What PSI do you fill your trailer tires to: tire recommendation or other? 2024
tcbass reply :
My boat trailer tires say 50 psi. I believe I should fill the trailer tires to 50 psi, however, I've found out, what the tire says isn't correct. I didn't know this but a mechanic at the Ford truck dealership I was at said, "Fill the truck tires to what the inside of the truck door says you should, not what the tires say." That makes sense because tires are made for a wide range of truck and each truck is different weights and what not. Is it the same for boat trailers? Is there some tire pressure on the trailers that I should be filling my tires to rather than what the tires say?
Glenn reply :
I actually went to a tire shop with the same question, and they said fill trailer tires to what the tires say.
Here's an important video on the subject that includes many tips that many anglers neglect...and then wonder why their tires blew.
NorthwestBasser reply :
Vehicle tires and trailer tires are different. The tire shows max pressure, not needed or in most cases desired for your car or truck. I pull a lot of trailers, cargo, dump and my boat. Tires on all of them get maxed out...
Fishing Rhino reply :
I used to inflate to five pounds over the max. It worked fine,...........................for a few years, until I had to replace two tires with broken belts due to over inflation.
Most trailer tires for boats are rated at 60 mph, max, and that would be at max recommended psi.
Under inflation will build up heat, an enemy of the tire. Over inflation risks cord/belt failure.
I over inflated my tires for seven years, and towed at up to 70 mph. Two years ago I was off on one of my expeditions. I noticed a vibration from the trailer at speeds over 55 mph. I chalked it up to a wheel out of balance.
During one of my rest stops, I decided to inspect the tires and found one tire that had an odd bulge in the tread. Changed the tire, and the vibration stopped. All was well until I got home. Returning from a local jaunt, I noticed the same vibration as before had developed. It's a tandem axle trailer, and the other tire on that side had a similar bulge to the one I had replaced.
Stopped at the tire shop and the owner told me that it too had a broken belt(s) due to hitting a pothole or something similar with an over inflated tire.
Over inflation cost me the price of two new tires. I'll cheat on the sixty mph up to 65 mph, but will not fool around with putting an extra five psi. Going 65 mph when the speed limit is 70 mph is tolerable. Sixty mph not so much.
But who knows, breaking another couple of tires could change my attitude.
TOXIC reply :
Not so fast....Max Tire pressure on the sidewall of the tire is not always right. I have found no recommendation to underinflate any ST rated tire and won't get into the practice of some boat manufacturers to put vehicle tires on their trailers (BassCat for one). I did find a TSB for Goodyear tires that advises higher than sidewall pressure for higher towing speeds.
Marathon_Special_Trailer_Applications.pdf
cadman reply :
I inflate my trailer tires to the max pressure on the sidewall for over 20 years and never had any issue.
Angry John reply :
So the correct pressure sold be determined by a chalk test. This is the same way it's done for cars or trucks with other than stock tires. Don't guess and risk saftey...
Al Wolbach reply :
On 6/16/2017 at 12:15 AM, Angry John said:So the correct pressure sold be determined by a chalk test. This is the same way it's done for cars or trucks with other than stock tires. Don't guess and risk saftey...
What is a chalk test? I have towed trailers must of my life, almost 70, but never heard of a chalk test. Please explain. Thanks
On 6/15/2017 at 12:37 PM, tcbass said:My boat trailer tires say 50 psi. I believe I should fill the trailer tires to 50 psi, however, I've found out, what the tire says isn't correct. I didn't know this but a mechanic at the Ford truck dealership I was at said, "Fill the truck tires to what the inside of the truck door says you should, not what the tires say." That makes sense because tires are made for a wide range of truck and each truck is different weights and what not. Is it the same for boat trailers? Is there some tire pressure on the trailers that I should be filling my tires to rather than what the tires say?
My trailer has a sticker near the tongue that states 50 psi and my tires state 50 psi. I don't believe trucks/cars have the same rules regarding tire inflation. My bass boat trailer is always near the max load, my truck is not.
J Francho reply :
On 6/16/2017 at 12:38 AM, Al Wolbach said:What is a chalk test? I have towed trailers must of my life, almost 70, but never heard of a chalk test. Please explain. Thanks
http://itstillruns.com/chalk-tires-6948382.html
WRB reply :
Learn something everyday.
