Racngrn

My Eagle tri axle ( metal) trailer is in need of tires. Almost all of the tires show signs of sidewall cracking, some pretty bad. The trailer carries a 99 353 Formula and is used only about 600 miles per year. Trips are infrequent with one to gett he boat in the spring (200) and one mid season trip to Lake Winnie , then back to Winnie in the fall for storage.
The current tires are LT tires, not trailer tires and have actually done well, save the cracking. I was wondering if a Load Range E LT tire would make a good choice for my use. Also not sure what size the trailer is supposed to have. The ones on there are 245/75 -16's. I found some good info when I did a thread search on this topic, but no clear direction on the LT tire option. I did see Maxxis mentioned a lot, but no dealers any where near me in Maine. Thanks for any help you can offer. Steve

Chart

first off, ST or trailer tires are not available in 16s. They stop at 15s. So, yes, go for an LT tire. What rating is your trailer axle? probably either 5200 or 6000 pounds, or 2600 to 3000 lbs per tire. Any LT tire that is rated for that or more will carry the load. The stronger (or higher pound rated) an LT tire you get, the stronger the sidewalls, and that should be a good thing in tight corners.

If I remember right, your tire size is about 29 or 30" in diameter. You should check that.

While most like radial tires, personally I've have good luck with bias ply tires in a rib tread design. but either way, the less aggressive tread you get, the easier it will roll. The best longevity I've experienced was a no-name bias ply tire when I didn't have many choices. Thought I was wasting my money at the time, but proved to be a wise purchase. Hope you have similar luck.

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

I really like running LT tires on my trailer vs. ST or anything else.

I went to Firestone TransForce LT on my last trailer. They worked very well.

My current trailer (Myco) is still on the original Goodyear Wrangler HT installed in 2004 (All original, not a single flat or tire issue for the previous owner or myself.) I was so impressed by this I bought the same tires and ran them on my dually for 18 months knowing I'd be moving up in wheels/tires on the dually, and I'd move those tires to the boat trailer.

NOW, as a TRUCK tire, I believe the Goodyear Wrangler HT...
...SUCKS OSTRICH NUTS. They were like driving on wet spaghetti. I had to run really high pressures to feel like the truck handled anything like the Michelin that came off of it. For this reason--that they are so soft any "wiggly"--I think that's why they work good as a trailer tire. I will be installing them on my Myco in the next couple weeks.

I don't think you can go wrong with the Firestone TransForce LT or the Goodyear Wrangler HT (LT) on a trailer application. Your most important task will be making sure you do not have any size/clearance issues. I suggest using this tire calculator: http://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Tire-Size-Calculator to find out exactly what diameter and width you have, and then make sure that if you do change tire size, it will not interfere with your fenders, axles, or drop spindles (if you have torsion axles). Remember, the more diameter you have, the lower your tire temperature will be--which is good.

Also, never park your tires (any tires) on grass. If you have to park them on grass, make sure you put down 2x10s or 2x12s as grass'/soil's moisture will ruin a tire very quickly.

Last note, many of the Eagle trailers I have personally seen have had 15" wheels. This may be why you have bit of a smaller tire diameter on there with the 16" rims you have installed. Regardless, go with the biggest tire you can fit, and definitely E-load range. The few bucks it will cost you extra will be worth it for better tires that keep you front changing a flat on the side of the road.

Chart is right: 245/75/16:
Section Width: 9.65 in
Overall Diameter: 29.50 in