How does one obtain the best glider trailer tire performance and safety?

[son_of_flubber]

With a gross trailer weight of 1500 lbs., 13" rims, legal highway speeds, routine inspection for damage, moderate ambient temperature, proper inflation and the careful avoidance of potholes and curbs, I'd expect that a new tire with a service rating a notch higher than the expected usage would be very reliable.

The people that tell horror stories about multiple trailer tire failures must be doing something wrong... old tires, excessive load, excessive speed, road hazard abuse, overheating, under-inflation etc..

What is the best bet on a new set of trailer tires?

[2G]

On Monday, July 7, 2014 7:07:15 PM UTC-7, son_of_flubber wrote:
> With a gross trailer weight of 1500 lbs., 13" rims, legal highway speeds, routine inspection for damage, moderate ambient temperature, proper inflation and the careful avoidance of potholes and curbs, I'd expect that a new tire with a service rating a notch higher than the expected usage would be very reliable.
>
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> The people that tell horror stories about multiple trailer tire failures must be doing something wrong... old tires, excessive load, excessive speed, road hazard abuse, overheating, under-inflation etc..
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> What is the best bet on a new set of trailer tires?

Start by going to a full service tire store. You will need tires that are rated for trailer service (they have stiffer sidewalls). I replaced the original tires on my Cobra trailer and found they didn't have exact replacement size. I had to go with a tire that was about 1" larger in diameter, which is pretty significant (there is less clearance with the fenders). They have a higher load rating than the originals and raises the height of the trailer above the road, but can make the assembly geometry more difficult.

Tom

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

2G wrote, On 7/7/2014 9:40 PM:
> On Monday, July 7, 2014 7:07:15 PM UTC-7, son_of_flubber wrote:
>> With a gross trailer weight of 1500 lbs., 13" rims, legal highway
>> speeds, routine inspection for damage, moderate ambient
>> temperature, proper inflation and the careful avoidance of potholes
>> and curbs, I'd expect that a new tire with a service rating a notch
>> higher than the expected usage would be very reliable.
>>
>>
>>
>> The people that tell horror stories about multiple trailer tire
>> failures must be doing something wrong... old tires, excessive
>> load, excessive speed, road hazard abuse, overheating,
>> under-inflation etc..
>>
>>
>>
>> What is the best bet on a new set of trailer tires?
>
> Start by going to a full service tire store. You will need tires that
> are rated for trailer service (they have stiffer sidewalls). I
> replaced the original tires on my Cobra trailer and found they didn't
> have exact replacement size. I had to go with a tire that was about
> 1" larger in diameter, which is pretty significant (there is less
> clearance with the fenders). They have a higher load rating than the
> originals and raises the height of the trailer above the road, but
> can make the assembly geometry more difficult.
>
> Tom

Light truck tires (LT) are also suitable, as they have similar handling
characteristics to the ST trailer tires, though you may have trouble
finding them for such a 13" wheel. I use a Michelin LT tire on my Cobra
trailer, which is the same as Tom's trailer.

ST or LT, just be sure they are radials.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorgliders/publications/download-the-guide-1
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

[noel.wade]

On Monday, July 7, 2014 7:07:15 PM UTC-7, son_of_flubber wrote:
> The people that tell horror stories about multiple trailer tire failures must be doing something wrong... old tires, excessive load, excessive speed, road hazard abuse, overheating, under-inflation etc..

Speaking from personal experience (having a tire blowout at 2am outside of Twin Falls, ID) I will state that a lot of people underestimate the effects of aging on trailer tires that are only used a few times a year for actual hauling. UV degradation and general aging (with cycles of temperature and humidity) cause wear even when the tires are in a relatively benign-seeming environment and held at good air-pressure and such. Here's a link with some useful information about this subject: http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTrailerTireFacts.do
(Note the relatively low speed-rating and mileage expecations for trailer tires, when compared to passenger tires)

My personal plan is to never have tires on my trailer more than 4-5 years old (3 years old, if I'm planning a big cross-USA trek for a National contest or similar event).

--Noel

[Hartley Falbaum[_2_]]

..

>
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> What is the best bet on a new set of trailer tires?


I have recently installed Kumho 857 trailer tires on my 2007 Cobra. Trailer tire rated to 99mph, load range D - Replaced the Hankook car tires. Big difference--no sway at any speed I care to drive, though 80 is my personal limit on Interstate. Plan to replace at 4 yr, just because! BTW my trailer is protected from the elements except when away from home.

[2G]

On Tuesday, July 8, 2014 3:52:34 PM UTC-7, Hartley Falbaum wrote:
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> I have recently installed Kumho 857 trailer tires on my 2007 Cobra. Trailer tire rated to 99mph, load range D - Replaced the Hankook car tires. Big difference--no sway at any speed I care to drive, though 80 is my personal limit on Interstate. Plan to replace at 4 yr, just because! BTW my trailer is protected from the elements except when away from home.

