plastic or metal fenders on the trailer?

[chris]

Lost another plastic fender to another blown tire [insert lecture on
changing tires at <6yrs]. I can buy metal fenders locally for like
$18. Or somewhere I need to find a source for the plastic ones for my
old 1979 Komet trailer.

Who sells the plastic ones? (who supports Komets in the US?)

Is there any downside to switching to metal fenders over the plastic
ones?
Was wondering if there is an advantage to the frangible / tear away
quality of the plastic ones or metal should be fine.

Hey it is cold and rainy, good time for a trailer discussion and I
need an answer this week anyway.

Chris
Atlanta, GA, US

[[email protected]]

Etrailer works for me, I doubt that the plastic fenders I bought there
will last much longer than the tires (ST rated tires have special
compound, should last 8-10 years)

I got plastic fenders because they were lighter and rustproof. If I
were to buy them again, i would put a cover over both fender and tire.

aerodyne

[glidergeek]

On Dec 18, 5:55*pm, chris > wrote:
> Lost another plastic fender to another blown tire [insert lecture on
> changing tires at <6yrs]. *I can buy metal fenders locally for like
> $18. *Or somewhere I need to find a source for the plastic ones for my
> old 1979 Komet trailer.
>
> Who sells the plastic ones? (who supports Komets in the US?)
>
> Is there any downside to switching to metal fenders over the plastic
> ones?
> Was wondering if there is an advantage to the frangible / tear away
> quality of the plastic ones or metal should be fine.
>
> Hey it is cold and rainy, good time for a trailer discussion and I
> need an answer this week anyway.
>
> Chris
> Atlanta, GA, US

Buy steel fenders @ a trailer supply place, take them & have them
powder coated bolt them on and you can sit on them and change your
socks and shoes. Can't do that with plastic.

[[email protected]]

On Dec 18, 9:01*pm, glidergeek > wrote:
> On Dec 18, 5:55*pm, chris > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Lost another plastic fender to another blown tire [insert lecture on
> > changing tires at <6yrs]. *I can buy metal fenders locally for like
> > $18. *Or somewhere I need to find a source for the plastic ones for my
> > old 1979 Komet trailer.
>
> > Who sells the plastic ones? (who supports Komets in the US?)
>
> > Is there any downside to switching to metal fenders over the plastic
> > ones?
> > Was wondering if there is an advantage to the frangible / tear away
> > quality of the plastic ones or metal should be fine.
>
> > Hey it is cold and rainy, good time for a trailer discussion and I
> > need an answer this week anyway.
>
> > Chris
> > Atlanta, GA, US
>
> Buy steel fenders @ a trailer supply place, take them & have them
> powder coated bolt them on and you can sit on them and change your
> socks and shoes. Can't do that with plastic.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Not true, I do that with my plastic fender, they have built in steps
(3)n I can put my full weight on all portions, even stand securely on
the top of the fender to access the trailer roof, Difficult to do
that with a smooth steel fender without traction grips on dedicated
step areas.

I powder coated various parts of the frame and fender supports, IMO
powder coating will not last on the thin steel of a fender. Powder
coating will add to the cost and make it as expensive at a plastic
one. Of course, YMMV

aerodyne

[Matt Herron Jr.]

On Dec 18, 9:11*pm, wrote:
> On Dec 18, 9:01*pm, glidergeek > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Dec 18, 5:55*pm, chris > wrote:
>
> > > Lost another plastic fender to another blown tire [insert lecture on
> > > changing tires at <6yrs]. *I can buy metal fenders locally for like
> > > $18. *Or somewhere I need to find a source for the plastic ones for my
> > > old 1979 Komet trailer.
>
> > > Who sells the plastic ones? (who supports Komets in the US?)
>
> > > Is there any downside to switching to metal fenders over the plastic
> > > ones?
> > > Was wondering if there is an advantage to the frangible / tear away
> > > quality of the plastic ones or metal should be fine.
>
> > > Hey it is cold and rainy, good time for a trailer discussion and I
> > > need an answer this week anyway.
>
> > > Chris
> > > Atlanta, GA, US
>
> > Buy steel fenders @ a trailer supply place, take them & have them
> > powder coated bolt them on and you can sit on them and change your
> > socks and shoes. Can't do that with plastic.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Not true, I do that with my plastic fender, they have built in steps
> (3)n I can put my full weight on all portions, even stand securely on
> the top of the fender to access the trailer roof, *Difficult to do
> that with a smooth steel fender without traction grips on dedicated
> step areas.
>
> I powder coated various parts of the frame and fender supports, IMO
> powder coating will not last on the thin steel of a fender. *Powder
> coating will add to the cost and make it as expensive at a plastic
> one. *Of course, YMMV
>
> aerodyne

I have steel fenders on my Cobra trailer. A blowout took the back
half of the fender and folded it double inside itself. So I am not
sure steel is any more durable than plastic. Although I was able to
take it off, pound it back into shape, and re-paint it. Not quite so
purdy anymore...

