Troubleshooting Center Tire Wear When Tires are Inflated Properly

Updated 09/11/2018 | Published 09/10/2018

Question:

I use 8inch tires on my boat trailer load with trailer is about 950 lbs but at the pressure stated on the tire 60 psi my wear out on center in one season what can I do.

asked by: James A

Expert Reply:

Typically when you have wear just in the center tread of a trailer tire it is due to the tire being over-inflated. With that being said it sounds like you are properly inflating them to the maximum 60 psi that is listed on the tire sidewall so this doesn't appear to be the issue.

Another factor that might lead to the center wear is heat builtup on the tire from exceeding its speed limit. Unless otherwise indicated on the sidewall, trailer tires will have a maximum speed limit of 65 mph. You will just want to make sure you are staying under this limit when heading to the lake and back with your boat.

It's also possible that the loaded trailer is just a bit too light. What might be happening is that the trailer simply isn't heavy enough to flatten out the tire tread enough so that the tread is able to wear evenly. You might try adding some weight to the trailer (while still remaining below the combined load capacity of the tires) to see if this helps.

expert reply by: Chris R