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What pressure for your trailer tires


chefred112

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Hey all, i'm just curious what you run and what's the best tire pressure for trailer tires. I have Nanco 205/75-14's and it specifies max pressure at 50 lbs...they were all about 25lbs and i raised them up to 40 lbs...

thanks..fred

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My trailer has the wide low profile tires that have max psi at 50. I will try 50 and see if tire wear is even. It of it is, then I will keep it there. If it looks like enter is wearing quicker, then I will bump it down to 45 and monitor. The important thing into realize that they are carrying a lot of weight so keep them more inflated than a car tire.

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Guess I will be the one to disagree with max pressure. Regardless of pressure the tires will get hot when rolling down the road and pressure will increase. So if you inflate to max, friction and heat will cause them to be over-inflated. I did this for a long time and wondered why I kept getting blowouts. So on 35 max psi tires I inflated them to 28 psi. Have yet to have another blowout and this have been on two boats and a utility trailer over the course of multiple years.

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Inflate trailer tires to max cold pressure listed on sidewall. Check/Inflate when tires are cold, and even as they heat up and go beyond what is listed on side wall, you will have max load carry capability. Hence the 'max cold psi' listing on the sidewall.

My load range D Marathons call for 65 psi cold.

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most tires are listed as max being cold. That figures in heating up and raising pressure. You should set them at the max.

On a similar note, you should raise the pressure in your rear tires when towing as well to increase the load capacity.

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The flexing of the sidewall and tread face contribute to a radial tire getting hot as it rolls down the road. Under inflation causes excessive flex in those areas and will raise the tire temperatures considerably. Do not run your trailer tires under inflated.

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Guess I will be the one to disagree with max pressure. Regardless of pressure the tires will get hot when rolling down the road and pressure will increase. So if you inflate to max, friction and heat will cause them to be over-inflated. I did this for a long time and wondered why I kept getting blowouts. So on 35 max psi tires I inflated them to 28 psi. Have yet to have another blowout and this have been on two boats and a utility trailer over the course of multiple years.

This is from etrailer.

Trailer Tire Frequently Asked Questions
Air pressure on Special Trailer (ST) Tires

The special trailer (ST) tires are designed with stronger sidewalls and can handle higher air pressures which are needed when being used on a trailer that is made to carry a load.

Special trailer (ST) tires should be inflated to the maximum air pressure that is stamped on the sidewall of the tire. It will be stamped with a designation of maximum load at a maximum psi. For example, if it has 1,610 pounds at 65 psi, that will mean that the tire is capable of carrying 1,610 pounds of weight, if you have it filled to the maximum air pressure of 65 psi. With maximum air pressure, the tires will perform and wear better, and will get better gas mileage.

If a tire is inflated to a lower air pressure it will reduce the amount of weight that the tire can carry. If a heavier load is put on the trailer tire than what is recommended for that air pressure it will cause the sidewall of the tire to heat up quicker and cause the tire to fail.

It is always recommended to inflate your tires when they are cold.

If a tire is over-inflated the tire will wear more in the center of the tread, all the way around the tire. If the tire is under-inflated the tire will wear on both edges of the tires, all the way around the tire.

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I have always done the 3 psi under rule yes my rule on the cars, trucks, and the trailers. I read the above and still like the 3 psi of room for era.

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Depends on loading. The heavier the tire is loaded the higher the pressure you're going to need. You should maintain an even cross section footprint across the tread of the tire - not more pressure on the shoulders (under inflation), or more pressure in the middle of the treat (over inflation). Either condition will produce excessive wear and shorten service life.

Most trailer tires specify about 50 psi as max pressure. My single axle trailer with my old Malibu Skier needs about 42 psi to get the right (even) tire patch footprint. If I had to pump the tire up to its max pressure (to account for higher loading), I would be concerned about an increased risk of a flat due to over inflation.

Actual results may vary as they say.

