Last year before we made our annual 1100 mile trip to the San Juans, we changed to 195 R 14, Load Range D Lt truck tire. They are rated at 2095 lbs @ 65 psi. The trailer handled great and the tires never got very hot.
However when on long trips we always carry our extra gear in the back of the truck.
Tommy
Wheel Bearings
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Dimitri-2000X-Tampa
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Tommy, that sounds like the ticket. Never heard of a 14 inch tire rated so highly. I take it they are a bit wider than the stock tires? Did you have any problems installing them? And can you possibly provide a link or some other information about where to buy them?
I've got a slow leak in one of my tires now so its about time to get some new ones I think...I'll probably go with some galvanized wheels as well.
I've got a slow leak in one of my tires now so its about time to get some new ones I think...I'll probably go with some galvanized wheels as well.
Radial Tires
Dimitri, I purchased the tires form a local tire shop that deals mostly with truck tires. I explained my problem and we went through their catalogs until we found the highest rated 14" tire that would fit my wheels. There wasn't any problem with the tires fitting under the fenders. The brand is Master Craft which is their house brand.
Tommy
Tommy
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Duane Dunn, Allegro
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Most trailer places will tell you that a car or a light truck tire has too soft of a sidewall for trailer use. Even the radial ST (Special Trailer) tires have a much stiffer sidewall than a radial truck tire.
When I had my problems a couple years ago with the stock tires I was lucky to find a tire shop (they sold used tires) still open. They stayed late to help me out so I would have tires to get home on. We searched all their inventory but could not find any ST tires. They had a couple 1600lb rated car tires that fit the 14" wheels. Lacking any better option I had them mount up the tires on the trailer (the boat was already in the water as I noticed the tread delamination just as we were launching). I figured it was worth the $35 they wanted for both tires mounted and installed after hours.
Parked back at the launch everything looked good, so off we went on our 3 day trip. When we got back I loaded the boat as usual and pulled her out. Even though the tires were rated for the load, they looked nearly flat at their 35psi rating. We limped up to the nearest gas station where I took the pressure up to 45psi. This at least made the tires only look low on air. We then proceded home the long slow way with me staring in the rear view mirror the whole way just waiting for one to blow.
I don't think I'd put anything other than ST tires on the trailer. They don't cost any more than a regular tire, so why not use the right one.
By the way, I still need to get the exact part numbers for the seals/bearings. I've found the bearings listed above, but still haven't been able to match up the seals with what I find at the Champion Trailer site.
When I had my problems a couple years ago with the stock tires I was lucky to find a tire shop (they sold used tires) still open. They stayed late to help me out so I would have tires to get home on. We searched all their inventory but could not find any ST tires. They had a couple 1600lb rated car tires that fit the 14" wheels. Lacking any better option I had them mount up the tires on the trailer (the boat was already in the water as I noticed the tread delamination just as we were launching). I figured it was worth the $35 they wanted for both tires mounted and installed after hours.
Parked back at the launch everything looked good, so off we went on our 3 day trip. When we got back I loaded the boat as usual and pulled her out. Even though the tires were rated for the load, they looked nearly flat at their 35psi rating. We limped up to the nearest gas station where I took the pressure up to 45psi. This at least made the tires only look low on air. We then proceded home the long slow way with me staring in the rear view mirror the whole way just waiting for one to blow.
I don't think I'd put anything other than ST tires on the trailer. They don't cost any more than a regular tire, so why not use the right one.
By the way, I still need to get the exact part numbers for the seals/bearings. I've found the bearings listed above, but still haven't been able to match up the seals with what I find at the Champion Trailer site.
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Dimitri-2000X-Tampa
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Duane, I'm not sure I'm following you. Are you saying you think a 1870# ST tire is better than a 2095# non trailer tire? That kind of goes against logic. Also, if you can run 65 psi instead of 50 psi, I would think that would make the sidewalls stiffer. I understand you had some trouble with a 1600# rated tire that was supposed to only be inflated to 35psi but I'm not sure that fact alone is enough to justify that a lower weight rated ST tire is better than a higher rated non ST tire.
