Trailer Tires/Rims: Why is it so hard?

[HAVASUSUN]

So I continue to be frustrated by the lack of good trailer tire solutions!
*. Trailer tires in general suck!
*. I would prefer to run a D or E rated LT tire but these don’t come in sizes for 14” rims which is what I currently have
*. I could step up and buy new 16” rims so that there would be a good selection of LT tires to choose from BUT, it is nearly impossible to find a 16” rim with a 5x4.5 bolt pattern!

It looks like the latest reviews of the Goodyear Endurance trailer tires seem to buck the trend. People are reporting they hold up well compared to other trailer tires. I feel a bit defeated going back to another trailer tire!

What have others done to solve this problem? I have a triple axle trailer hauling a 26’ Ultra Shadowdeck. Thanks!



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[HAVASUSUN]

As a side note, I am looking for function over style. I like the idea of having a regular/tall sidewall vs going with low pro tires. I just want a solution that will last without worrying every time I tow the boat. My usual tow is 20+miles each way with the occasional long haul to Powell or Havasu.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[77charger]

For my eliminator 207 tandem axle i use passenger car tires they will last me about 6-7 years and cheap to buy.The weight rating is good enough for my boat but yours is defintiely heavier but a triple axle too so maybe add up the numbers.

 

[HAVASUSUN]

For my eliminator 207 tandem axle i use passenger car tires they will last me about 6-7 years and cheap to buy.The weight rating is good enough for my boat but yours is defintiely heavier but a triple axle too so maybe add up the numbers.

What size rim are you running? When I looked for a 205/75-14 tire, the only ones I could find had a 1500lb max rating which makes me a bit nervous.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Motor Boater]

Make sure when taking people’s advice you understand how big their boat is and how much they tow. Some guys will say they've had great experience with xyz brand and then u find out they tow a 18 foot boat back and forth A half mile from storage to the ramp. I had the same issue as you when towing my 288 sunsation. 14” wheels and no good tire options. I tow all over the state. Phx to Havasu/Parker, Phoenix to Powell etc.

 

[Boat 405]

Yup, I've been down this exact same road. I ended up going to 5200 lbs 6 lug axles on my new trailer build for my 25' daytona. Tandem 6 lug axles, 18" wheels and tires. I have Toyo Proxes tires. Awesome setup, tows like a dream.

 

[pwerwagn]

You're on the right path. I've converted what I can to 16's and run E rated LT tires. My carrera has car tires on it, with no issues there either. They are the "extra load" or whatever you call them. Ive towed it from cali to here and then all around here, and they are date coded 2011 and still kickin but its time to replace them.

However, I recently bought a new trailer from YIRO and they put goodyear endurance on them. They are 235/80-16's, and so far so good. They are ~1.5 years old and no issues yet. I have read a lot of good about the endurance, but was still gunshy because marathons were 99% shit in my opinion.

 

[CJ_Donahue]

If you plan on keeping the boat I would recommended stepping up to the 16" rims.

 

[HAVASUSUN]

If you plan on keeping the boat I would recommended stepping up to the 16" rims.

Any idea in where I can find some 16” rims with a 5x4.5 bolt pattern? I have searched the web and cannot find any “trailer” wheels that meet that criteria. I know there are several cars that have a 5x4.5 bolt pattern but the offset of the wheel would be a problem. Also the load rating may be low....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[HitIt]

It looks like the latest reviews of the Goodyear Endurance trailer tires seem to buck the trend. People are reporting they hold up well compared to other trailer tires. I feel a bit defeated going back to another trailer tire!

Try em. I run them on my boat and travel trailer. They are really good tires. Speed rating (87 mph) is higher than most trailer tires (~75 mph), too. Not that I care too much about speed rating but it shows the mfgr's confidence in the tire. Also, they are D and E rated.

 

[CJ_Donahue]

Any idea in where I can find some 16” rims with a 5x4.5 bolt pattern? I have searched the web and cannot find any “trailer” wheels that meet that criteria. I know there are several cars that have a 5x4.5 bolt pattern but the offset of the wheel would be a problem. Also the load rating may be low....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Have you tried etrailer.com? Find the rim you like and then try and find them cheaper elsewhere.