Matt

[Chip Bearden[_2_]]

I have a blue plastic Cobra fender (right side) left over from when
its mate was taken out by a piece of tire tread lying on the freeway
the first year I owned the trailer (1982). I bought galvanized steel
fenders from Northern Hydraulics (now Northern Tool). They were nearly
a bolt on (had to redrill one or two holes) and would still look good
today except for:

1. My trailer sits outside leaning at a slight angle. The fender on
the low side catches the runoff from the roof and has a rust streak as
a result. Unsightly, not structural.
2. Two years ago I blew a tire dramatically and, as another poster
similarly reported, it bent the rear few inches back in on itself. I
banged it out and may even one day smooth it off and paint it, but
it's servicable.

If I had it to do over again: metal. No question about it.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
USA

[sisu1a]

> I have steel fenders on my Cobra trailer. *A blowout took the back
> half of the fender and folded it double inside itself. *So I am not
> sure steel is any more durable than plastic. *

Really? Imagine what your fiberglass/aluminum trailer would have
looked like if that steel fender hadn't absorbed like 90% of the
energy of the blowout. In addition to a mangled trailer, your glider
would have probably been damaged inside as well like this recent
victim of plastic fenders:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.aviation.soaring/browse_thread/thread/c239415b95aad7d6#

Another good reason for metal fenders is that they provide a little
more protection from other cars/trailers as well...

-Paul

[POPS]

I have steel fenders on my Cobra trailer. *A blowout took the back
half of the fender and folded it double inside itself. *So I am not
sure steel is any more durable than plastic. *

Really? Imagine what your fiberglass/aluminum trailer would have
looked like if that steel fender hadn't absorbed like 90% of the
energy of the blowout. In addition to a mangled trailer, your glider
would have probably been damaged inside as well like this recent
victim of plastic fenders:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.aviation.soaring/browse_thread/thread/c239415b95aad7d6#

Another good reason for metal fenders is that they provide a little
more protection from other cars/trailers as well...

-Paul

Another blown tire? That's your problem. Upgrade to proper heavy walled trailer tires. Tires should never blow.

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

On 12/19/2010 10:02 AM, sisu1a wrote:
>
>> I have steel fenders on my Cobra trailer. A blowout took the back
>> half of the fender and folded it double inside itself. So I am not
>> sure steel is any more durable than plastic.
>
> Really? Imagine what your fiberglass/aluminum trailer would have
> looked like if that steel fender hadn't absorbed like 90% of the
> energy of the blowout. In addition to a mangled trailer, your glider
> would have probably been damaged inside as well like this recent
> victim of plastic fenders:
> http://groups.google.com/group/rec.aviation.soaring/browse_thread/thread/c239415b95aad7d6#
>
> Another good reason for metal fenders is that they provide a little
> more protection from other cars/trailers as well...

I've known a lot of people (including me) that have lost a tire on a
COBRA trailer, with no damage to anything but the fender. The 1984 Komet
trailer might be a more fragile animal.

How much you use the trailer, and how much a problem rust is, may be the
way to choose. I fought chronic rust on my steel race car trailer
fenders (inside the fender and the front of the fender - mostly rock
chips), but rust is not an issue with my Cobra's plastic fenders.
Northern Tool also has aluminum fenders - a good compromise, perhaps. Or
find someone that will sell you stainless steel!

For the last few years, I've had a tire pressure monitoring system on
the tow vehicle that includes the trailer tires, hoping to avoid the
tire failure in the first place. Looking the tires every time I gas up
helps, too. If the tread is beginning to separate, this will likely find
it before the tire pressure is affected.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)

[Andy[_1_]]

On Dec 19, 2:16*pm, Eric Greenwell > wrote:

> For the last few years, I've had a tire pressure monitoring system on
> the tow vehicle that includes the trailer tires, hoping to avoid the
> tire failure in the first place. Looking the tires every time I gas up
> helps, too. If the tread is beginning to separate, this will likely find
> it before the tire pressure is affected.

In some cases, perhaps not all, I think the tread separates completely
and the tire continues to run inflated until the carcass fails. I
think that's what happened when my Cobra tire failed. There was no
damage as would have been caused by a flailing tread and only about 3
inches of the rear of the fender cleanly rubbed away along with half
the mud flap. I had a flailing tread failure on the Minden trailer and
it bent the hell out of the steel fender and the rear support bar.