But thanks for letting me know what to ask the local tire store so I don't sound like an idiot. We have a big tire store down here (forget the name) that deals with trucks...but you can get anything there even down to small lawnmower tires...guess I should go have a talk with them about it.
But thanks for letting me know what to ask the local tire store so I don't sound like an idiot. We have a big tire store down here (forget the name) that deals with trucks...but you can get anything there even down to small lawnmower tires...guess I should go have a talk with them about it.
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Chip Hindes
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There appears to be a discrepancy. According to Tire Rack, this tire is rated at 1710 lbs at 65 psi. The Goodyear tire manual says the the same thing.Tom wrote:195 R 14, Load Range D Lt truck tire. They are rated at 2095 lbs @ 65 psi.
Load ratings don't vary according to manufacturer. Every tire of this size and Load Range is rated exactly the same.
According to the same Goodyear manual, you can buy a trailer tire, ST205/75-14, Load Range D, which is good for 2040 lbs @65 psi, but there is no 14 inch diameter LT tire of any section width and load range with such a rating.
Radial Tires
Chip, Your figures are right for load range C tires. The thing is your have to go to a manfacturer who builds a the tire in a load range D. This took some looking. This manfacturer deals mainly in truck tires and they happen to make 195 R 14 in load range D, which has worked out great.
Tommy
Tommy
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Chip Hindes
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Sorry, but that's incorrect. Please check the link I provided to the Goodyear Tire Manual. The LT195/75-14 tire in Load Range C is rated at only 1435 pounds at 50 psi max. The Load Range D tire is rated at 1710 pounds at 65 psi. Check any brand name tire for sale anywhere, and you'll see that every LT195/75-14 Load Range D tire, regardless of brand name, is rated 1710 lbs @65PSI.Tom wrote:Chip, Your figures are right for load range C tires. The thing is your have to go to a manfacturer who builds a the tire in a load range D. This took some looking. This manfacturer deals mainly in truck tires and they happen to make 195 R 14 in load range D, which has worked out great.
I believe if you check the sidewall on the tires you'll confirm this.
radial tires
Sorry Chip, but the sidewalls are stamped 2095 @65 lbs psi.
Tread is 2 ply steel + 2ply polyester, sidewall 2 ply polyester.
Tommy
Tread is 2 ply steel + 2ply polyester, sidewall 2 ply polyester.
Tommy
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Chip Hindes
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Well, it turns out we're both right, and we're both wrong. I researched further and it appears this is not due to any difference in the tire itself, but instead a difference in the way the tires are specified. See this link:
Tire Rack load explantation
A 195/75-14 tire with a load range D has a Load Range specification of 1710 lbs at 65 psi as I stated.
The same tire also has a Load Index specification of 106, or 2094 lbs at 65 psi, as you stated.
The difference is in the source of the specifications themselves. Load Index is the ability of a tire to sustain a simple vertical load, under laboratory conditions at 65 degrees temperature. It does not take into account the additional side loads due to cornering, friction or ambient heating, or trailer sway. Load Range specifications include all of these. That's why the Load Range specification is considerably lower than the Load Index specification for the same tire. It appears most tire manufacturers use the more conservative Load Range specification on the sidewall. Some don't.
I would say the Load Range specification equates better to the way tires are actually used, but that would be up to you.
Same tire, two different numbers. Your tire isn't any better, it's just got a different number on it.
Tire Rack load explantation
A 195/75-14 tire with a load range D has a Load Range specification of 1710 lbs at 65 psi as I stated.
The same tire also has a Load Index specification of 106, or 2094 lbs at 65 psi, as you stated.