 

[77charger]

What size rim are you running? When I looked for a 205/75-14 tire, the only ones I could find had a 1500lb max rating which makes me a bit nervous.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

believe that same size tire i know its a 14 inch rim. im not sure on the wieght rating i forgot i do know i inflate them to 44 pounds max

 

[Ballyhoo]

I went to LT tires a year after getting our boat and haven't looked back. Our boat has been stored out in AZ for most of its life and I replace the tires every 4 - 5 years max. When they reach that amount of time, they still look brand new but the inside has already started to rot. I tow less than 10 miles round trip to the launch ramp. If I was towing it across the desert I would start taking a hard look at the tires after 3 years.

 

[HAVASUSUN]

Have you tried etrailer.com? Find the rim you like and then try and find them cheaper elsewhere.

Yep, etrailer, discount, big o, eastern marine, trailer wheels, etc. Of all those sites, I have found one wheel made by method that comes in the right bolt pattern and they are $250 a piece plus shipping.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[jones performance]

i used steel crown vic wheels on my car trailer. have some lt 245/75's on em.

 

[spectra3279]

I run the kumho 897's. They are a 205 75 14. They are rated at 2300 lbs per tire and I drove from komifornia to KY. I had one blow out. The tire ended up being dated 2014.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[mash on it]

I ran some numbers.
GT tires.
205/70/14.
1653 lbs per tire.
9918 lbs for your application.

From NADA, your ultra weighs 4700 lbs. Add a grand for the trailer.

5700 lbs. Still fine.
Add 50% more. 8550. Still in the range, with over a grand to spare.

These were just random car tires.
(Discount Tires)

Dan'l

 

[DaveH]

i have a triple with 14's on it and low profiel (for a trailer anyway) being a 60 series tire which are getting hard to find.

however, ive blown plenty of "trailer" tires on other trailers i own......yet ran the low profile 14" car tires down to the cords from all the miles and never shredded one yet.

 

[oldschool]

The only time I’ve had any issue with trailer tires is when they’ve been old. I replace every 4-5 years and tow a fair amount in California and to Havasu/Parker. I just towed out from Parker on 10 year old tires, Tow Masters.

 

[702sandman]

This is exactly what I just did on my Hallett. Went with KMC 16” wheels and TOYO tires. I upgraded from the stock 14” set up and couldn’t be happier.

 

[parker guy]

This is exactly what I just did on my Hallett. Went with KMC 16” wheels and TOYO tires. I upgraded from the stock 14” set up and couldn’t be happier.
View attachment 874091 View attachment 874092 View attachment 874093

Looks great, what wheel size and offset did you purchase?

 

[702sandman]

Any idea in where I can find some 16” rims with a 5x4.5 bolt pattern? I have searched the web and cannot find any “trailer” wheels that meet that criteria. I know there are several cars that have a 5x4.5 bolt pattern but the offset of the wheel would be a problem. Also the load rating may be low....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

kmc has them in the 5x4.5 lug pattern and also look at race line trailer wheels they have nice options.

 

[702sandman]

Looks great, what wheel size and offset did you purchase?

I went thru a friend and they were like $95 each
looks like zero offset

 

[Boat Potato]

I run Maxxis 8008 tires on both my triple axle trailers. One is 14" rim D rated, the other is a E rated 15". They are good tires and have a thicker sidewall.

 

[Ultra247]

I put a set of these from Amazon on my Magic. Went to 15" and had reasonable tire selection. $120 per wheel. Went with black with machined surface. I had the 17" low profiles from Magic and didn't even want to pull with those!!

SENDEL T03 ALUMINUM TRAILER WHEEL WITH MACHINED FINISH 15X6 5X4.50(114.3) +0 3.19

 

[702sandman]

This is the tire and size I went with. It matched the 14” set up perfectly. Plus we are sponsored by Toyo so I couldn’t pass up free

 

[HAVASUSUN]

This is exactly what I just did on my Hallett. Went with KMC 16” wheels and TOYO tires. I upgraded from the stock 14” set up and couldn’t be happier.
View attachment 874091 View attachment 874092 View attachment 874093

Looks bitchen! That is the only rim they make in that size bolt pattern. Crazy! Thanks for sending the info and some pics to keep me motivated!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[HAVASUSUN]

I put a set of these from Amazon on my Magic. Went to 15" and had reasonable tire selection. $120 per wheel. Went with black with machined surface. I had the 17" low profiles from Magic and didn't even want to pull with those!!

SENDEL T03 ALUMINUM TRAILER WHEEL WITH MACHINED FINISH 15X6 5X4.50(114.3) +0 3.19

View attachment 874115

Looks awesome! Did you find a non trailer tire for your setup?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[parker guy]

I went thru a friend and they were like $95 each
looks like zero offset
View attachment 874107

Wold he like to sell 5 more wheels?