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Most trailer tires specify about 50 psi as max pressure. My single axle trailer with my old Malibu Skier needs about 42 psi to get the right (even) tire patch footprint. If I had to pump the tire up to its max pressure (to account for higher loading), I would be concerned about an increased risk of a flat due to over inflation.

Guess I admitted defeat too quickly.

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Most trailer tires specify about 50 psi as max pressure. My single axle trailer with my old Malibu Skier needs about 42 psi to get the right (even) tire patch footprint. If I had to pump the tire up to its max pressure (to account for higher loading), I would be concerned about an increased risk of a flat due to over inflation.

Actual results may vary as they say.

Guess I admitted defeat too quickly.

I think you were right on the first admission... This is off the Tire Rack website...

"Because of the weight they bear, pneumatic tires' sidewalls bulge and their treads flatten as they roll into contact with the road. This results in dimensional difference between the tire's "unloaded" radius (i.e., between the center of the axle and the top of the tire) and its "loaded" radius (between the center of the axle and the road). The engineer's call the difference between the two radii "deflection." Increasing vehicle speed will cause the tires to deflect quicker and increasing vehicle load will cause the tires to deflect farther (if tire pressure isn't increased)."

Just because the contact patch looks like a tire might be overinflated in your driveway doesn't mean it's not making full contact on the highway.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I think you were right on the first admission... This is off the Tire Rack website...

"Because of the weight they bear, pneumatic tires' sidewalls bulge and their treads flatten as they roll into contact with the road. This results in dimensional difference between the tire's "unloaded" radius (i.e., between the center of the axle and the top of the tire) and its "loaded" radius (between the center of the axle and the road). The engineer's call the difference between the two radii "deflection." Increasing vehicle speed will cause the tires to deflect quicker and increasing vehicle load will cause the tires to deflect farther (if tire pressure isn't increased)."

Just because the contact patch looks like a tire might be overinflated in your driveway doesn't mean it's not making full contact on the highway.

So, based on your hypothesis, the tire should be underinflated in the driveway such that it makes full contact on the highway.

No thanks. I'm not one to guess how much the crown and rolling radius of the tire may change with vehicle speed. What, stare out the window looking backwards as you drive down the freeway and try to guess? Nah. I'll do what any good tire guy does - look at the static stance and examine the tread wear pattern.

The fact of the matter is that good tires are specifically designed not the change rolling radius as vehicle speed increases. If you're having to adjust tire pressure based upon speed of a trailer tire then perhaps better tires are called for.

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Def max. I think I am at or over their load ratings already.

Lower PSI = more flex = higher temps and more stress on the sidewall radial plys

Even if there was uneven wear in the center of the tire due to overinflation for the load I would run them max

Additionally, the damage that occurs to the rear tires on our 2 axel trailers everytime you make a real tight turn in parking lots.... Scraping and dragging those rear tires around om the pavement is much more pronounced with less inflated tires than tight max filled. Very important IMO to have your trailer as level as possible and max filled tires.

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It seems moot to discuss tread wear, has anyone actually worn the tread off of a trailer tire? I've never seen it done, every trailer tire I've seen (mine and anyone else's) has new tread, but are weather checked or sidewalls bulging or tread separating.

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It seems moot to discuss tread wear, has anyone actually worn the tread off of a trailer tire? I've never seen it done, every trailer tire I've seen (mine and anyone else's) has new tread, but are weather checked or sidewalls bulging or tread separating.

I totally agree with this.Back in the old days (1995) I got 7 years out of a set of Goodyear Marathons and wore out about 75%. After cutting 1 of those on a drain culvert and replacing them in about 2002, never get more than 3 years before tread separation. That is on Goodyear and or Carlisle.

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Ok Ok, I admit defeat.

I run my trailer tires grossly underinflated simply because I like to be a rebel and buck the rules. Also, I like watching people pass me shaking their heads or frantically pointing as if I have a flat. I get off on that. :rockon:

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