires.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Bios Trailer Tires Vs. Radials

bias ply has been around for many decades. you should change your tires approx every 5 years, due to dry rot. I would by radial for a spare, but use it as a spare. when you have a flat, use the spare, repair the tire and remount. if you ruin a tire, use your spare radial, and replace the bad tire with a new radial. now you have radials on the ground, and a bias for a spare. you will eventually end up with all radial, without a big expense.

 

[zibzer]

Re: Bios Trailer Tires Vs. Radials

I had bias tires on my boat when I bought it. They were okay but old and needed changing. Some bias tires will hold a memory if you let them sit too long. so it will take a mile of driving to round them back up again but thats not too big of a deal. When I replaced mine I replaced it with radials, most because they were easily bought at the local Canadian Tire.

I dont know why the mechanic told you will will wreck in 3000 miles, maybe he wanted to sell you new tires. When they start to crack, its a good idea to replace them, even though they will usually last a long time with cracks.

As far as your spare, go ahead and buy radials. If you have to replace one wheel with the radial make sure you drive slow (35mph or less) to the nearest tire dealer and get 2 new radials.

One important note, and some will disagree with me...

Make sure you buy Trailer Rated Tires (usually "C" rated) they have stronger sidewalls and can withstand the punishment and sway the trailer gives them. With car radials on a trailer every time you hit a pothole your taking a risk of blowing a tire out, and that can be a costly and dangerous problem.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Bios Trailer Tires Vs. Radials

bias ply has been around for many decades. you should change your tires approx every 5 years, due to dry rot. I would by radial for a spare, but use it as a spare. when you have a flat, use the spare, repair the tire and remount. if you ruin a tire, use your spare radial, and replace the bad tire with a new radial. now you have radials on the ground, and a bias for a spare. you will eventually end up with all radial, without a big expense.

I agree with tashasdaddy. The cost will be the same in the end but at least you will get the use out of the Bias Tires that came with the trailer and the expense will be spread out over a period of time, a couple years at the least. Who knows two footitus may set in and you trade boats and wind up buying only one tire and wheel. Whatever you do. TRY/Make sure the spare you buy will actually fit your boat trailer hubs. TRY IT don't take someone else's word for it. TRUST ME! You don't want to get stranded somewhere at a lonely boat ramp or along side the expressway or an isolated highway.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Bios Trailer Tires Vs. Radials

As a rule of thumb, bias ply tires handle heavy weights better, radial tires handle heat better.
Nothing inherently dangerous or junk about the bias ply tires on your trailer rcky. Now, the fact that they are Carlises may have more to do with a failure than their bias ply construction.
The only other thing I want to add, is that I was always taught to not put a bias ply tire and a radial tire on opposite ends of an axle. That there different running characteristics "could" make the axle a little squirrely. So if you get a radial as a spare, and blow a tire, don't be surprised if your trailer behaves a little differently while you have the spare on.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Bios Trailer Tires Vs. Radials

50 years around boats, i have ran Carlisle's and Tow Master tires, radial and bias. i have never had a blow out. proper maintenance is required. especially air pressure. 99% of tire failure is because of air pressure being low.

Carlisle have far more trailer tires on the road, than any other maker.
when you have more on the road, and lousy maintenance, you here more complaints.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Bios Trailer Tires Vs. Radials

Load handling has no bearing on whether a tire has bias or radial ply construction. In fact a radial tire of equal load capacity builds less heat than the bias ply tire so one can say the radial handles its rated load better. Radials also tow easier so you get slightly better fuel economy. Yes they cost a little more.

 

[bullgator99]

Re: Bios Trailer Tires Vs. Radials

I have to move my (3000#) rig in and out of the garage by hand. The task became a lot easier when I switched to radials.