The difference is in the source of the specifications themselves. Load Index is the ability of a tire to sustain a simple vertical load, under laboratory conditions at 65 degrees temperature. It does not take into account the additional side loads due to cornering, friction or ambient heating, or trailer sway. Load Range specifications include all of these. That's why the Load Range specification is considerably lower than the Load Index specification for the same tire. It appears most tire manufacturers use the more conservative Load Range specification on the sidewall. Some don't.
I would say the Load Range specification equates better to the way tires are actually used, but that would be up to you.
Same tire, two different numbers. Your tire isn't any better, it's just got a different number on it.
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Dimitri-2000X-Tampa
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Chip, you're getting me all confused 
My stock tires are Titan ST215/75 D14, I think they say something like 1870 lbs or so on the sidewall, are you saying that this could be a different index than the one on Tom1's tires or Tom2's link??
That would seem very misleading and a hazard to safety if you ask me. Seems like they would be required by law to use the same rating system.
I would think that just the extra 15 lbs of pressure over my tires would make the sides stiffer and the overall performance better anyway. It also sounds like the diameter of a 195 would be slightly less than a 215 which is a bit puzzling but should make it work great.
My stock tires are Titan ST215/75 D14, I think they say something like 1870 lbs or so on the sidewall, are you saying that this could be a different index than the one on Tom1's tires or Tom2's link??That would seem very misleading and a hazard to safety if you ask me. Seems like they would be required by law to use the same rating system.
I would think that just the extra 15 lbs of pressure over my tires would make the sides stiffer and the overall performance better anyway. It also sounds like the diameter of a 195 would be slightly less than a 215 which is a bit puzzling but should make it work great.
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Chip Hindes
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It is confusing, but the 1870 load rating on your ST215/75-14 tires is done using the more conservative Load Range method, while the load rating on Tom's tires was done using the Load Index. When his tire is rated using the Load Range method, it's 1710 at 65 psi, not 2094. Your ST215 tire is higher load rated by quite a substantial margin; although note that the Mac trailer is rated at 3500 lbs. If not overloaded, and any reasonable amount of tongue weight is subtracted from the axle weight, both tires are "legal", but yours have more margin.
As I noted above, I had to look through quite a few manufacturers to find one using the Load Index, but obviously there are some.
The max pressure is determined by the Load Range rating. A "C" tire is rated at 50 psi max, while a "D" can be inflated to 65 pisi. If you jack a C tire to 65 you're asking for touble. There are apparently a few ST tires that can be had in D, Goodyear lists a 205 section width LR "D" with a load rating of 2040 at 65 psi, better than your 215, LRC.
In any case, there is no discrepancy about max inflation pressure; it's what's printed on the sidewall, period.
I recommend the two links I provided above, from Goodyear and Tire Rack, to figure out what you need.
Or, add a second axle as I did. Your tires will be grossly underloaded. I plan on experimenting with the pressure on my trip to FL this summer to find out what seems to work best. Although I don't intend to run them this low, theoretically I'll be able to run them as low as 20 psi and still have well over 4000 lbs total capacity from the tires.
As I noted above, I had to look through quite a few manufacturers to find one using the Load Index, but obviously there are some.
The max pressure is determined by the Load Range rating. A "C" tire is rated at 50 psi max, while a "D" can be inflated to 65 pisi. If you jack a C tire to 65 you're asking for touble. There are apparently a few ST tires that can be had in D, Goodyear lists a 205 section width LR "D" with a load rating of 2040 at 65 psi, better than your 215, LRC.
In any case, there is no discrepancy about max inflation pressure; it's what's printed on the sidewall, period.
I recommend the two links I provided above, from Goodyear and Tire Rack, to figure out what you need.
Or, add a second axle as I did. Your tires will be grossly underloaded. I plan on experimenting with the pressure on my trip to FL this summer to find out what seems to work best. Although I don't intend to run them this low, theoretically I'll be able to run them as low as 20 psi and still have well over 4000 lbs total capacity from the tires.