New trailer tires

Wrinkles · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:06 pm Post subject:

Well here goes, no one has mentioned Nitrogen in the tires, My class A Motorhome as well as my now 5th wheel and previous boat trailer and my newer EZ load trailer has Nitrogen in them. I find air pressure remains much more constant and truly believe because of consistant air pressure I have some advantage over straight air.?
Don

journey on · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:49 pm Post subject:

Well, N has an atomic mass of 14 and O has an atomic weight of 16. together they make up 98% of air. so the coefficient of expansion can't change much between air and nitrogen.

However, air does contain water and dry nitrogen avoids that contaminant.

I've always run air and assume the tyres are designed for an increase in pressure commensurate with the expansion of air. Though racers run dry nitrogen. And they're looking for every edge.

Boris

JamesTXSD · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:50 pm Post subject:

thataway · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:30 pm Post subject:

As Boris, notes the major advantage of nitrogen is the lack of water--good for airplane tires. Yes, the NASCAR guys use them. I agree with Boris and Jim--no real advantage--the "rot" is from the outside in--mostly due to UV light, and ozone.

Captains Cat · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:05 am Post subject:

Bought a car for one of the kids a few months ago and one of the extras was nitrogen in the tires, about $100 worth to be exact. When I asked how much it would be with air instead, he offered to replace it for only $50. We went elsewhere!

Tread doesn't mean much as we found out, pulling THATAWAY north from Pensacola to VA a couple of years ago. The 5 year old tires looked great, until we had two sidewall blowouts (at two different times) at 65mph. Pictures in my album. Dr. Bob had offered to replace them but I declined. He did graciously pay later for two replacements. Should have listened to him!

Charlie

JamesTXSD · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 10:20 am Post subject:

AstoriaDave · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 10:49 am Post subject:

Nitrogen to inflate tires in lieu of air is a scam for ordinary use, even the moisture content of air argument. If the air goes in as a gas when filled, the rise in temperature when the tire is in use will keep that water in vapor form, not liquid. Water vapor does not degrade rubber. Neither does ordinary oxygen. What really hurts rubber is ozone, one of the components of smog.

Air, a 4:1 mix of nitrogen and oxygen, will change pressure in response to temperature changes exactly as will pure nitrogen. Gases don't operate like liquids that way. The only difference between a tire filled with nitrogen and one filled with air is the weight of the gas inside, which would be about one seventh of an ounce greater for the air filled tire I guess the NASCAR crowd feels that is a disadvantage, in a tire that weighs what, 40 pounds or so? I doubt it.

Aurelia · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:19 am Post subject:

From Discounts Website:

Trailer Tire Applications
•Trailer tires are designed for use on trailer axle positions only. They are not built to handle the loads applied to, or the traction required by, drive or steering axles.

Inflation
•Always inflate trailer tires to the maximum inflation indicated on the sidewall.
•Check inflation when the tires are cool and have not been exposed to the sun.
•If the tires are hot to the touch from operation, add three psi to the max inflation.
•Underinflation is the number one cause of trailer tire failure.

Load Carrying Capacity
•All tires must be identical in size for the tires to properly manage the weight of the trailer.
•The combined capacity of the tires must equal or exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of the axle.
•The combined capacity of all of the tires should exceed the loaded trailer weight by 20 percent.
•If the actual weight is not available, use the trailer GVW. If a tire fails on a tandem axle trailer, you should replace both tires on that side. The remaining tire is likely to have been subjected to excessive loading.
•If the tires are replaced with tires of larger diameter, the tongue height may need to be adjusted to maintain proper weight distribution.

Speed
•All "ST" tires have a maximum speed rating of 65 mph.
•As heat builds up, the tire's structure starts to disintegrate and weaken.
•The load carrying capacity gradually decreases as the heat and stresses generated by higher speed increases.

Time
•Time and the elements weaken a trailer tire.
•In approximately three years, roughly one-third of the tire's strength is gone.
•Three to five years is the projected life of a normal trailer tire.
•It is suggested that trailer tires be replaced after three to four years of service regardless of tread depth or tire appearance.

Mileage
•Trailer tires are not designed to wear out.
•The life of a trailer tire is limited by time and duty cycles.
•The mileage expectation of a trailer tire is 5,000 to 12,000 miles.

Why Use An "ST" Tire
•"ST" tires feature materials and construction to meet the higher load requirements and demands of trailering.
•The polyester cords are bigger than they would be for a comparable "P" or "LT" tire.
•The steel cords have a larger diameter and greater tensile strength to meet the additional load requirements.
•"ST" tire rubber compounds contain more chemicals to resist weather and ozone cracking.

