Topic: Need New Trailer Tires - 4.8 x 12

[tortoise]

I have a 16ft boat on an EZ loader trailer that needs new tires.   It will be mostly doing shorter trips (~100 km) with the occasional long tow (>500 km).  The total weight will never exceed 1500 lbs.

Which ones would you go with (prices are for the pair)?:

$100 - https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/4-80-12-trailer-tire-assembly/A-p8909418e

$180- https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/4-80-12-5-bolt-trailer-tire-assembly/A-p8629941e

$180- http://www.cerka.ca/trailer-tire/trailer-tire-wheel/62-480-12-5b-480-12-b-loadstar-trailer-tire-on-5-bolt-white-spoke-wheel?mfp=5f-bolt-center%5B27%5D%2C10f-tire-size%5B72%5D

[Great_Big_Abyss]

First of all, the two from Princess Auto have different stud holes.  The $49.99 one is a 4-stud, while the $89.99 one is a 5-stud. 


Second, you need to look at the load range.  The $49.99 4-hole tire says it has a load range of 990lbs.  I'm not sure I buy that.
The other two, (the 5-holer from Princess Auto and the Loadstar from Cerka) are both Load Range 'B', which is 780lbs. 

You want to make sure the weight on each tire isn't more than the rated capacity.  The calculation for your trailer would be: 
1500lbs x 90% (90% of the load is on the trailer axle, 10% on the tongue) = 1350lbs / 2 tires = 675lbs.
So Yes, if your rig will never exceed 1500lbs with the boat, motor, fuel, and all accesories, then you're safe to go with the Load Range 'B' tires.

Trailer tires are such a crapshoot.  I went through this last year when replacing tires on my camper trailer.  They're all overpriced pieces of crap. 

[tortoise]

Hmmmm.  Somehow missed that it was a 4-Bolt.  That makes it easier.

I had confirmed that the load B would suffice for my needs (the trailer is only rated for $1500 lbs).

I don't doubt the 990 lb rating, it has a max PSI of 90, vs 60 for the load B.

They're all overpriced pieces of crap.

It's crazy how expensive they are.   If they are junk, why not just get the cheapest?

The Loadstar is my current favourite, mostly because it's the only one that comes up in searches.  The extra cost upfront is worth if they're more durable.  But if they're all ....

I considering getting just tires, but I want to use a current one as a spare.  And given the cost (and current hassle) of getting them mounted, a whole assembly makes sense.

[dirtyjeffer]

as i have no experience with trailers, do none of the big brands make trailer tires (Michelin, Goodyear, etc)?...or if they do, are they extremely expensive and no one buys them?

[Great_Big_Abyss]

as i have no experience with trailers, do none of the big brands make trailer tires (Michelin, Goodyear, etc)?...or if they do, are they extremely expensive and no one buys them?

The big players don't make them in the small size required for smaller trailers. 

[Gurgie]

Last time I did mine I just took the wheels off & brought them into Frisby tire & had them mount new tires. Mounting price was all & I think the tires were around $55 ea.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

[tortoise]

Good to know.   I had figured it would be ~$20 per tire.

[dirtyjeffer]

as i have no experience with trailers, do none of the big brands make trailer tires (Michelin, Goodyear, etc)?...or if they do, are they extremely expensive and no one buys them?

The big players don't make them in the small size required for smaller trailers.

seems like an odd choice, but maybe there just isn't much volume there to make it worthwhile?

[ArticSteve]

Keep checking Princess Auto for the sale on the 5 bolt.  All their different wheel and tire sizes are on a constant sale rotation.  If the 5 bolt has not just preceded the 4 bolt sale then it should come right after next week or so.  Can't beat $50 for a wheel, tire, valve, assembled.

If your are quite concerned about on road durability then you should pull your wheel hubs off.  Boat trailer bearings are always degraded.  IMO, vast majority of temporarily abandoned boats on the side of the road are due to bearing failure.  I've had one not to long ago on highway 11.  Guy came up to my side, pointed back at the boat, I looked in my mirror and the driver's side was smoking good.  I had pumped up the bearing buddies just before I left kidding myself that it due diligence .... NOT.     

[Great_Big_Abyss]

as i have no experience with trailers, do none of the big brands make trailer tires (Michelin, Goodyear, etc)?...or if they do, are they extremely expensive and no one buys them?

