I purchased a trailer which has regular passenger tires on it instead of trailer tires. Will it be okay to tow it with these tires or should I buy some trailer tires?
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2003 Yamaha Big Bear 400 with 25" ITP Mud-lites
Trailer tires usually have a heavier sidewall to handle a heavy load. In many cases, trailer tires are still bias-ply tires instead of radials as they can handle extra weight better.
I'd say that if your trailer is not overloaded or run near it's loaded capacity that you'll not have any problems with a car tire. This is assuming of course that the car tire and the recommended trailer tire have similar load ratings (C for C or D for D etc.)
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Jaybee
'07 Can-Am Outlander 800 XT - Crutchfield stage I Extremes all around
'02 Eiger 5-speed / mudlites
'02 Ozark
'96 TRX90
Past bikes: '89 Warrior, '97 Warrior, '98 LT80, '94 King Quad 300, '84 LT50
What type of trailer is it? Just a flat bed with or without rails I think Jaybeecon has it covered. If this is any type of travel trailer, change the tires now.
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It's not an optical illusion. It just looks like one.
I second with scootergptx. A smaller, lighter trailer should be no big deal. Something heavier like a travel trailer or larger enclosed trailer you are much better off with a trailer tire appropriately rated.
As long as they are within their weight rating, I wouldn't worry about it.
My previous 5th wheel had trailer special tires on it. From my experience and that of others, they tend to explode out on the highway from time to time.
I also used to follow the logic that trailer tires should be run on trailers due to their stiffer construction, but the 5th wheel I have now came stock with light truck tires (16's with load range E) and all 7 original equipment tires are still on it.
They are due to be replaced due to age, and I will go with LT tires.
One thing to consider when choosing tires may be if you have the trailer insured or not. As insurance companies will look for more ways to deny your claim than pay you, if you have tires that are not rated for being on a trailer, you could wind up losing more than you saved getting regular tires.
That being said, I will confirm the tires exploding Jeff had mentioned. Well, I won't say exploding, but by the time I got a fully loaded trailer stopped from doing 70mph, it sure looked like it had been through one. I've had 3 tires do that, and all were the tires that were on the trailer when we bought it. They weren't over 2 years old and were the properly rated tires. I would have to say it was more brand related more than anything else. The replacement tires I used have all been fine.
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It's not an optical illusion. It just looks like one.
I know my tires were shredded. So badly the Discount Tire I went to by our house had to order something to cut the tire off. The bead was intact and still in place and they said their machine had no tire to grab to break it. Took them two days, which was ok since the flat occurred about 2 miles from the house. Spare tire was new, so it was just rotated into service.
Still, wanted to tell them to just get some snips and cut it off.
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It's not an optical illusion. It just looks like one.
I had car tires on a boat trailer I used to have. I didn't have any problems with them pulling the trailer with a 17' fiberglass bass boat on it. I do notice trailer tires seem to all require higher air pressure, and that would mean a harder tire that would create less heat and probably track better behind your tow vehicle
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Growing older is mandatory Growing up is optional!
2007 Polaris 800 Sportsman Deluxe
I know my tires were shredded. So badly the Discount Tire I went to by our house had to order something to cut the tire off. The bead was intact and still in place and they said their machine had no tire to grab to break it. Took them two days, which was ok since the flat occurred about 2 miles from the house. Spare tire was new, so it was just rotated into service.
Still, wanted to tell them to just get some snips and cut it off.
I once tried to cut the bead of a tire off a wheel... Those beads are reinforced by very hard, tough braided steel. It would take an abrasive cutting wheel to do, and it would be almost impossible to not ruin the rim.
Since then I've learned the thing to do is grip what's left of the sidewall in a big bench vice, then use a big huge pry bar levered against the vice jaw to pull the rim toward you and out of the bead.
car tires on trailer