Don't over inflate your tires past the max psi rating. Tire mfr's do a lot of testing to come up with thier psi ratings. Tires heat up from road friction, speed, weight and road temperatures and cool from the same reduced conditions. The psi rating is based on averages, the average weight boat trailers with that size tire carries, the average air temperature when air is added at ambient 70 degrees, the average speed 55 mph etc.
My trailer tires have 50 max psi and I keep them at 45 psi at cool tire temperatures and haven't had any tire failures for decades.....knock on wood!
Tom
TOXIC reply :
Unless of course the tire manufacturers advise you to exceed sidewall pressure (see my attachment). I think it is more important to replace your tires per the manufacturers recommendations and a lot of people do not.
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. Unlike your car’s tires, it isn’t miles of driving but oxidation of the rubber that wears out the tire. Mostly, a trailer tire sits in one spot for days or weeks at a time, and may travel only 10,000 miles (or sometimes a lot less) per year. UV radiation from sunlight and ozone from exhaust cause exterior damage to the sidewalls, and oxygen from pressurized air creates unseen damage deep inside.
Glenn reply :
On 6/16/2017 at 1:53 AM, TOXIC said:Unless of course the tire manufacturers advise you to exceed sidewall pressure (see my attachment). I think it is more important to replace your tires per the manufacturers recommendations and a lot of people do not.
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. Unlike your car’s tires, it isn’t miles of driving but oxidation of the rubber that wears out the tire. Mostly, a trailer tire sits in one spot for days or weeks at a time, and may travel only 10,000 miles (or sometimes a lot less) per year. UV radiation from sunlight and ozone from exhaust cause exterior damage to the sidewalls, and oxygen from pressurized air creates unseen damage deep inside.
You pulled that right out of my video, didn't you? 
TOXIC reply :
Great minds think alike!! 
RPreeb reply :
I don't tow a boat, but I do have a 24 ft camping trailer with tandem axles. The OEM tires say 50 psi cold and 65 mph max, so that's what I do. When the time comes to replace the OEM tires, I'll upgrade to a better load range so I can at least hit 70 when towing, but for now I stay with 65. It's risky enough with the cheap Chinese tires that they put on new camping trailers.
NHBull reply :
Most tires have a date of manufacture, so that helps with life expectancy
BigBassLoveSenkos reply :
max (pressure taken when tires are cool)
Al Wolbach reply :
On 6/16/2017 at 1:03 AM, J Francho said:
http://itstillruns.com/chalk-tires-6948382.html
Thanks, proves you are never to old to learn
adrenalnjunky reply :
On 6/16/2017 at 4:10 AM, NHBull said:Most tires have a date of manufacture, so that helps with life expectancy
Yep - lot of people don't know how to read the DOT code on the side of tires. Glenn mentioned it in his video, but here's a still image of the DOT code. (Note: I've seen tires that only have the code stamped on one sidewall of the tire - so check both sides if you don't see it on the outside sidewall.)
Here - the 4 digit DOT code indicates that tire was built in the 43rd week of 2009, or around October 19th, 2009. If you were looking at this tire, you'd know it was coming up on 9 years old.
RPreeb reply :
On 6/17/2017 at 12:43 AM, adrenalnjunky said:Yep - lot of people don't know how to read the DOT code on the side of tires. Glenn mentioned it in his video, but here's a still image of the DOT code. (Note: I've seen tires that only have the code stamped on one sidewall of the tire - so check both sides if you don't see it on the outside sidewall.)
Here - the 4 digit DOT code indicates that tire was built in the 43rd week of 2009, or around October 19th, 2009. If you were looking at this tire, you'd know it was coming up on 9 years old.
Or maybe 8 years?
adrenalnjunky reply :
On 6/17/2017 at 12:57 AM, RPreeb said:
Or maybe 8 years?
Lol - not enough coffee in me yet. And it's noon here.
Fishing Rhino reply :
I'm pondering something. It has been stated that they follow the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer. So I've got to ask.
Would you seek knowlege about your vehicle from tire manufacturers?