I agree with the 4 year replacement cycle. I have had 5 year old tires blow, and as Noel said it is no fun. Typically it is in the middle of nowhere and the spare is not trusty for a long run. And it usually takes out the fender as well. Keeping you speed below 70 mph helps too (trailer tires aren't designed for it).

Tom

[2G]

On Tuesday, July 8, 2014 4:17:58 PM UTC-7, 2G wrote:
> On Tuesday, July 8, 2014 3:52:34 PM UTC-7, Hartley Falbaum wrote:
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> > I have recently installed Kumho 857 trailer tires on my 2007 Cobra. Trailer tire rated to 99mph, load range D - Replaced the Hankook car tires. Big difference--no sway at any speed I care to drive, though 80 is my personal limit on Interstate. Plan to replace at 4 yr, just because! BTW my trailer is protected from the elements except when away from home.
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> I agree with the 4 year replacement cycle. I have had 5 year old tires blow, and as Noel said it is no fun. Typically it is in the middle of nowhere and the spare is not trusty for a long run. And it usually takes out the fender as well. Keeping you speed below 70 mph helps too (trailer tires aren't designed for it).
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> Tom

One last thing: before leaving on my latest trip I made sure I could actually change the trailer tire with the tools I carry. Found out I couldn't break the nuts on the wheel with socket wrench because they were torqued so tight, so I threw in a breaker bar. Ended up using it in Parowan, UT to help another pilot fix his DG808C.

Tom

[son_of_flubber]

On Tuesday, July 8, 2014 6:52:34 PM UTC-4, Hartley Falbaum wrote:
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> > What is the best bet on a new set of trailer tires?

> I have recently installed Kumho 857 trailer tires on my 2007 Cobra. Trailer tire rated to 99mph, load range D

This tire comes with a six year warranty. Coupled with the 99 mph speed limit, I take that to be tangible indicator of quality. If you can run these tires safely for six years, then the total cost of ownership is not so bad.

http://www.tirerack.com/images/pdf/warranty/KU0412.pdf

[Eric Greenwell[_4_]]

Hartley Falbaum wrote, On 7/8/2014 3:52 PM:
> .
>
>>
>>
>> What is the best bet on a new set of trailer tires?
>
>
> I have recently installed Kumho 857 trailer tires on my 2007 Cobra.
> Trailer tire rated to 99mph, load range D - Replaced the Hankook car
> tires. Big difference--no sway at any speed I care to drive, though
> 80 is my personal limit on Interstate. Plan to replace at 4 yr, just
> because! BTW my trailer is protected from the elements except when
> away from home.

They don't make it easy to discover! It's listed in the Light Truck &
SUV section under "Mud Terrain", and doesn't carry the "ST" trailer
designation. Also, only available in 14" size. The 99 mph rating makes
it seem more like an LT (light truck) tire than a trailer tire.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorgliders/publications/download-the-guide-1
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

[Glider RN]

I will second the suggestions for using the Kumho tire from the Tire Rack.

My second set of these are on my Cobra carrying a DG1000.
C185R-14 Kumho Radial 857 Trailer Use Only

They eliminated sway problems encountered with the tires that came on the trailer. It is easy to order them on the internet, which saves a lot of running around and debating whether some slightly different size the dealer has in stock will work as well as any debate about truck tires versus trailer tires.

John

[son_of_flubber]

On Tuesday, July 8, 2014 7:49:17 PM UTC-4, Eric Greenwell wrote:
> doesn't carry the "ST" trailer

Since all ST tires are rated to only 65 mph,
I conclude that ST stands for S--tty Tire.

Slightly more humourous, I was looking for a DOT number to determine the age of my spare tire. No DOT number found, but it did say MADE IN POLAND (in English). So based on 1999 date of import, the spare is 15 years old! It is flat of course.

[Bob Whelan[_3_]]

On 7/8/2014 5:22 PM, 2G wrote:
<Snip...>
> One last thing: before leaving on my latest trip I made sure I could
> actually change the trailer tire with the tools I carry. Found out I
> couldn't break the nuts on the wheel with socket wrench because they were
> torqued so tight, so I threw in a breaker bar. Ended up using it in
> Parowan, UT to help another pilot fix his DG808C.

Prudent thinking!

Years ago I got into the habit of - upon returning home - removing and
retorquing (by hand, with the [star] wrench[es] in my [appropriate] kit[s])
any lug nut to which an air wrench was applied.

My experience has been that any lug nut receiving an "appropriate torque"
simply does not loosen on its own, while those receiving torque above your
ability to loosen with the technology at hand may not loosen at all...

I've had shops under-torque and over-torque lug nuts.

The former wasn't fun when playing "botched NASCAR pit stop" on a limited
access highway, even as a teenager.

Later, on the road, the latter resulted in serious frustration, and additional
cost in time/bux, while at home I've subsequently twisted fairly new studs to
failure trying to loosen over-tightened lug nuts.

FWIW...

Bob W.