Trailer tire pressure

[gim]

Another thread got me thinking.  Do you max out your trailer tire pressure?  On vehicle tires, there is a max pressure rating and a recommended pressure rating.  But on a trailer tire, there is only a max rating.

[MN Fisher]

I keep the trailer tires about 5# under the max rating.

[Deleted account]

There are fewer things more fun that pulling an empty trailer with maxed out tires.

You want to find a happy medium. The 5lbs below max above is a good suggestion, adjust as required for overall weight and road conditions.

[Jig Man]

Boat trailer max because my rig weighs in at 4500 to 5000 #.  Utility trailer 35#.

[Dwight Hottle]

Max tire pressure carries the maximum weight & keeps the tire running cooler. Max tire pressure prevents the tire from over heating & helps against tire/rim damage from chuck holes. 

[Deephaven]

They only list max because they have no insight on what trailer you are putting it on.

 

Run them like car tires.  Proper inflation is key to long life and the right ride.  The goal is to get them to wear uniformly.  Then you have the right pressure for the weight you are putting on them.  If you constantly wear out the middle it is too much pressure and if it is the outside then not enough.  Erring on the side of too much is better than too little, but don't err too far.

[A-Jay]

I agree with and practice the Max tire pressure mantra.

https://www.boatingmag.com/properly-inflating-boat-trailer-tires/

 

Also seems a few folks I see towing their rigs down the highway might also want to 

check what the speed rating is for their trailer tires.

Bet it's not 90 MPH !

Unless assigned a specific Speed Rating, industry standards dictate tires with the ST designation are speed rated to 65 mph (104 km/h) under normal inflation and load conditions.

An "L" speed rated Trailer tire comes in at 75 mph.

 Just Saying . . 

A-Jay

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, BassWhole! said:

The 5lbs below max above is a good suggestion, adjust as required for overall weight and road conditions.

Ya - the canoe with everything in it weighs about the same as the empty trailer - bouncing with full tires is contra-indicated. Add to that, I never exceed 35mph and my distance is less than 7 miles max. I don't think it's going to be an issue.

[TnRiver46]

I’m always shocked that the trailer tires call for more air than the truck tires . Then someone pushed a bicycle and a pump in front of me and asked me to fill the tires to 120 psi. Tiny tires! I was shocked but sure enough they called for 120 

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Tiny tires! I was shocked but sure enough they called for 120 

That's higher than mine - my bike tires only call for 80#

[Deephaven]

28 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

That's higher than mine - my bike tires only call for 80#

I run my bike a 2 psi

 

 

 

 

...in the winter.  Flattens the big 5.5" wide suckers out good and floats right over the snow.

[MN Fisher]

7 minutes ago, Deephaven said:

I run my bike a 2 psi

 

 

 

 

...in the winter.  Flattens the big 5.5" wide suckers out good and floats right over the snow.

Last 'bike' I rode in the winter was my old Kawasaki F-5...350 single cylinder with knobby tires.

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

That's higher than mine - my bike tires only call for 80#

This was a road bike with the smallest tires I’ve ever seen 

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

This was a road bike with the smallest tires I’ve ever seen 

Well, higher pressure is a newer thing. My bike is a 1976 Bridgestone Kabuki Super-Light 10-speed road-bike.

 

Still with the original paint job and sticker...just had a 'tune-up' done a couple years ago.

 

[Mbirdsley]

Depends on the trailer and boat.  My old 14 mirror craft was very light.  Max tire pressure was somthing like 75 lbs.  I didn’t dare run them that high or else the whole boat and trailer would bounce like a basketball.  I kept those tires at about 45 psi.  Put new tires on and ran it for 3 years with no abnormal tire ware. With pulling it a minimum 35 minutes one way 1-2 a week.  Most trips were an hour pull.  
 

 

new boat is bigger and heavier. Max psi is 65 psi.  Right now the tires are running about 59-60 psi.  If it gets much lower I’ll fill them back up.  I don’t have to worry about it bouncing all over the place 

[Way north bass guy]

My rig is pretty well loaded up with gear, and I run my Goodyear Endurance tires to 65lbs. It came with lighter grade Carlisle tires that maxed out at 50lbs. Trailer runs so much smoother and tracks way better with the Goodyear’s, and there’s almost no sidewall bulge compared to the Carlisles. 

[BigAngus752]

4 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I agree with and practice the Max tire pressure mantra.

https://www.boatingmag.com/properly-inflating-boat-trailer-tires/

 

Also seems a few folks I see towing their rigs down the highway might also want to 

check what the speed rating is for their trailer tires.

Bet it's not 90 MPH !

Unless assigned a specific Speed Rating, industry standards dictate tires with the ST designation are speed rated to 65 mph (104 km/h) under normal inflation and load conditions.

An "L" speed rated Trailer tire comes in at 75 mph.

 Just Saying . . 

A-Jay

 

That's a great article.  They did an excellent job of explaining what I have been trying to explain to friends/family for decades.  Especially for Jeep tires when I've done lift kits for people and they want to put 60psi in their 35in mud tires which are rated for trucks but are on a 2-door Wrangler.  When in doubt, use a "chalk test" and check the rollout.  

[WRB]

Always used Goodyear trailer tires and followed their inflation to weight chart. 40 years without a single trailer tire issue.

California roads are generally in good condition, concrete ramps and 55 mph speed limit helps tire life.

Changed tires every 10 years and treads were always in good.

Being a old racer tire failure isn’t an option.

Tom

[GaryH]

Running Goodyear endurance I always run max. When traveling from up north to down south I always check the tires after stopping to eat and let the tires cool down and check pressure because of the temperature change. I readjust the tire pressure to compensate for the higher  temperatures. Same on the way back up.

[TnRiver46]

3 hours ago, WRB said:

Always used Goodyear trailer tires and followed their inflation to weight chart. 40 years without a single trailer tire issue.

California roads are generally in good condition, concrete ramps and 55 mph speed limit helps tire life.

Changed tires every 10 years and treads were always in good.

Being a old racer tire failure isn’t an option.

Tom

That’s an impressive record with no failures but tell the 12-15 screws and nails I’ve pulled out that failure isn’t an option and they will disagree 

[WRB]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

That’s an impressive record with no failures but tell the 12-15 screws and nails I’ve pulled out that failure isn’t an option and they will disagree 

Don’t tow through Home Depot or down dump site roads.

Tom

PS a lot of luck envolved not getting screws, nails etc.