Andy

[Andy[_1_]]

On Dec 19, 2:04*pm, POPS > wrote:
> sisu1a;758236 Wrote:
>
>
>
> > -
>
> > I have steel fenders on my Cobra trailer. *A blowout took the back
> > half of the fender and folded it double inside itself. *So I am not
> > sure steel is any more durable than plastic. *-
>
> > Really? *Imagine what your fiberglass/aluminum trailer would have
> > looked like if that steel fender hadn't absorbed like 90% of the
> > energy of the blowout. In addition to a mangled trailer, your glider
> > would have probably been damaged inside as well like this recent
> > victim of plastic fenders:
> >http://tinyurl.com/2uy3vme
>
> > Another good reason for metal fenders is that they provide a little
> > more protection from other cars/trailers as well...
>
> > -Paul
>
> Another blown tire? *That's your problem. Upgrade to proper heavy walled
> trailer tires. Tires should never blow.
>
> --
> POPS

I assume you have no experience of driving in Arizona. If you can fry
an egg on the sidewalk what chance do you think tires stand. I've shed
treads on 3 car tires and 2 trailer tires since I've been resident in
this state. The explosive failures at 80mph were an interesting ride.

Andy

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

On 12/19/2010 3:29 PM, Andy wrote:
> On Dec 19, 2:16 pm, Eric > wrote:
>
>> For the last few years, I've had a tire pressure monitoring system on
>> the tow vehicle that includes the trailer tires, hoping to avoid the
>> tire failure in the first place. Looking the tires every time I gas up
>> helps, too. If the tread is beginning to separate, this will likely find
>> it before the tire pressure is affected.
>
> In some cases, perhaps not all, I think the tread separates completely
> and the tire continues to run inflated until the carcass fails. I
> think that's what happened when my Cobra tire failed. There was no
> damage as would have been caused by a flailing tread and only about 3
> inches of the rear of the fender cleanly rubbed away along with half
> the mud flap. I had a flailing tread failure on the Minden trailer and
> it bent the hell out of the steel fender and the rear support bar.

My only total tire failure was preceded by a loud noise. I immediately
stopped. The tire was destroyed but still on the wheel; the tread and
the fender were a ways behind - drove back to pick things up. Did the
tread partially separate, leading to overheating or damage that caused
the tire to fail and lose the tread entirely? Don't know - didn't have
the TPMS on the vehicle at that time.

I don't know what goes on in detail when a tread begins to separate, but
I hope it raises the pressure enough to trigger the high alarm, or loses
enough to trigger the low alarm, before it fails catastrophically.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)

- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation Mar/2004" Much of what
you need to know tinyurl.com/yfs7tnz

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

On 12/19/2010 1:04 PM, POPS wrote:
> sisu1a;758236 Wrote:
>> -
>>
>>
>>
>> I have steel fenders on my Cobra trailer. *A blowout took the back
>> half of the fender and folded it double inside itself. *So I am not
>> sure steel is any more durable than plastic. *-
>>
>> Really? Imagine what your fiberglass/aluminum trailer would have
>> looked like if that steel fender hadn't absorbed like 90% of the
>> energy of the blowout. In addition to a mangled trailer, your glider
>> would have probably been damaged inside as well like this recent
>> victim of plastic fenders:
>> http://tinyurl.com/2uy3vme
>>
>> Another good reason for metal fenders is that they provide a little
>> more protection from other cars/trailers as well...
>>
>> -Paul
>
> Another blown tire? That's your problem. Upgrade to proper heavy walled
> trailer tires. Tires should never blow.

You need to round out this claim with a description of what you mean by
"blow", because those of us that have heard a trailer rated tire make a
really loud noise are pretty confident that they _can_ "blow".

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl
- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation Mar/2004" Much of what
you need to know tinyurl.com/yfs7tnz

[jcarlyle]

On Dec 19, 10:13 pm, Eric Greenwell > wrote:
> On 12/19/2010 1:04 PM, POPS wrote:
> > Another blown tire? That's your problem. Upgrade to proper heavy walled
> > trailer tires. Tires should never blow.
>
> You need to round out this claim with a description of what you mean by
> "blow", because those of us that have heard a trailer rated tire make a
> really loud noise are pretty confident that they _can_ "blow".

He didn't mean "blow", he meant it POPS.

-John

[Morgans[_2_]]

"Eric Greenwell" > wrote

> I don't know what goes on in detail when a tread begins to separate, but I
> hope it raises the pressure enough to trigger the high alarm, or loses
> enough to trigger the low alarm, before it fails catastrophically.

There are two types of tread separation; one caused by the tread not having
a good bond to the cord, and one where the layers of the cord separate
taking the tread with it. Most old tires that are not retreads are the
second type, and retreads failing usually are the first type.

If the body of the tire stays whole, the pressure will not change, sorry to
say.
--
Jim in NC