Trailer tires

[Free To Canoe]

On a side note... I had bought a 4 way lug wrench.... and it bent!!!... and when I applied some more pressure... it SPLIT ....

Wow!

 

[martyb]

Good point. I'll mention it to the guys at Harbor Freight, next time I'm in there buying tools.

That sounds like a good place to buy one of those exploding lug wrenches...

 

[ChadR]

I can second the feedback about proper pressure and more importantly regular use. I've only recently begun to have trailer tire issues as my boat is sitting for longer and longer periods of time instead of being used almost every weekend year round.

Here is the last tire I destroyed on a houseboat trip last year.

 

[Texas Proud]

I can second the feedback about proper pressure and more importantly regular use. I've only recently begun to have trailer tire issues as my boat is sitting for longer and longer periods of time instead of being used almost every weekend year round.

Here is the last tire I destroyed on a houseboat trip last year.

LOL... I did not take pics of mine, but one looked worse.... the other I was looking in the mirror when the tread peeled off so we were able to get to the side of the road quick enough so it did not get to bad...

Your rims look like mine... maybe it is a rim thing

 

[samclem]

This kind of stuff just really ticks me off. . . It really concerns me that we (USA) are doing more and more business with companies outside the US that don't have anything close to a real Quality oversight system. We're settling for junk products that are making their way into our everyday lives, even into defense related products sometimes. It's scary, and it weakens our economy and infrastructure.

I like the option of being able to buy tools and items of lower quality. I wouldn't want a cheapo heart valve, but I've bought many cheap Harbor Freight tools that have been good enough for my purposes. I wouldn't want to earn my living with these tools, but I've gotten great value out of hammer drills, circular saws, hydraulic jacks, chop saws, etc that were 1/3 the price of high-quality tools. I don't need mil-spec bearings in every tool I use.
What I think we could use is better third-party testing and consumer reporting. Consumer Reports (Consumers Union) does a bang-up job with cars, appliances, car tires, etc, but they don't do everything. We've got this tremendous information infrastructure now, if only there were some way for a truly impartial third party to make money doing reviews of "everything else". Right now I'd be happy to pay a few bucks to learn about trailer tires before I buy replacements for my (cheap, great working) Harbor Freight utility trailer. There are probably boating web sites with user opinions/surverys on tires, but I'd be surprised to see testing, and I'd be suspicious of their impartiality.

 

[martyb]

Many years ago I needed a steering wheel puller. I went to the auto parts store and paid about $30 for a good-quality one. That was probably 35 + years ago, and I haven't used that tool since. Probably never will in my lifetime. I can see how less expensive tools might be an ok option for things that see limited use.

 

[Texas Proud]

Many years ago I needed a steering wheel puller. I went to the auto parts store and paid about $30 for a good-quality one. That was probably 35 + years ago, and I haven't used that tool since. Probably never will in my lifetime. I can see how less expensive tools might be an ok option for things that see limited use.

I do not disagree.... but a lug wrench is not one that I would want where it actually tore so I could not remove the lug nuts... something that can strand you out in the middle of nowhere is worth more to me...

BUT, the one I bought was not cheaper... IMO it was a fake of the real one... it had the same label on it and cost the same.... just made out of cheap metal....

 

[Nords]

What I think we could use is better third-party testing and consumer reporting. Consumer Reports (Consumers Union) does a bang-up job with cars, appliances, car tires, etc, but they don't do everything. We've got this tremendous information infrastructure now, if only there were some way for a truly impartial third party to make money doing reviews of "everything else".

Pawnshops. It's where contractor high-quality tools go to die.

 

[Cessna5354]

Good luck with the new tires, If you want more information on tire design, I was exhausted reading Michelin, Firestone & others when I replaced my RV tires. There is exact tires for steer, drive, trailer, regional, OTR etc. Those were a bit larger, but the technologies are similiar.

 

[ikonomore]

You should also make sure your wheel bearings are nice and full of grease and not dried out. The better they roll the less prone to blow outs.

 

[kumquat]

...

I recently bought a small boat... we went camping this past weekend and had a tire blow out going to the lake.... and another tire blow out coming home...

Does anybody here have any knowledge on trailer tires I need to get some new ones soon as we are going to go on another trip in two weeks...

What does a small boat and trailer weigh?

From what I have read and been told, no. A car and truck tire is designed different than a trailer tire.

I wonder how a light boat trailer tire differs from the back wheel of a car or light truck. Any engineers here are welcome to tell me, remembering that this is a light boat (my definition is < 2,5000 lbs on the trailer tires). My DD hauls a See-Doo and trailer. The whole thing weighs < 1,000 pounds, what is a light boat?

I'd certainly understand that there is a big difference between car and light truck tires and those needed for a 5th wheel trailer but what about a 'light boat'.

 

[Texas Proud]

What does a small boat and trailer weigh?

I wonder how a light boat trailer tire differs from the back wheel of a car or light truck. Any engineers here are welcome to tell me, remembering that this is a light boat (my definition is < 2,5000 lbs on the trailer tires). My DD hauls a See-Doo and trailer. The whole thing weighs < 1,000 pounds, what is a light boat?

I'd certainly understand that there is a big difference between car and light truck tires and those needed for a 5th wheel trailer but what about a 'light boat'.

Back from another adventure with the boat.... but the new tires worked just fine..

The boat weighs in at about 2200 lbs... add 200 or so for gas, 900 for the trailer and say another 100 for gear... total of 3400...

The tires are rated a bit above 1800, so two can carry 3600+.... not a lot of extra room...

From what I saw, a car tire is rated for less weight... they also have sidewalls and tread for steering and braking... trailer tires just need to roll and carry weight....