What Air Pressure Should I Run in My Trailer Tires?

Question

Question:

I have a 5 x 8 utility trailer with st205/75d15 6pr tires that say 50psi max. pressure. What happens if I run 40psi in the tires due to not hauling nothing but a 4 wheeler?

asked by: Joe D

0

Expert Reply:

We recommend that all trailer tires be inflated to the max psi stated on the sidewall of the tire. If the tire is under inflated, the weight capacity is lowered to an unknown amount for that tire.

Although running lower air pressures can improve the ride of the trailer with lighter loads, the weight rating that the tire can carry will be reduced. If a heavier load is put on the trailer without changing the air pressure to the recommended amount, the sidewall of the tire could heat up and may cause a tire failure.

Outside temperature can be an issue in tire inflation. The warmer the outside temperature is the air pressure in the tires will increase. However, in colder weather, air pressure will decrease in tires. If the tire pressure is already lower than the stated amount, tire pressure could decrease more and could cause tire failure. It is recommend to inflate your trailer tires when the tire is cold.

It is recommeded that all trailer tires be inflated to the stated air pressure amount on the tire.

expert reply by: Jared P

0

John

1/11/2021

Should the tires of a utility trailer be inflated to max psi before load or should it be adjusted to max psi after load?

Reply

Jon G.

1/14/2021

Before you load the trailer.

Reply

Jennifer

3/17/2022

@JonG What if you’ve got your utility trailer filled with a bit of an office type of a structure made out of wood it’s a 3 x 5 trailer and I put my 80 pounds of pressure in the trailer tires after I built the structure is that gonna be OK

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Les D.

3/18/2022

Under normal circumstances the pressure in a tire remains the same regardless if there is a load on them or not. Since the volume of the tire does not change when under a load (only the shape) the pressure does not increase. In an extreme situation you may see an increase of around 1 psi. So you will want to inflate the tires to their max psi rating when cold and you will be good to go.

Reply

Cfm

8/10/2024

Details on trailer tire air pressure. My current trailer tires state maximum tire pressure of 80psi. If I check the tire pressure cold and inflate to 80 psi. Driving the trailer will increase the psi to over the max pressure. Should I allow for this thermal expansion and reduce the cold psi reading? FYI: This trailer is an enclosed car hauler and the trailer manufacturer recommends 65 psi. Thank you in advance for any suggestions. Regards, C. F. Mauro.

Reply

Kevin C.

8/12/2024

@Cfm The max pressure listed on the sidewall of the tires is the "cold" max pressure, meaning that the psi rating already takes thermal expansion into account. If you went over the max cold pressure rating that's where you could run into an issue with pressure as the tire heats up. For every 10 degrees the tire heats up you'll gain about 1 psi. Most tires will run around 150 - 165 degrees Fahrenheit so you'd likely be looking at less than 10 psi rise.

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Answer 1

I can end this debate for you real fast! Trailer tires, which will have an ST in front of the size, should always be inflated to the maximum psi indicated on the tire. Trailer tires usually do not have a recommended and maximum psi indication so I am…

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Answer 2

On a towing setup you are always limited by the lowest rated component as the overall towing capacity since that is the weakest point. When it comes to trailer tires you always want to have them inflated to their max psi when cold. Not only do you…

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Answer 3

In this instance, the tire pressure should be maintained at 65 PSI. Unlike tires on a passenger vehicle that might have an acceptable range of tire pressures, trailer tires should always be ran at the maximum pressure listed on the tire sidewall.…

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Answer 4

Trailer tires should be inflated when they are cold and should be inflated to the max psi rating on the sidewall. In your case you would want to run 80 psi. If you don't inflate them to the max psi figure you will lose weight capacity and…

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Answer 5

I do have an option for you though we don't carry the exact same style of wheel the trailer came with from the factory. That said, it's just a spare wheel after-all so you don't really need an exact style match since it won't even be…

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Answer 6

The psi of your trailer tires will be listed on the side wall. It will list the max psi which is what you will want to fill them to regardless of how much weight you have. For reference, the 4.80 x 12 tires we carry have a 60 psi max for load range B…

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Answer 7

The Westlake tires ST205/75R15 trailer tires should be inflated to the max psi listed on the sidewall of your tire. The Westlake ST205/75R15 Radial Trailer Tire - Load Range D #LHWL300 we carry should be inflated to 65 psi cold. Ideally you would…

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Answer 8

You are always going to want to inflate your trailer tires to the max psi for the best performance. Your 235/80-16 tires should be inflated to 80 psi, even though your tires are going to have a much higher overall capacity than what your actual load…

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Answer 9

In order to determine the torque rating for the lug nuts on your trailer you will need to know check out the chart I attached that shows all of the torque specs for all the trailer lugs available based on stud size, wheel material and wheel size.

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Answer 10

You may be experiencing some wear in the suspension components that can cause tire wear and also be a symptom or cause the axle to be misaligned. Inspect your suspension components and if any of the holes where hardware goes is egg-shaped, that…

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Answer 11

Hello Darren, thanks for reaching out. The Lippert 7K axles use a standard bearing combination but there are two possible seal sizes. We have two bearing kits for the Lippert 7K axles part #BK3-100 and the part #BK3-110. The difference is the inner…

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Answer 12

On your 1997 Dodge Ram with an 8 foot bed both Curt hitches #C15318 and #C15319 are confirmed to fit. They also install in basically the same way and have the same capabilities so either will work just as well as the other for you. The difference…

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What Air Pressure Should I Run in My Trailer Tires?

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