The special trailer (ST) tires are designed with stronger sidewalls and can handle higher air pressures which are needed when being used on a trailer that is made to carry a load.
Special trailer (ST) tires should be inflated to the maximum air pressure that is stamped on the sidewall of the tire. It will be stamped with a designation of maximum load at a maximum psi. For example, if it has 1,610 pounds at 65 psi, that will mean that the tire is capable of carrying 1,610 pounds of weight, if you have it filled to the maximum air pressure of 65 psi. With maximum air pressure, the tires will perform and wear better, and will get better gas mileage.
If a tire is inflated to a lower air pressure it will reduce the amount of weight that the tire can carry. If a heavier load is put on the trailer tire than what is recommended for that air pressure it will cause the sidewall of the tire to heat up quicker and cause the tire to fail.
It is always recommended to inflate your tires when they are cold.
If a tire is over-inflated the tire will wear more in the center of the tread, all the way around the tire. If the tire is under-inflated the tire will wear on both edges of the tires, all the way around the tire.
The special trailer tires will have a maximum speed rating of 65 miles per hour, unless stated otherwise on the tire. It is not recommended to run a trailer tire at a higher speed than 65 miles per hour due to the heat buildup that will occur inside the tire and cause the tire to break down and cause the tire to fail.
You will always want the tire size, load range, and construction, to match on your trailer. Using tires that are different can lead to more of a load being put on the smaller size tire/tires and cause tire problems to occur.
The main difference between a radial ply and bias ply tire is how the tire is constructed. The cords underneath the tire are run in different directions. On a bias tire, the cords run at a 32 degree angle from the direction of travel and on a radial tire, the cords will run at 90 degrees from direction of travel, or across the tire from wheel lip to wheel lip.
Because of the construction of a radial tire, the tire has more flex and will allow for more ground contact. That will improve traction and better tread wear. It also gives the radial tire better stability.
The radial tire will normally run cooler, if not overloaded, which will help the tire last longer, especially when the tire is under a load.
A bias tire has a stiffer sidewall and might be used more on off road applications, like farm use.
At one time the cost was a big difference from the bias to a radial, but now with both tires being close in price the radials are a much better value.
The DOT number code that is stamped on one side of the tire, near the bead area is a tire identification number . It will start with the letters DOT, then the next two numbers or letters are the plant code where the tire was manufactured. The last four numbers represent the week and year the tire was built. For example, the numbers 0410 means the fourth week of 2010.
On a passenger car and light truck it is always recommended to balance a tire to a wheel to eliminate any noise or vibration and to help the tire wear evenly.
If you purchase a trailer tire and wheel assembly from our site, the tire and wheel are mounted in such a way that balancing is typically not required. When these trailer tires and wheels are mounted, the high heavy spot on the tire is aligned with the low light spot on the wheel. This does not completely balance the tire and wheel assembly but it does eliminate any excessive out of balance condition.
For tires that are bought separate from the wheels it is recommended to have them balanced with a pin plate adapter on the wheel balancer. This will mimic the way the wheel is mounted to the trailer. Most trailer wheels are lug centric wheels which when mounted on the trailer are centered by the torque of the lug bolts and not the center bore of the wheel.
Most trailer wheels have a zero offset. This is because a zero offset allows the wheel to handle the maximum load by distributing the the load equally to both sides of the wheel.
To determine if your trailer wheels have an offset, you will want to remove a wheel from your trailer and measure from the mounting surface of the wheel, where the wheel mounts to the hub, and measure to the inside bead and to the outside bead. The difference will give you the offset.
If you are unable to determine the offset by measuring, then you should be able to contact your trailer manufacturer for that information by providing them with your trailers serial number. Some trailer wheel offsets can be as small as 5 mm which may be difficult to see with just a ruler.
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