trailer tire advice

[dremarquis]

Hi all,

 

Last march i purchased Carlisle F78-14ST tires for my 19' Crestliner. They are load range C (up to 1760#).

With my kicker, 2 batteries, trolling motor and other gear, i'm sure i'm either pushing or exceeding the load range and my tires show it - major cupping on the insides, and my trailer is in excellent condition (i measured from the tongue to the center of each hub and and difference was 1/8").

 

my question is what tires have you had good experience with? (i'm quite sure my next set will be load range D, but i have not been able to locate any 14" tires that are D rated). i may be able to switch to 15" tires but i'm not sure.

 

thanks,

 

andre

[Shellback]

If your tires are wearing out on the inside, the camber built into your axle is probably bad. Take a 4 to 6 foot straight edge, and hold it against the bottom of the axle. It should lay perfectly flat, or have a slight gap in the center. If not, put the straight edge on the top of the axle. If you see a gap in the center on top, your axle has lost it's camber. A frame or alignment shop can put the camber back in the axle, but my personal opinion would be to replace the axle with a heavier rated one. Probably 7 times out of ten, trailers sold with boat packages are too light once boats are rigged and fishing gear loaded. This link tells about the camber or "bow" built into the axle.

http://www.easternmarine.com/3500-lb-Round-Tube-Trailer-Axles/ 

[Sluggo / NY]

Andre.. While I agree with Ron about a possible axle problem, the "major cupping" would make me suspect severe balance problems or defective tires. I had Carlisle tires on my similar size rig and blew one on the way to Lake Erie...blew the other on the way back! I'm not their biggest fan. I went up a size to 215-14 Goodyear Marathons but also replaced my axle with a higher rated one as I needed the end plates to install brakes. Still can't believe they can sell a rig that size without brakes! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

[seasquirrel]

Be sure your tire air is on the high end of the range too. Makes a huge difference in handling and tire wear.

[skipper19]

KUMHO Radial 857 tires feature blackwall styling and are available in Q-speed rated 82-series, Load Range D (65 psi) Euro-metric Commercial sizes for 14" wheel diameters.

This is the tire I may give a try, they are d rated weight capacity and the q speed rating means they are rated for 99 mph. Radial should save fuel. The higher d rating will let you bring pressures up and that will help with the cupping problem. Can't give actual experience with them but this is a tire with the d rating in a 14 size.

Mark

[kchamp]

I just went though it with my trailer, had them aline it, put new tire on, same thing tire didn`t even last half a season. Brought the trailer back, pissed right off, come to find out it was the rim where the nuts tightening up, just a little warn out. Put new rim and tire and went rest of last season no problems tire still looks good. Also don't mix tires bias, has to be the same on both sides, cant remember what mine are with out looking but I think i took the bias tires off went with radials