I never really paid much attention to tires/rims before. Well beyond making sure they were road safe. Now that I'm in the process of ordering a new trailer I am stumped. Didn't know there were that many options on trailer tires/rims... What do you prefer, find to hold up best? Steel, aluminum, ect.? What should one stay away from? Thanks!!
Posted 2008-01-31 6:17 PM (#75763 - in reply to #75761) Subject: RE: Trailer tires/rims
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Steel wheels are the least expensive to purchase, are less prone to cracking and can be covered with attractive, inexpensive wheel covers or Sims. They can rust and any missing paint should be replaced.
Aluminum wheels can be damaged when the trailer drops off the edge of the road or hits a pot hole. Aluminum wheels are subject to corrosion and must be aggressively treated when it is discovered.
Aluminum trailer wheels cost much more than steel wheels by a substantial factor. The only advantage the aluminum would have is the looks which can be duplicated with wheel covers. There is no structural reason to pay the additional cost for the aluminum wheels.
Posted 2008-01-31 10:04 PM (#75793 - in reply to #75761) Subject: RE: Trailer tires/rims
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
Look at the weight you need to carry. Just like tires, Wheels come rated for the capacity they can carry.
"D" rated tires are usually inflated to 65 psi
"E" rated tires are usually inflated to 80 psi
"G" rated tires are usually inflated to 110 psi
Your wheels need to be rated for the same. Never think you can just change the tire from a "E" to a "G" and inflate to the higher tire pressure. The wheel rated for 80 psi may just blow. There should be a stamp on the wheel ( at least for the higher pressure ones) indicating it's max pressure.
I'm of the opinion that if you are marginally close to the max weight, upgrade to the next class. This includes axle, wheel and tires.
Posted 2008-02-01 9:06 AM (#75806 - in reply to #75761) Subject: RE: Trailer tires/rims
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
As Painted Horse indicated, when you purchase a new trailer, often times you can upgrade to a higher axle weight rating. As part of the package, the tires and wheels are also upgraded to equal the axles' ratings. I did this when I purchased a trailer and never regretted having done so. Your plans for a LQ, or larger horses or hauling a piece of equipment, may not be a factor now, but can change in the future. The overall cost is not significant, especially when amortized over the life span of the trailer. It is very reassuring to know you won't be able to overload your trailer.
Posted 2008-02-01 9:09 AM (#75807 - in reply to #75805) Subject: RE: Trailer tires/rims
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
I prefer the Aluminum myself. My current trailer has the steel with the fancy wheel covers. But if I'd had the choice to order, I would have gone aluminum.
Yes they cost a little more. But I think they look nicer.
I've had aluminum wheels on past trailers, many many cars and trucks. I've never had a wheel damaged from use. I have seen wheels damaged in accidents. But I think that is brute force above and beyond what the manufacture built the product for.
Yes aluminum corrodes, Most of the center caps on Aluminum wheels are chromned steel. They rust and need to be replaced. Steel wheels rust, Wheel covers on steel wheels also rust and often get lost. Both products need upkeep. The aluminum wheels just has fewer parts than the Steel wheel with a simulator. Less to deal with when I have to change tires.
Posted 2008-02-01 9:19 AM (#75810 - in reply to #75761) Subject: RE: Trailer tires/rims
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
What size trailer you ordering? The Elite comes with aluminum rims. Hawk uses alot of "ST" tires. Like, the ST225/75R15 lrc (6 ply)on their 2 horse and ST225/75R16 lrD (8 ply) on their 3 horse trailers. Just remember, alot of these "ST" (special trailer) tires are only rated for 65 mph....Most trailers dealers won't tell you this...maybe because they don't know.
A friend of mine just bought a 2 horse XXL gooseneck EquiSpirit and it has ST225/75R15 lrC (6 ply) tires on "aluminized" steel wheels. They look like a galvanized coated wheels. It is one smooth riding trailer!!
Posted 2008-02-01 10:00 AM (#75812 - in reply to #75761) Subject: RE: Trailer tires/rims
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Painted Horse lives in Utah and enjoys some of the most beautiful roads I've ever driven; many are straight, smooth and in excellent repair. One stretch I was on hardly had a turn for over forty miles. The secondary dirt roads are smoother than some of the paved roards in my area.