 

[702sandman]

Wold he like to sell 5 more wheels?

I can ask him

 

[SOCALCRICKETT]

Earlier gen wranglers (yj, to, etc), and Ford rangers are 5x4.5 lug. If you search for wheels fitting those you should be alright. Most "trailer wheels" are a 5.5" or 6" wide wheel whereas most wheels for road vehicles are 7" wide, as long as you clear the inner wheel well your good to go. Stick with a 0 offset and double check the hub bore measurement to make sure the bearing buddies will fit the wheels too

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 

[DMF]

I can ask him

Ask him if he would to sell.another 7, please?

 

[HAVASUSUN]

Earlier gen wranglers (yj, to, etc), and Ford rangers are 5x4.5 lug. If you search for wheels fitting those you should be alright. Most "trailer wheels" are a 5.5" or 6" wide wheel whereas most wheels for road vehicles are 7" wide, as long as you clear the inner wheel well your good to go. Stick with a 0 offset and double check the hub bore measurement to make sure the bearing buddies will fit the wheels too

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

Thank you for the tip!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[ToMorrow44]

So I continue to be frustrated by the lack of good trailer tire solutions!
*. Trailer tires in general suck!
*. I would prefer to run a D or E rated LT tire but these don’t come in sizes for 14” rims which is what I currently have
*. I could step up and buy new 16” rims so that there would be a good selection of LT tires to choose from BUT, it is nearly impossible to find a 16” rim with a 5x4.5 bolt pattern!

It looks like the latest reviews of the Goodyear Endurance trailer tires seem to buck the trend. People are reporting they hold up well compared to other trailer tires. I feel a bit defeated going back to another trailer tire!

What have others done to solve this problem? I have a triple axle trailer hauling a 26’ Ultra Shadowdeck. Thanks!



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

If you’re running a triple axle under that boat, there’s not a ton of weight on the tires. My setup is probably pretty similar, boat/trailer combined ~7k. I’m running Hankook car tires, 225/70/15 which has a load rating of 1764lb x6 = 10,584lb of capacity which I’m nowhere near. This is the second trailer I’ve had for this boat, first trailer had 6 195/60/14 tires @ 1168lb rating, so they were loaded right at the max capacity.
In 19 years with these 2 trailers, we’ve never had one tire failure. I calculated I towed 3000-3500miles last year alone. Point being, don’t be afraid to run car tires and whatever size wheels you want. You may be limited by what size you can fit under your fenders.

 

[ToMorrow44]

Any idea in where I can find some 16” rims with a 5x4.5 bolt pattern? I have searched the web and cannot find any “trailer” wheels that meet that criteria. I know there are several cars that have a 5x4.5 bolt pattern but the offset of the wheel would be a problem. Also the load rating may be low....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

You can use any wheel website to search for wheels with that bolt pattern. I’ve found Summit Racing is a good site to use, you can narrow it down by bolt pattern, offset, wheel finish, etc. they have a pretty good selection too. Most of the load ratings are 2500lbs which is far more than you’d put on it.

 

[robby dmax]

So I continue to be frustrated by the lack of good trailer tire solutions!
*. Trailer tires in general suck!
*. I would prefer to run a D or E rated LT tire but these don’t come in sizes for 14” rims which is what I currently have
*. I could step up and buy new 16” rims so that there would be a good selection of LT tires to choose from BUT, it is nearly impossible to find a 16” rim with a 5x4.5 bolt pattern!

It looks like the latest reviews of the Goodyear Endurance trailer tires seem to buck the trend. People are reporting they hold up well compared to other trailer tires. I feel a bit defeated going back to another trailer tire!

What have others done to solve this problem? I have a triple axle trailer hauling a 26’ Ultra Shadowdeck. Thanks!



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Do you have the 14x6 rim or the 14x7 as fuel make a few 16x8 with 5x4.5 then you can run a car tire
I am looking at the same thing now myself

 

[HALLETT BOY]

If you’re running a triple axle under that boat, there’s not a ton of weight on the tires. My setup is probably pretty similar, boat/trailer combined ~7k. I’m running Hankook car tires, 225/70/15 which has a load rating of 1764lb x6 = 10,584lb of capacity which I’m nowhere near. This is the second trailer I’ve had for this boat, first trailer had 6 195/60/14 tires @ 1168lb rating, so they were loaded right at the max capacity.
In 19 years with these 2 trailers, we’ve never had one tire failure. I calculated I towed 3000-3500miles last year alone. Point being, don’t be afraid to run car tires and whatever size wheels you want. You may be limited by what size you can fit under your fenders.
View attachment 874284

That’s exactly what I did , after numerous Carlisle “ trailer rated “ tires blowing at the most inconvenient times , I went with 6 car tires . They are 2 years old now , we’ll see what happens.

