Wrong rims/tires on trailer?

ric · **Posted:** Tue May 28, 2013 12:05 pm

I still don't trust those chap forum guys

My 215 ssi has a dual axle aluminum trailer. It didn't tow all that well, the tires looked like they needed air (but had 50psi in them). They are 13 inch rims with "C" tires. My boat's "dry" weight is 3500lb. Anything above 60mph got hairy and didn't go faster.

I'm not a trailer expert but that seems wrong.

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Tue May 28, 2013 1:38 pm

Quote:

Anything above 60mph got hairy and didn't go faster.

By hairy do you mean the trailer wagged or swayed back and forth quickly? Sounds more like a tongue weight issue than a tire issue. You might need to adjust your bow stop forward a little.

Is 50 psi what the sidewall of the tires call for? Some tires looks low no matter how much air you put in them, but I guess it is possible to have weak sidewalls

Obie · **Posted:** Tue May 28, 2013 4:31 pm

The tires must be at the maximum cold temperature on the sidewall. If the tires have a maximum pressure of 60 and you are running them at 50 you are killing the tires and causing the instability. Trailer tires are very different than car tires in that the stiffer they are the better they handle.

ric · **Posted:** Tue May 28, 2013 4:38 pm

They say max 50 that's what I have them at cold. The tires seem unstable not the trailer. No sway or anything.

ric · **Posted:** Tue May 28, 2013 4:46 pm

This is exactly the same trailer

http://www.thehulltruth.com/parts-forum ... kes.html#b

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Tue May 28, 2013 4:50 pm

The tires will have a max load stamped on the sidewall. If your boat is 3500 dry it will be at least 4000 now plus add the trailer weight, it would be well over 4500. I highly doubt a 13 inch load range C tire could handle 1000 X 4 tires equals 4000, thus you'll need to go to load range D. I even upgraded to load range E on my tri-axle.

It's all in the math.

John :mrgreen:

ric · **Posted:** Tue May 28, 2013 5:19 pm

Yeah they are max at like 1100. Right on the edge.

ric · **Posted:** Tue May 28, 2013 5:21 pm

Probably just go with 5 of these when some customers decide to cut me a check.
http://www.etrailer.com/Tires-and-Wheel ... 31985.html

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Tue May 28, 2013 5:50 pm

ric wrote:

Yeah they are max at like 1100. Right on the edge.

Over the edge. You're welcome.

jvthundercat · **Posted:** Thu May 30, 2013 3:59 am

First off, I would go with 14" on a double at those weights with a D range. Tires aside, I would be sliding that boat forward on the trailer for a little more tongue weight. It sounds like you are a little over loaded on the tires, but the rear set is getting more of the load. It should be a two u bolt and slide the post assembly fwd. I would try 3 to 4 inches at a time until it starts feeling better.

boater50 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 01, 2013 6:48 am

Towing at 60 mph???!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?! Flirting with disaster I'd say..................
When I was bringing my boat home after I bought it.....I was going 45-50 on I-95 and some imbecile towing a 30' camper flew past me at 65-70 and gave me the finger! Some people......

jvthundercat · **Posted:** Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:19 am

boater50 wrote:

Towing at 60 mph???!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?! Flirting with disaster I'd say..................
When I was bringing my boat home after I bought it.....I was going 45-50 on I-95 and some imbecile towing a 30' camper flew past me at 65-70 and gave me the finger! Some people......

Huh.

If I can't tow at least 70 then something is not right, or big enough.

LouC · **Posted:** Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:38 am

It does sound like the tires are just on the edge of being able to support that load. Which means that at low speeds local towing it would be OK most likely but at higher speeds physics comes into play and you get instability. You can either go with a D rated (65 psi max) trailer tire in a 13" if you can get em, or up-grade to 14" rims if you have the room, and use 215/75-14 C rated tires, they will give you 1870 lbs each @ 50 psi.

About towing at high speeds, it's good to know (and concerning I might add) that trailer tires only have to be certified to a max speed of 65 mph. Some people switch to C rated LT truck tires because of this. Sometimes to get enough load capacity you have to switch to 16" rims. But then you can use much better quality tires that are also speed rated. C rated truck tires speed are usually speed rated to 85 mph.

boater50 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 01, 2013 11:20 am

70mph???!?!?!?!!??! Maybe in Kansas you can go that fast but around here.......I95 corridor between Boston & NYC, through R.I. & CT......forget it!!!!!!!! The roads are horrible, too much traffic....you can be cruising along at 60-65 then dead stop! If you're hauling a 6,000 lb boat, you're dead!

TX H210SS · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:10 am **Posts:** 1488

Here in Texas you will be smoothe run over driving at 65....especially with speed limits of 80... that means traffic is running 85 to 90. I'm towing at 70 to 75 and that's in the slow lane with rvs

www.iFourWinns.com

Wrong rims/tires on trailer?

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