I live in Western PA and daily encounter much different conditions; many secondary roads are in a poor condition, and the interstates are finally being repaired after many years of neglect. Pa doesn't have wide shoulders on the smaller roads as do many other states, as soon as you leave the pavement you encounter holes, severe drops and tire eating rocks.
Aluminum wheels, which is the most common material also used on upscale automotive equipment, in my area are a constant maintenance headache. Breakage is common place, durability without maintenance, is poor. Replacement costs are considerable.
When you learn of the experiences of the people giving you their best advise, please also consider where their encounters occurred. If your circumstances parallel theirs, you will have a good indicator of what to expect. If your environment differs, so may your expectations.
Posted 2008-02-01 11:37 AM (#75823 - in reply to #75805) Subject: RE: Trailer tires/rims
Veteran
Posts: 296 Location: Tennessee
Originally written by criquett on 2008-02-01 8:55 AM
I am ordering a Hawk trailer, they come with Dexter rubber torsion axles.
Awesome, I love Hawk trailers. My question wasn't asked very well, though. I meant what is the weight rating of your axles. That'll tell you what kind of tires/wheels you need.
Re: aluminum wheels. First off, not all aluminum wheels are created equal. The best alloy wheels are forged. A one piece forged aluminum wheel is much stronger than ANY steel wheel. Anything that breaks one of these will trash a steel wheel beyond usability. Forged aluminum alloy wheels are what serious 4x4 users prefer. I suspect the aluminum wheel issues that Gard speaks of are due to people using cast alloy wheels, or two-piece modulars. As for corrosion, most alloy wheels are clear coated and do not corrode unless you scratch them up. Whatever scratches up a clear coated aluminum wheel will probably scratch up a painted steel wheel, and steel will corrode a lot faster than aluminum.
Not sure what kind of aluminum wheels Hawk uses, but if you're wanting alloy wheels, ask them if theirs are forged.
Posted 2008-02-01 1:07 PM (#75830 - in reply to #75828) Subject: RE: Trailer tires/rims
Veteran
Posts: 296 Location: Tennessee
OK, you want tires rated at 2600 lbs or higher. Take a look at Goodyear Marathons. They make a D load range tire that handles 3000 lbs at 65 psi. Should work fine with most wheels that are rated 75 psi or more.
If you will be putting a lot of miles on your trailer (3000+/year), you might want to look at Maxxis or Michelin XPS Ribs. Maxxis has a tire in that size rated 3420 lbs at 80 psi. Michelin XPS are rated about 2800 lbs at 80 psi. They are commercial tires and are much more expensive, but they are very strong and will last a VERY long time. You'll need wheels that can handle this pressure if you go with these. The Michelins are also rated at 75 mph, whereas trailer tires are usually rated at 65. Not that you should go 75 with a horse trailer. :D
Just be sure to choose wheels that will work with whatever tire you go for and you'll be set.
Posted 2008-02-01 5:32 PM (#75845 - in reply to #75761) Subject: RE: Trailer tires/rims
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Re: aluminum wheels. First off, not all aluminum wheels are created equal. The best alloy wheels are forged. A one piece forged aluminum wheel is much stronger than ANY steel wheel. Forged aluminum alloy wheels are what serious 4x4 users prefer. I suspect the aluminum wheel issues that Gard speaks of are due to people using cast alloy wheels, or two-piece modulars.
Towfoo
The wheels of which I speak, are the OEMs as supplied by every manufacturer of automobiles and light trucks. More importantly, are the oversized replacement wheels being swapped for the original. They are experiencing a high failure rate, because of the usage of the lower profile tires being substituted during the swap. These tires offer considerably less protection to the wheel than a higher profile tire.
In an area of less than smooth roads, these wheels are constantly damaged and are very expensive to replace. Call any dealer and ask what a new replacement aluminum wheel costs for your car or truck. When my OEM truck wheel was damaged last summer, it took almost three weeks to get a replacement. The supplier for Ford was backlogged and couldn't maintain an adequate inventory. There were none available at any of the wreck yards in my area. They are sold as soon as the truck arrives in the yard, with a waiting list of potential buyers.
Built up off the road 4x4's often utilize specialized equipment, to maintain any semblance of reliability, when they are subjected to an extreme amount of abuse. OEM equipment is rarely adequate. Few horse trailer rigs are subjected to this environment.
A steel rim is reliable, long lasting and economically viable.
Trailer tires/rims