WRB reply :
On 6/17/2017 at 1:11 AM, adrenalnjunky said:
Lol - not enough coffee in me yet. And it's noon here.
Add a few shots of Irish whiskey.
Tom
RoLo reply :
Trailer: 60lb <> Tow Car: 30lb
Roger
TheRodFather reply :
On 6/15/2017 at 12:37 PM, tcbass said:My boat trailer tires say 50 psi. I believe I should fill the trailer tires to 50 psi, however, I've found out, what the tire says isn't correct. I didn't know this but a mechanic at the Ford truck dealership I was at said, "Fill the truck tires to what the inside of the truck door says you should, not what the tires say." That makes sense because tires are made for a wide range of truck and each truck is different weights and what not. Is it the same for boat trailers? Is there some tire pressure on the trailers that I should be filling my tires to rather than what the tires say?
I personally would not take the advice of a vehicle manufacturer over the tire manufacturer. Remember all those Firestone tires that were blowing up on Ford explorers? That was a direct result of Ford recommending a tire pressure of around 26-29psi in order to give the SUV a softer ride. Firestone got a bad rap until it came out in the wash that Ford was asking that the tires be under inflated to fix a ride quality issue.
I was a Ford mechanic around this time so I remember it well.
BuzzHudson19c reply :
On 6/17/2017 at 9:49 AM, TheRodFather said:I personally would not take the advice of a vehicle manufacturer over the tire manufacturer. Remember all those Firestone tires that were blowing up on Ford explorers? That was a direct result of Ford recommending a tire pressure of around 26-29psi in order to give the SUV a softer ride. Firestone got a bad rap until it came out in the wash that Ford was asking that the tires be under inflated to fix a ride quality issue.
I was a Ford mechanic around this time so I remember it well.
Bingo. Fill tires to what the tire says. It's that easy.
RoLo reply :
On 6/17/2017 at 2:17 AM, Fishing Rhino said:Would you seek knowlege about your vehicle from tire manufacturers?
Not any more, they kept telling me to rotate vehicles every 15 months 
crazyjoeclemens reply :
I inflate trailer tires to the pressure listed on the sidewall. While checking your tire pressure, don't forget to inspect the rest of your trailer, too. I just had a leaf spring snap on on my boat trailer on my way back from vacation yesterday. Let me tell you, it is not easy to find a set of trailer springs in the middle of Kentucky. If I had taken the time to pull the wheels off, check the hubs/bearings, and inspect the leaf springs for cracks before departure, I might have saved myself from an expensive tow bill. Unfortunately, being in a hurry as usual, all I did was check the tires and give the bearing buddys a few pumps of grease. Lesson learned!
Andy Taylor reply :
I have a utility trailer that I use to haul kayaks. The tires say "Max load 990 lbs. at 90 psi". That sounds ridiculously high for my use. You guys are saying I should run them at 90 psi(checked when cold)?
They are 4.80-12 tires.
Fishing Rhino reply :
On 6/17/2017 at 2:35 PM, Andy Taylor said:I have a utility trailer that I use to haul kayaks. The tires say "Max load 990 lbs. at 90 psi". That sounds ridiculously high for my use. You guys are saying I should run them at 90 psi(checked when cold)?
They are 4.80-12 tires.
In a word, yes.
crazyjoeclemens reply :
On 6/17/2017 at 2:35 PM, Andy Taylor said:I have a utility trailer that I use to haul kayaks. The tires say "Max load 990 lbs. at 90 psi". That sounds ridiculously high for my use. You guys are saying I should run them at 90 psi(checked when cold)?
They are 4.80-12 tires.
So, here's the thing - optimal tire inflation depends on the tire and the weight of the vehicle that sits on them. If you want to figure out the exact pressure, you need to use the chalk method described earlier in this thread. If you don't want to use that method, the number on your sidewall is your best bet. If you inflate tires to the sidewall number, the worst thing that will happen is you'll wear the tread off the middle of the tire a little faster. If you just guess and underinflate the tire, you run the risk of having a blowout.
In short, use the chalk method or inflate to the pressure listed on the sidewall - just don't guess.
related Bass Boats Canoes Kayaks topic
most viewed Bass Boats Canoes Kayaks topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.