 

[ToMorrow44]

That’s exactly what I did , after numerous Carlisle “ trailer rated “ tires blowing at the most inconvenient times , I went with 6 car tires . They are 2 years old now , we’ll see what happens.

The original trailer I had was 17 years old and on the second set of tires. Granted the boat was stored indoors but the car tires last longer too. Just overall better construction than “trailer” tires. I think you’ll be happy

 

[SKIDMARC]

I got mine from a local shop, not sure of the name but I know I never heard of them. Shop said they were good! So I said OK! Lasted just over 6 years. Replaced because the tread was worn out. I usually go to local lakes about 8-10 times a season and is about 40min from my house and Parker twice a season 5 hours from my house.

Went back and got a new set. Had for 1 year and had a blow out coming back from Parker. I was speeding though.

I think that is the biggest culprit with trailer tires not lasting, they are meant to only go 55mph. I always ask when I hear " oh these trailer tires are crap, had a blow out" I always say how fast were you going? Its usually way above 55mph. LOL

 

[ToMorrow44]

I got mine from a local shop, not sure of the name but I know I never heard of them. Shop said they were good! So I said OK! Lasted just over 6 years. Replaced because the tread was worn out. I usually go to local lakes about 8-10 times a season and is about 40min from my house and Parker twice a season 5 hours from my house.

Went back and got a new set. Had for 1 year and had a blow out coming back from Parker. I was speeding though.

I think that is the biggest culprit with trailer tires not lasting, they are meant to only go 55mph. I always ask when I hear " oh these trailer tires are crap, had a blow out" I always say how fast were you going? Its usually way above 55mph. LOL

Agreed, and why I don’t run trailer tires. There’s no 55mph trailer speed limit out here. 70mph speed limit for everyone so I tow at 70-75 with the cruise control on. Tires barely even get warm.

 

[702sandman]

Race line trailer wheels has good options also with a wheel called momba I believe

 

[02HoWaRd26]

17x7 Ridler wheels with 0 offset. And 225/65r17 (28.5x9”, (5.8”plenty of sidewall) Toyo’s

Ridler Wheels — Gallery

www.ridlerwheel.com

 

[SOCALCRICKETT]

17x7 Ridler wheels with 0 offset. And Toyo’s
View attachment 874564

Ridler Wheels — Gallery

www.ridlerwheel.com

Love those wheels, was the hub bore large enough for bearing buddies or did you have to do any machining?

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 

[02HoWaRd26]

Love those wheels, was the hub bore large enough for bearing buddies or did you have to do any machining?

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

Bolted right up, will work with the rubber caps as well. I got the stainless caps from Shadow trailers, but think they are a standard ufp or bearing buddy part.

 

[parker guy]

Bolted right up, will work with the rubber caps as well. I got the stainless caps from Shadow trailers, but think they are a standard ufp or bearing buddy part.
View attachment 874597

Looks great

 

[BUDMAN]

I've been looking to install a set of these on my Trailer as well or something similar

17x7 Ridler wheels with 0 offset. And 225/65r17 (28.5x9”, (5.8”plenty of sidewall) Toyo’s
View attachment 874564

Ridler Wheels — Gallery

www.ridlerwheel.com

 

[BUDMAN]

been looking at these. Updated but old school at the same time.

 

[BUDMAN]

17x7 Ridler wheels with 0 offset. And 225/65r17 (28.5x9”, (5.8”plenty of sidewall) Toyo’s

what toyos did you install?
View attachment 874564

Ridler Wheels — Gallery

www.ridlerwheel.com

 

[Johnnyairtime]

This is exactly what I just did on my Hallett. Went with KMC 16” wheels and TOYO tires. I upgraded from the stock 14” set up and couldn’t be happier.
View attachment 874091

I sent you a message "conversation".... not sure you've seen it, or are aware. Hence replying to your post.

 

[lbhsbz]

The obvious solution is to add a 3rd axle and switch to golf cart tires.