trailer tires

A month ago I bought a pair of 4.80x12 trailer tires. Cheap chinese ones. I bet that Gateway didn't have 15 bucks in one.5 trips and about 100 miles later they look worn out to the point of making me worry about taking them on my next trip. I am thinking about trying some p155x12 car tires next time buit my neighbor said that one of his pals tried car tires and the trailer wouldn't pull worth a hoot. Whatever that means. I put some on my Procraft and couldn't tell the difference. Of course they were f70x14s. What do you guys think???

bought some trailer tires for my utility trailer bout year and a half ago over in tuckerman. The trailer gets used often and with alot of weight and the tires look good, plenty of tread left.
When needed I will go back for boat trailer tires.
Tom

Consider that trailer tires are constructed to carry a heavier load than passenger tires. They have stiffer sidewalls to help prevent sway or fish tailing when towing. They also have a tread that wears more slowly under higher speeds than passenger tires.

Carlisle are a good bet.

What Fishtaco said is true, also they normally have higher pressures and a smaller footprint which makes for eaiser towing.

I would probably try the car tires. I have never had anything but car tires on any of my boat trailers and they all pull fine. I have 12" car tires on my 14' flat bottom trailer, and i think you can see the air in one of them and I have pulled it all over the state. I have 14" car tires on my 17' bass boat and have pulled it all over as well. Never had a problem. Trailer tires are designed to carry more weight, but most boat trailers aren't carrying much weight. A front wheel drive car probably has at least 1,000 lbs on the front tires, and most boat trailers with 12" tires probably aren't carrying much, if any more weight than that. Just my opinion.

Shane

Not sure the size of mine but they are trailer grade radials. You will find that radials will pull easier and last much longer on those hot paved roads in summer. Much smoother ride too

You want trailer grade radials like luvfishin526 just said. They are usually withing $10 of the price of non-radial trailer tires, and will last much longer. Smooth ride too. my two cents.

I run Goodyear Marathons, with good results. Be sure and have them balanced---makes a world of difference in how they pull.

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Originally Posted by willk

What Fishtaco said is true, also they normally have higher pressures and a smaller footprint which makes for eaiser towing.

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Ditto! Buy cheap...you get cheap. Get the picture?!?;):)

Even cheap tires shouldn't wear out that fast. Are the 4.80-12's the correct load size for your trailer wt? You might consider 5.30's or a larger ply. Were they inflated correctly? You should always have the pressure indicated on the tire; anything less will put a lot of stress on the tire. Also, is your trailer axle in line? Sometimes you hit something(like turning too short on a curb) and knock the axle out of alignment. That will cause irregular and extra wear on the tires.
I'm an expert on screwing up trailer tires and bearings--if it can be done, I've done it!:D

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Originally Posted by MaggiesMaster

Even cheap tires shouldn't wear out that fast. Are the 4.80-12's the correct load size for your trailer wt? You might consider 5.30's or a larger ply. Were they inflated correctly? You should always have the pressure indicated on the tire; anything less will put a lot of stress on the tire. Also, is your trailer axle in line? Sometimes you hit something(like turning too short on a curb) and knock the axle out of alignment. That will cause irregular and extra wear on the tires.
I'm an expert on screwing up trailer tires and bearings--if it can be done, I've done it!:D

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distance from front of left tire ro the center of the ball is an inch and a half greater than on the right side. Taking it to a shop on thursday.

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Originally Posted by Gomer Snerd

A month ago I bought a pair of 4.80x12 trailer tires. Cheap chinese ones. I bet that Gateway didn't have 15 bucks in one.5 trips and about 100 miles later they look worn out to the point of making me worry about taking them on my next trip. I am thinking about trying some p155x12 car tires next time buit my neighbor said that one of his pals tried car tires and the trailer wouldn't pull worth a hoot. Whatever that means. I put some on my Procraft and couldn't tell the difference. Of course they were f70x14s. What do you guys think???

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I have a Polar Craft wide boat 17 ft. long with a 90 hp outboard, probably around 1500 lbs. I have 14,s on my trailer--actually they came on the trailer.

My boat pulls great and no bounce period.