fyi trailer tires

I have a pull behind trailer for my trike , the original tires were 530x12 speed rated for 62 mph. Tire life was short and if the trailer was not loaded heavy it tended to bounce some. I installed 155/80/12 auto tires with 22 psi and the trailer seemed to pull better and the bounce was mostly gone. I have 7000 miles on them now and they look new. I sometimes set the cruise on 80 and was concerned that the 530x12 would come apart. I feel sure some of yall already know this but just some info.
Thanks

Good information here! Thank you about the reminder, about trailer tires, Maybe, it's time for me to replace both of them
(JIC) that just in case. I don't tow the trailer much, just for motorcycle rally's and when I'm away for a few extra days,
spend'n $$ money now, on new tires, when trailer is safe in my garage, sure is better than spend'n twice as much on tires when I'm stuck on the side of the road, on some out of cell phone reception territory, in 100 deg. heat and on a busy dangerous intersection.

Ronnie
9/27/24

I have run only 81 mph rated radials on my HF trailer and just ordered a set for my new to me Escapade I am restoring.

Guy's we are talking about "Trailer Tires", Here in Ca. you will be pulled over, ticket, tow...

TomyJ said:

Guy's we are talking about "Trailer Tires", Here in Ca. you will be pulled over, ticket, tow...

Click to expand...

I don't think I'm following your post. I'm honestly curious, what would the violation be? If the tires are DOT certified, although the OP didn't state that they were, I don't see the problem. Am I missing something?

I think he's saying in California if the tire don't say trailer on it and you get caught it's a bad day.

That's new to me but considering this is California we are talking about, I don't think anything would surprise me...

I’m not doubting it, but I tried looking up California law on this and couldn’t find it.

I do know that you shouldn’t be running a P-metric (passenger car) tire on a trailer, that’s a no brainer and most likely will get you a ticket. They aren’t even remotely designed to carry a load.

However, there is a huge debate (like which is the best oil thread) regarding ST (special trailer) versus LT (light truck) tires on a trailer. There are your typical hard core guys who say to use only ST tires on a trailer, then there are guys (like me) who prefer LT tires.

LT tires offer a higher speed rating, greatly improved ride, have less rolling resistance for better fuel economy, generate less heat, and are much less prone to blowouts than ST tires. That’s why your higher end trailer mfg’s offer LT tires as an add on option and it’s Streamline’s only tire offered.

With that being said, you have to know what you are doing if you decide to switch to an LT tire. For the same size tire, ST tires will carry about 10-20% more weight than an LT. That’s why if you get the optional LT tires on your trailer, they will bump up to a 16” LT tire rather than a 15” ST tire for example. If you are thinking about going to an LT tire, ALWAYS look at what your trailer weighs fully loaded, then add at least 10-15% before selecting a tire that will carry it. You’ll likely need to go up at least 1” in rim size to get there and will need to run the maximum inflation pressure. That’s where it can sometimes get tricky if you have to get new rims and match bolt patterns.

I might agree with being an issue on a full sized camping trailer or a cargo trailer because of the weight. But on a trailer small enough to be pulled by a motorcycle or trike, I can't really see how it would matter that much. A trailer that size might be max, a couple hundred pounds. Well within the ratings of pretty much any car tire out there.

That is true! I got lost in trailer tires thinking big and forgot we were talking about a small trailer to pull behind a motorcycle. My apologies!

Guys, good talk... Again in Ca. I remember from my Waterskiing days (boat trailers) and tending bar at Pine Flat Late (in my 20s), one night a BIG argument broke out about Trailer Tires and to make a long story short, ALL trailers have side movement when being towed so the tires need more side wall and thus more money. I could not find any info from the Internet (DMV.Ca.gov). AND I think the lighter the trailer weight the more movement? The tires at Harbor freight say 50 MPH only, If I remember right...