What is the difference between car tires and trailer tires

Never use passenger tires on a trailer. They are usually rated Load Range B, a 4-ply equivalent, because their sidewalls are flexible for a smooth ride—far too flexible for trailer duty. They are not engineered to stabilize heavy loads or to handle the temperatures that build with them.

ST, or Special Trailer, tires are intended only for trailers. ST tires must never go on drive or steer wheels. Their stiffer sidewalls are engineered to handle the tall loads of a travel trailer or fifth wheel on straights and in turns but not the stresses generated by steering and acceleration. They are at least Load Range C, which means the sidewall is rated 6 plies.

Lately some trailer owners—and even manufacturers—are equipping trailers with LT, or Light Truck, tires. American RV manufacturers, except some making compacts and popups with wheels smaller than 13 inches, equip each new trailer with radials. You can run bias ply tires on your camper and radials on your tow vehicle, but you cannot mix bias and radial tires on the trailer itself.

Bias plies are cheaper but have a shorter life and get lower fuel mileage. Some builders offer better tires as an option. Economy trailers and the increasingly popular light travel trailers usually have basic ST tires. One last thing:. Do not exceed the wheel's maximum rated pressure. The cold inflation pressure must not exceed 10 psi 69 kPa beyond the inflation specified for the maximum load of the tire. Increasing the inflation pressure by 10 psi 69 kPa does not provide any additional load carrying capacity.

Credits: tirerack. All Posts. Steve Hoddinott. Also, make sure pressure in all tires is the same especially true for tandem and triple axles. Improper or imbalance with pressure can lead to attitude issues like roll. Fourth , take care of your tires. Cover them to protect them from the sun when not in use. When parked, put them on wood rather than concrete to avoid carbon leaching. Check them for dry rot tiny cracks that appear usually on the sidewalls.

Watch for tread wear issues. Make sure brakes are adjusted properly so one is not grabbing more than another. And, load your trailer properly for good tracking. If you happen to have torsion axles in tandem, go super extra capacity for the tires. Torsions in Tandem or Triple are not a good situation, and one way to help yourself in that situation is to over buy your tires.

This can, and does, cause blow-outs and other issues, so bias the odds in your favor. For more information, please follow this link to the article that explains all about it. I assert — If the tires are the right size, have proper alignment, and are within the load requirements — AND if we take care of them — automotive tires on a trailer will perform great, and in most cases, even better than trailer specific tires.

And, for applications that need really high capacity tires. Otherwise, I prefer light truck tires over trailer specific ones any day. Do you agree? Or disagree? Write below if you have comments or suggestions. For more reading, try one of the many links above in the article text. We do have quite a bit of tire information to share. Good luck with your trailer tires. With a full flat deck, these plans show how to build a workhorse of a deck-over trailer.

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This is our longest lbs tandem axle deck-over trailer. These plans are fully engineered and include so many options, because you expect more from plans at Mechanical Elements. This 4x6 Utility Trailer has a axle capacity and lots of options for customizing. Show Me GO. Second , anyone that says trailer tires experience more crazy loads and dynamics than autos are not thinking clearly.

First, Why Trailer Tires? That said, there are several advantages in using trailer specific tires: They have the advantage in load capacity for the size. Smaller total size, with greater capacity.

Boat U. Like most boat owners, we take pride in our nautical knowledge. But tires for the trailer? How boring! Automobile tires perform all of these functions, so they need flexible sidewalls to keep their tread anchored to the pavement.

Ultimately, using automobile tires on your trailer is a safety issue, which is why the experts at the tire companies do not advise their use. Their stiff sidewalls help prevent your rig from swaying.

According to rubber industry research, trailer tires need to be replaced after 3—5 years of use, even though they usually appear to have plenty of tread left.