Storage
•The ideal storage for trailer tires is in a cool, dark garage at maximum inflation.
•Use tire covers to protect the tires from direct sunlight.
•Use thin plywood sections between the tire and the pavement.
•For long term storage, put the trailer on blocks to take the weight off the tires. Then lower the air pressure and cover the tires to protect them from direct sunlight.

Maintenance
•Clean the tires using mild soap and water.
•Do not use tire-care products containing alcohol or petroleum distillates.
•Inspect the tires for any cuts, snags, bulges or punctures.
•Check the inflation before towing and again before the return trip.

Keys to Avoiding Trouble
•Make sure your rig is equipped with the proper tires.
•Maintain the tires meticulously.
•Replace trailer tires every three to five years, whether they look like they're worn out or not.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:25 am Post subject:

As long as we're discussing it, here's another idea I've picked up over the years from reading.

The synthetic rubber in tires breaks down in sunlight (probably mostly due to UV but also because of the heating/cooling cycles over long repeated exposures, so manufacturer's add a compound into the rubber to protect the tire sidewalls from sunlight degradation.

The compound is distributed throughout the rubber sidewalls, and heating the tire up significantly on the road brings new compound to the surface to protect the sidewalls.

Problems are then incurred as some trailers/tires set for long periods, not being used and bring new protection to the surface. Then the sidewalls dry out, begin to crack and get ready to fail under way.

This, of course, is why folks with RV's and trailers that are often stored for long periods cover their tires to avoid the deterioration and/or use a spray on tire protectant.

Using your trailer frequently would certainly at least partially avoid this issue, but since it takes several years or more for most of us to wear down a set of tires, the 5 years or so of recommended maximum tire life begins to make sense.

Let me know if this is incorrect or partially an advertising/sales promotional spin off/rationalization from the tire and auto accessories industry. (Been had again?)

Joe. Teeth

Sunbeam · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 1:00 pm Post subject:

Very curious about a couple of things on this list:

Aurelia · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 1:52 pm Post subject:

They are trying to sell tires after all. The tire life 5000mi +.... is plausible based on my experience with tires on various vehicles. The range of actual life would be broad and based on many factors. Just take a look at the standard tires fitted to a list of factory trailers and you can deduce that a single size, used on a variety of trailers/loads can't possibly live as long on the heavier end of use. Temperatures, road surfaces, speeds, and the details of trailer setup can also severely impact the life of the tires.

Push it and you might be on the short end.
Baby it and your mileage will be much longer.

I have seen the same motorcycle tire model on the same bike last three times as long for the same riding. The difference was a single size in width.

load vs. load capacity is a big deal.
(I just bought a new trailer for largely that reason)

Greg

AstoriaDave · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:37 pm Post subject:

Sea Wolf,

Never heard that before. Flexure of the tire works protective stuff out to the surface? Dunno. Might be true, but suspect adding Armorall or similar reputable rubber protective material to the surface does not hurt anyway, long as it does not leach out the plasticizer in the rubber. I would not treat tire surfaces with petroleum products or rubbing alcohol, because I know they would scrub/leach out plasticizer.

After that, I guess it would be sunlight and ozone as the main culprits in degrading tire rubber. Living in Oregon on the coast, no worries about the sunlight! Wink

Chris · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 5:00 pm Post subject:

Joe...I've seen many references to the "use is good, sitting is bad" idea for tires...works well for other stuff...like boats... too. Worse thing you can do is let them sit.

Here's a link to one reference talking about emollients working to the surface of the tire as it works...

http://www.kumhousa.com/tire/basics/tire-safety

Sea Wolf · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 6:48 pm Post subject:

Dave & Chris-

Thanks for the comments and links!

How abut Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy?

Are they real too? Laughing

Joe.

thataway · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:12 pm Post subject:

Armorall MSDS: Hydrotreated light petroleum distillates 10% to 15% Not something I would want to put on my tires. There is all sorts of controversary about this. In general most knowledgable RV owners seem to avoid Amorall. We do not use it on our tires--or anywhere else for that matter.

Pressure: Sunbeam is correct, each side of each axle on an RV should be weighed and the tired inflated to the chart as recommended by the manufacturer--these are online. Part of this is for even wear on the tire--and part is for the "ride". If a tire is overinflated for its load, there will be more wear in the center of the tire, if under inflated, more wear on the outside. On the trailer you are not as concerned about "ride"--but you would want as good a "ride" as possible for your prized boat….

Wear pattern: When I first bought the 25, there was very significant wear on both sides and both axles within 7500 miles. We went to radial tires, made sure that the trailer was absolutely level when being towed, and also added a weight distributing hitch. I sold the trailer with about 12,000 miles on that second set of tires, and there was no significant measurable wear. If tires are wearing out in 5,000 miles there is something wrong with the way that the trailer is rigged. (Or something very wrong with the tires).