Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

[Larry E.]

Have enclosed trailer(United Brand) that sits most of the time in the Summer. (Stored Inside During Winter)
The way the trailer sits(Can not be changed) is that the Driver Side(D/S) tires are on the house side and always
in the shade. The Passenger Side(P/S) always faces West and absorbs most of the Summer Sun. I have them
covered with those trailer tire covers we see in the catalogs. BUT>I would guess that they(P/S) tires still heat
up way more then the (D/S)tires. I would assume this will change tire life for them. Question does anybody see
any harm if I "Flip Flop" the tires from side to side? I wonder if by doing this there is any harm because the
tires will be running in reverse from when they where new. I'm sure the wear pattern will be changed also.
Comments Please>Thanks in Advance>Larry

[Kenneth B.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

Unless you live in Arizona or somewhere its extremely hot dont see a need to swap. Even in Az. as long as they are covered and not in direct sunlight think you should be OK.

[Larry E.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

Unless you live in Arizona or somewhere its extremely hot dont see a need to swap. Even in Az. as long as they are covered and not in direct sunlight think you should be OK.

Kenneth>Thanks Much for the response. My tires are covered BUT in DIRECT Sunlight. The only thing I can add is that the total(Summer) years that the trailer has
sat this way has also taken a toll on the paint(Black) of the trailer. The P/S is very dull and has some cracking.
the D/S still looks very nice and shiny as delivered new. Just looking at this tells me it may have some effect on
tire life. Thinking of getting a "wrap" for the trailer in the future but have no clue how the wrap holds up vs. paint
in the sun. Larry

[Wes S.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

I think the more critical issue is if the tires are more than six (6) years old they should be replaced. All tires rot from the inside out. The steel cords inside the tire have been in a downward spiral since they were built. I am a poster child for old tires last one was a Uniroyal that was four years old it did $6800 in damage to my F350.

[Larry E.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

I think the more critical issue is if the tires are more than six (6) years old they should be replaced. All tires rot from the inside out. The steel cords inside the tire have been in a downward spiral since they were built. I am a poster child for old tires last one was a Uniroyal that was four years old it did $6800 in damage to my F350.

Wes>Thanks for your response. Everything you say is VERY TRUE. BUT>

How come this only applies to trailer tires and not tires on Cars/P/U trucks?? I have a 2014 Silverado bought
new that has only 23K miles on it. I have no intentions on buying new tires for it AT THIS TIME. No one has
ever explained why this is. I got to believe a very low percentage of Car/Truck(Low Mileage) owners buy new tires every 6
years. No one I know does this. Is there something about a trailer tire that is more susceptible to "rot" then
the tires on Cars/Trucks?? Larry

[Gary C.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

Larry,

Last set of trailer tires are bought were Maxxius trailer tires.

Maxxius was the best trailer tire I'd every had in over 40 years plus of towing trailers. None of the usual sitting trailer tire problems experienced with other brands after 6 years.

Gary
....

[Michael J.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

The main things that deteriorate tires are UV and ozone. UV you can fix with the covers (I have white ones) or using the protectant sprays, ozone is a product of where you live. Big cities or nearby big cities are the worst for that. If you live in a rural area, it is not an issue.

[Wes S.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

Larry:
Deterioration of rubber of rubber and internal steel components of all tires start when the tire is made. It's not just trailer tires, vehicle tire do the same thing. I don't use any tire that is older than 6 years. Some may say they have old trailer tire that are fine, but when you are dragging around an expensive vehicle its cheap insurance.

[Winston M.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

Any tire older than 6 years can fly apart at highway speeds and do lots of damage and/or cause a bad accident. I change out my trailer
tires every three years, because when one fails it always damages the trailer fender and or the side panels on the trailer. Trailer tires on a tandem trailer are way more prone to failure than tires on your car or truck because the rear tires on a tandem trailer are dragged sideways when making
sharp turns and that can cause a tread separation on a hot trailer tire. I've tried all the trailer tire brands and Maxxus is the best....Goodyears
are the worst. I've had 12 month old Goodyear trailer tires explode in hot weather. Since I switched to Maxxus I've never had a failure yet when
changing them every three years.

[Duke W.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

I don't buy into the six year replacement cycle. The quality and longevity of a tire begins with the design and quality of materials, and then varies depending on the operating conditions and environmental factors like UV and ozone.

I've always been a proponent of speed rated tires because anything rated H or above has a spiral wrapped nylon cap belt that will keep the tire from disintegrating in the event of an internal structural failure. I've experienced three tread separations on DOT legal tires. All were on race big race tracks (Riverside and Willow Springs) and the spiral wrapped nylon cap belt kept the tires in one piece, holding air. I knew there was a problem when a big vibration started, so I immediately went to the paddock and inspection revealed large bulges in the tread area - a internal structural failure/tread separation, but the tires were still one piece with no consequential damage.

