THSCC Forums

I seem to have my share of questions lately.

I have shredded several trailer tires in recent history. I keep them aired up between events, but I guess now and then I cut a tire while driving. The air goes down while I'm traveling at highway speeds and the first indication that I get something is wrong is that I'm seeing debris flying behind my car in the rear view mirror. About the time I realize that its my trailer tire flying apart, I hear an awful flapping noise and get the bright idea to slow down and check things over. Usually by then, the tire is totally destroyed.

I could purchase a $200 to $300 tire monitoring system, which seems a little silly on a utility trailer. My trailer rims are 14" rims and lately I've just been running car tires. The load is only a few hundred pounds on each tire, well under the tire load rating.

I'm wondering if it would help to install inner tubes in the tires. I know that radial tires don't require inner tubes, but I'm thinking that they might help maintain pressure better than not running tubes. I've heard from others that you should never run an inner tube in a radial tire. I've also seen in writing in places that it is ok to install an inner tube in a radial tire if it was rated for a radial tire. In fact, I saw some today in a store that are rated for radial tires, or so the box says.

Can anyone tell me if there is a real safety issue with running inner tubes in radial tires? I know some rallycross folks have done it to help maintain pressure in the tires in case you momentarily crack a bead. I'm having a hard time imagining that this inner tube in my trailer tire is going to create a big problem.. but I thought I'd ask the gurus here first. I dug around on the web for awhile, but I couldn't really find any articles that helped me with this issue.

Thanks!

Miles

Check and make sure that nothing on the trailer or the trailer itself is not rubbing on tires. You will have to figure out a way to check when it is weighted and moving.

I run radial tires made for SUV's on my trailer with no problem. A lot cheaper than the radial trailer tires.

_________________
Jim Pastorius
2008 Silverado VortecMax
1992 Camaro CMC#92
2002 BMW R1150R

2009 3rd Place CMC Mid-Atlantic Championship
2009 CMC Hyperfest Winner

I've run tubes in radial tires before, they work fine.

_________________
Carl Fisher

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4651531

Miles,

A couple of comments:

If you are cutting the tire on something I'm not sure that a tube will help much, if at all. I "think" that even if the tube isn't cut that it will work its way out through the cut.

The biggest potential advantage of tubes would be if you have leaks between the tire beads and the rims. Are these steel wheels? If so, rust is very likely. A leak "on the road" could be the problem.

I'm assuming these tires are not actual "trailer tires" but rather "tires on a trailer". If so, note that trailer tires have tougher sidewalls.

You might want to go to Northern Tool and get a pair of their already mounted on wheels brand new TRAILER tires . . . either radial or bias ply. This would solve two potential problems and the prices are very low (made in Asia just like Kumhos). If you do, be sure to get them balanced since I think they come unbalanced (no jokes please . . . )

Finally, is there a pattern to which tire fails (i.e. which specific wheel and side of the trailer)?

_________________
Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Miles,

Another thought. Are you buying used tires for the trailer? If so, it could simply be "old and deteriorated internally" tires suffering tread separation when they get warm/hot on the road.

I've run over 70,000 miles on various bias and radial TRAILER tires on my trailer. Obviously they are loaded more than yours but still are relatively lightly loaded. The only failure I've ever had was in my driveway when the old spare literally blew up (tread separation). I talked to an expert and he said that this is a common problem with trailer tires that sit uncovered in the sun/rain, etc. when they get old.

_________________
Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Good thoughts everybody. I'll do some more investigating.

Thanks!

I'd vote for the trailer tires. They are designed with stiff walls, hard tread compound, ventilated tread pattern to reduce heat build-up plus they're cheap! We've run our 4 year old HF trailer for > 200K miles at high speeds for long distances without a wimper, and they still look like new. We do store our trailer indoors in a cool building tho, UV rays while sitting in one position eats up tires. One of the reasons tire manufacturers went away from tubes is that when a tubeless tire gets a puncture it usually goes flat slowly. When a tube is punctured it will explode like a balloon.
Always check the air pressure each trip and inflate to the maximum pressure.

_________________
SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

After further investigation, I believe the culprit is that the tires failed due to dry rot. The sidewalls looked just fine, but when you closely examined the road surface of the tire, you could see small hairline cracks in between the tread blocks.

Several things happen as a result. Moisture can enter those cracks and can deteriorate the belts and structure inside the tire. This can lead to a premature tire structural failure. Also, the cracks can simply propagate all the way through allowing the tire to lose air while traveling down the road. Unless you have a tire pressure monitoring system of some sort, you won't know it. Run the tires just a short distance with little or no air, and they literally fly apart.

All those cracks have got to be allowing dirt and grit into the tire as well, and that can't be good. We also know what happens when moisture gets into cracks of any kind and then freezes. More bad things happen.

Yes, trailer tires are built to withstand higher loads. But I don't think they are any more dry rot resistant than normal passenger car tires.

Dick suggested that I get a cover for my spare tire to make sure it hasn't gone to pieces when I need to use it. I think that's a pretty good idea. Part of my problem is that the trailer sits outside all the time, in the dirt. But it is in the shade. So, I have plenty of mositure and some direct sun protection. It still dry rots tires quickly.

So, I've got new passenger car tires with tubes now. My theory is that just maybe the tube will buy me some time so that if cracks are forming that I don't see, the tire won't go flat right away. Hopefully, the tube will help the tire hold air until the cracks get bad enough in a few years for me to see them on examination. And then, I WILL replace them yet again.

More than you wanted to know.. but since many of us pull trailers of some type, it's probably useful information. Incidentally, two of the dry rotted tires had PLENTY of tread left on them. Most autocrossers just hate to throw away tires of any kind with tread on them!

Miles

Actually, Miles, I'd bet that trailer tires *do* resist dryrot better than passenger car tires. Manufacturers know there's a good chance those tires sit more than they go.

Also, even though your trailer is in the shade, I'd recommend covering the tires. Given how much it sits, it can't hurt. Cut up an old tarp or something. I'd bet it will help.

I'm just not sure that the inner tube idea is going to help you much. If the tire goes, it ain't gonna go slower because there is a tube there. It'll go slow or it'll go fast, but I just can't see a small layer of rubber being much extra help.

Obviously you already have the car tires for the trailer, so no harm in using them until they go. But after that, I'd buy trailer tires. They are a bit harder to find, but they aren't expensive by any means in normal sizes. (Damned 17.5" heavy load tires on my big hauler sure won't be found at Wal-Mart...*sigh*.)


--Donnie