Do boat trailers need special tires?
Table of Contents
Do boat trailers need special tires?
Your Trailer Needs a Certain Type Special Trailer (ST) tires are the only type you should use on your boat trailer unless you’re willing to risk damage or potentially an accident. ST tires have robust sidewalls to handle lots of weight, which helps avoid tipping your boat onto the road while cornering turns.
What size tire goes on a boat trailer?
8 – 9 – 10 – 12 – Inch Trailer Tire Sizing
| Older Size | Tire Size | Overall Diameter |
|---|---|---|
| – | 4.80/4.00-8 | 16.1 inches |
| – | 5.70-8 | 18.1 inches |
| 16.5 x 6.5 – 8 | 165/65-8 | 16.5 inches |
| 18.5 x 8.5 – 8 | 215/60-8 | 18.3 inches |
Can you put regular tires on a boat trailer?
You want trailer tires on your trailer, not car tires. They have a stronger sidewall as previously mentioned, and are designed for trailering. Goodyear Marathon trailer tires are good ones. Some folks like Carlyles, others don’t.
How often should you replace boat trailer tires?
According to rubber industry research, trailer tires need to be replaced after 3–5 years of use, even though they usually appear to have plenty of tread left.
What is the difference between R and D trailer tires?
The difference between the two trailer tire sizes is that the letter D in the first size you listed ST205/75D15 stands for bias ply and the letter R in the tire size that they put on your vehicle stands for radial.
Is it OK to use car tires on a trailer?
Never use passenger tires on a trailer. They are usually rated Load Range B, a 4-ply equivalent, because their sidewalls are flexible for a smooth ride—far too flexible for trailer duty. They are not engineered to stabilize heavy loads or to handle the temperatures that build with them.
Do you need to rotate boat trailer tires?
Single axle boat-trailer tires usually don’t need to be rotated. A tandem axle trailer rotation isn’t necessary unless you notice increased wear that’s occurring faster than normal. In that case, rotate the tires from front to back, preferably in an “X” configuration.
Are radial tires better for boat trailers?
For a boat trailer, or any other trailer used on pavement a radial tire is preferable. A radial tire will have a more flexible sidewall, which provides better tread contact with the pavement. Radial tires also do a better job of shedding heat.
How long should boat trailer tires last?
5 years
According to rubber industry research, trailer tires need to be replaced after 3–5 years of use, even though they usually appear to have plenty of tread left.
Why are my boat trailer tires wearing on the inside?
There is excessive camber in the axle, causing the wheel to lean too much to the inside or outside and putting too much load on one side of the tire. The trailer may simply need the wheels aligned, but misalignment could be due to sagging springs, overloaded trailer or an unbalanced load on multi axle trailers.
How long will boat trailer tires last?
Should boat trailer tires be inflated to max PSI?
between 50 and 65 psi
Boat-trailer tires require a lot of air pressure — in most cases, between 50 and 65 psi. In fact, the correct tire pressure for your boat trailer is almost always the maximum-rated pressure for that tire, which is molded right on the sidewall. Maintaining that trailer tire PSI is critically important to towing safety.