The basic differences between trailer and car/light truck tires have never been clear to me. I think most modern trailer tires are radial, but lack the safety of the spiral wrapped nylon cap belt. Back when most trailer tires were bias ply I think they may have been six ply or "six-ply rated".

What trailer owners need to know is what is the gross weight of the trailer, and I'm not talking the rated gross weight, but the actual gross weight for the type of hauling you do. So say your trailer weights 1500 pounds empty, and with your Corvette, tools, spares and whatever else might be aboard the gross weight might be 6500 pounds. So the tires have to have a total load capacity of at least 6500 pounds, but that's ZERO load margin. The maximum load rating at the maximum recommended cold pressure is placarded on the sidewall and should also be on the tire's spec sheet at the manufacturer's Web site or the big retailers like The Tire Rack.

Always try to get as much load margin as you can. Typical OE replacement size tires for our vintage Corvette typically offer at least 50 percent load margin at maximum cold inflation pressure. Buy the highest load capacity tire sthat will fit on your wheels and inside the fenders and maintain cold pressure at or near the maximum when hauling a maximum load.

I recall a discussion with a trailer owner some years ago. At the time I knew of an Avon 235/70VR-15 tire that was OE on the Turbo Bentley of the time and that's what I recommended. Those tires had a max load capacity of about 1800 pounds each and a spiral wrapped nylon cap belt with a 150 MPH speed rating.

I figured they would be more than adequate for his rig up to 75 MPH in very hot weather with suitable cold pressure, near the maximum placarded on the tire sidewall.

Duke

[Larry E.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

Larry:
Deterioration of rubber of rubber and internal steel components of all tires start when the tire is made. It's not just trailer tires, vehicle tire do the same thing. I don't use any tire that is older than 6 years. Some may say they have old trailer tire that are fine, but when you are dragging around an expensive vehicle its cheap insurance.

Wes: Thanks again for some input but like Duke I not buying it. Not saying it not a good safe idea but one has to
way the cost/risk against all other things that can happen. The way the DOT issues warnings on almost everything they
would come out with a warning/recommendation saying>

ALL TIRES ON ALL VEHICLES SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH NEW ONES EVERY 6 YEARS REGARDLESS OF
MILEAGE.
I just do not see this happening. Of course JMHO>Larry

[Mark E.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

Wes>Thanks for your response. Everything you say is VERY TRUE. BUT>

How come this only applies to trailer tires and not tires on Cars/P/U trucks?? I have a 2014 Silverado bought
new that has only 23K miles on it. I have no intentions on buying new tires for it AT THIS TIME. No one has
ever explained why this is. I got to believe a very low percentage of Car/Truck(Low Mileage) owners buy new tires every 6
years. No one I know does this. Is there something about a trailer tire that is more susceptible to "rot" then
the tires on Cars/Trucks?? Larry

I just spent $1,600 to replace the tires on our daily driver which had 6/32" tread remaining. Why? Because they were six years old and hard as a rock. It's a a garaged car, so the tires looked fine. Google "maximum age of tires" to learn more.

Also, check the date codes when buying new tires. I've had retailers try to sell "new" 3 year old tires to me. Getting fresh tires is especially important with low mileage cars.

[Duke W.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

I recall Congress looked into this nearly 20 years ago in the aftermath of the Ford Explorer tire fiasco. There was a push to place an "expiration date" on tires, and I recall it was six years from the data of manufacture, but, fortunately, credible witnesses convinced the investigating committee that there was no way to assign an arbitrary expiration date to all tires.

Like I said earlier, longevity of a tire starts with the quality of design, materials, and manufacturing processes, and then depends on the life it leads.

The trouble with "googling" a controversial topic like this is that you are likely to get more myths, misinformation, and conspiracy theories than credible information from knowledgeable people who understand the technology.

Think of all the engine oil threads.

Duke

[Mark E.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

If you don't like Google, then inspect them yourself. I can feel the difference in hardness by just stabbing the tread of an older tire then a new tire with a putty knife.

Trailer tires are cheap and the cost of failure is great. If in doubt just replace them. If that's too costly, you're in the wrong hobby.

Update:
Discounttire.com says: "Discount Tire recommends that you replace your tires after 6 years of age, regardless of tread depth. For your safety, we will not service a tire that exceeds 10 years of age... Tire manufacturers recommend replacement at 10 years, regardless of tread depth."

Again, be sure to check the age of "new" tires before accepting them.

[Wes S.]

Re: Another Question On Enclosed Trailer Tires

Sorry to take so long to make this post, but I had to go to work. Please keep in mind that if the tire is less than six years old and it fails causing body damage any responsible tire manufacturer will pay for the damage. They won't pay for old tire damage. At least this has been my experience with Michelin. That's why I try to always run on Michelin brand tires. They paid for all of the damage to my F350.
Thats my 10 cents
Wes