norfla71
Middleburg
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Joined: 10/24/2011
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On a recent road trip I had a tread separate; $1800 in repairs later I am looking to upgrade my tires to 12 or 14 ply. To be fair these are the original tires and this thing spent most of its life near the beach in FL, so the sun got to them. I just don't feel confident in towing with 10 ply tires anymore, considering I have a single wheel 3500 Dodge.
The axles are six lug. I found a set online that are 14 ply, but are used with 8 lug rims (over 100 psi). I know they will fit on the rims I have (both original and new tires are 235/85 r16)but they are rated for 80 psi. Will it hurt those tires to run them at 80 v/s rated pressure?
The second, and more involved option, is to upgrade my drums to 8 lug. I don't know what axles I have, but there seem to be only 2 major manufaturer's, so finding parts shouldn't be much of an issue. Is it really as simple as replacing the drums and putting on the new wheels? I found a set of 17.5's online (wheel and tire, 16 ply) for about $2,100 shipped; this is for 5 wheels and tires. These are used of flatbed trailers and smaller HD trucks overseas. I'm thinking about getting a set for my Dodge for when I tow (same diameter, just have to bore the center out a bit.)
Overkill and expensive, yes, but considering what I spent on repairs, as well as the replacement cost of stock tires every few years, they just make sense to me. Plus, it seems they would hold up better to flat spotting over time due to their heavy construction; we use our trailer about twice a year and it mostly sits on a slab.
Any thoughts on this are welcome.
2008 Ram 3500 SRW
2006 Salem 32SRV
***looking for a better truck this fall***
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VintageRacer
Dundas, Ontario
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Joined: 04/02/2005
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Can't make a useful comment without knowing the weights involved. Truck and trailer.
Brian
2005 F250 Supercab, Powerstroke, 5 speed automatic, 3.73 gears.
20 ft race car hauler, Lola T440 Formula Ford, NTM MK4 Sports Racer
1980 MCI MC-5C highway coach conversion
2004 Travelhawk 8' Truck Camper
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norfla71
Middleburg
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2006 Salem 32 SRV; weighs about 11,000
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norfla71
Middleburg
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BUMP...Still looking for answers...
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blackf3504dr
Leesburg , FL. .Lake
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Joined: 08/13/2004
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norfla71 wrote:BUMP...Still looking for answers...
I really like the BF Goodrich Commercial 235/85/R 16s that are on both our F350 and motor home. They have a maximum air pressure rating of 80 lbs and that's what I run them at.
Mom , Dad , Scooter & K.C ( killer cat )
'96 F350 4dr. Dually, 7.3 5sp.
'92 Holiday Rambler 34'
REAL TRUCKS DON'T HAVE SPARKPLUGS !
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pauldub
North of Seattle
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Joined: 11/01/2005
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I think you need to focus more on tire and wheel load rating instead of ply rating. Take a look and see if Rickson http://www.ricksontruckwheels.com/ has something to offer that will give you the tire/wheel capacity you need. Don't forget that the axle also needs to be able to handle the load.
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norfla71
Middleburg
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pauldub wrote:I think you need to focus more on tire and wheel load rating instead of ply rating. Take a look and see if Rickson http://www.ricksontruckwheels.com/ has something to offer that will give you the tire/wheel capacity you need. Don't forget that the axle also needs to be able to handle the load.
Yeah, I was asking about that in my OP. The main reason for wanting higher ply rating is less chance of failure. I'll run them at 80 (until upgrading to 8 lugs).
I was always told that regular LT radials should never be run on a trailer and always wondered why. Don't trucks subjected to changing lateral forces while carrying heavy loads? Why wouldn't they work on a trailer? I replaced all of my OEM junk with a set of leftover Falken Landair HTs (235/85r16) that are exactly what I needed. Had 3 on during the last trip, figuring the last stocker (unused spare) would be good; wrong! Blew out about 40 miles from the house and I never felt a thing. Pulled in and saw a rim with a bead and some cord attached to it (tire was more than shredded at this point). The truck tires held their own. They sucked on the Super Duty I had, but are great on the trailer. Maybe flatspotting is the biggest drawback? My trailer sits for about 11 months, though is moved at least once a month.
blackf3504dr wrote:I really like the BF Goodrich Commercial 235/85/R 16s that are on both our F350 and motor home. They have a maximum air pressure rating of 80 lbs and that's what I run them at.
I've heard good things about those; tough as nails and wear like iron. The only issue is the cost; for not much more money I can get 14 ply tires and, eventually, upgrade the rims. Of course, for what little I actually use it, sticking with the LT's may be the best option.
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oldbeek
lancaster CA
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I am not with the tire police. I haul a 12k Alpenlite with a single wheel dodge. BUT! a single 235/85r16 on a 6 bolt wheel is not big enough. Your brakes are also probably 15in drum. You need to upgrade the truck or complete rear axle.
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Irover
Where ever the Good Lord Wills
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Just put the TP as to what is on the rim and don't load heavier than the owner manual states. Changed from a D-8-ply to E-10-ply. Have almost six yrs use and no cracks from dryrot and about 15 thousand miles on them. I am trying for seven yrs then will replace.
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jimmyfred
Tx
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norfla71 wrote:BUMP...Still looking for answers...
..........the 17.5 wheels they mount on utility or equipment trailers have a solid steel insert mounted to the rim and are VERY heavy , and are HUB centric , meaning that the lugnuts donot automatically position the wheel correctly on the hub face when all are torqued down !
..........All RV trailer axles require a lug centric type of wheel as far as I know ! You should consult with tire\wheel dealers who are familiar RV axles and the choices available for a tire\wheel choice that meets your weight requirements . , jf
2003 Chevy 8.1 Dually 2Wdr.
1999 Travel Supreme , 33 RLSS
20K Reese , Prodigy etc.
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