The big players don't make them in the small size required for smaller trailers.

seems like an odd choice, but maybe there just isn't much volume there to make it worthwhile?

A lot of trailer tires are bias ply.  Bias ply tires have stiffer sidewalls and hold up better to load.  They also tend to track straighter than radial tires which helps discourage sway.  They do wear faster than radial tires, though.  People who do lots of long hauling will replace their trailer tires with radial tires just for the increased wear ratings. 

[tortoise]

Keep checking Princess Auto for the sale on the 5 bolt.  All their different wheel and tire sizes are on a constant sale rotation.  If the 5 bolt has not just preceded the 4 bolt sale then it should come right after next week or so.  Can't beat $50 for a wheel, tire, valve, assembled.

Thanks, I think it may have been on sale last week.  They had just had a sale that went to the 12th.  Damn. 

If your are quite concerned about on road durability then you should pull your wheel hubs off.  Boat trailer bearings are always degraded.  IMO, vast majority of temporarily abandoned boats on the side of the road are due to bearing failure.  I've had one not to long ago on highway 11.  Guy came up to my side, pointed back at the boat, I looked in my mirror and the driver's side was smoking good.  I had pumped up the bearing buddies just before I left kidding myself that it due diligence .... NOT. 

The previous owner had been good about feeding the bearings grease.   I was going to just leave them.   I guess I will pull it apart and have a look.  Is it easy to know what bearings to buy?

[ArticSteve]

As for missing the sale; I would just wait it out.  They rotate the wheel/tire packages frequently.  Could only be another month wait.

As far as the bearings go; the problem with boat trailer hubs is that water always finds away in so they need to be cleaned up and re greased.  It's unavoidable.  Bearing buddies don't solve the issue.   This is an excellent and humerous vid illustrating the issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoxZnpDyl6U

If you find yourself wanting to replace the bearings then there should be markings on the sides of the outer bearing.  If that fails then take the bearing with you to Crappy Tire and they will have some hanging in the trailer section and compare.  Probably you will have 1 1/16 inch axles.  Could be 1 inch.  Axles could be "straight" or tapered.  But it will be obvious when you slid the hub off.

[tortoise]

As for missing the sale; I would just wait it out.  They rotate the wheel/tire packages frequently.  Could only be another month wait.

Which is fine since I can't register/plate it without going into a service Ontario.  And they are all closed.

As far as the bearings go; the problem with boat trailer hubs is that water always finds away in so they need to be cleaned up and re greased.  It's unavoidable.  Bearing buddies don't solve the issue.   This is an excellent and humerous vid illustrating the issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoxZnpDyl6U

That's a helpful video.  I'll pull it all apart and if it's in good shape I'll just re-grease everything and put it back together.

[tortoise]

As for missing the sale; I would just wait it out.  They rotate the wheel/tire packages frequently.  Could only be another month wait.

You were right, they went on sale for $75 each. Ordered two.  Both tires match, having been made in mid-late 2019. 

Now to pull it all apart and repack the bearings.

[dkaz]

Has anyone had issues with Princess Auto trailer tires? I got them for my old tent trailer but not so sure with my 4700 lb dry trailer. Lots of trailer owners get blow outs and not sure if it’s poor tires or poor tire maintenance (not checking tire pressure, not replacing them at 6 years, poor bearing maintenance causing heat related blowouts)

[ArticSteve]

Has anyone had issues with Princess Auto trailer tires?

Nope.  Same quality as Crappy Tire but priced less.  Love the place.  They repair or fabricate, on the spot, hydraulic hoses t which is fantastic.

https://www.princessauto.com/en/store?storeId=42

[me_2]

Has anyone had issues with Princess Auto trailer tires? I got them for my old tent trailer but not so sure with my 4700 lb dry trailer. Lots of trailer owners get blow outs and not sure if it’s poor tires or poor tire maintenance (not checking tire pressure, not replacing them at 6 years, poor bearing maintenance causing heat related blowouts)

https://www.autos.ca/forum/index.php?topic=43151.msg1494461#msg1494461 

[draghon]

As for missing the sale; I would just wait it out.  They rotate the wheel/tire packages frequently.  Could only be another month wait.

You were right, they went on sale for $75 each. Ordered two.  Both tires match, having been made in mid-late 2019. 

Now to pull it all apart and repack the bearings.

I am in the process of replacing the wheel bearings on my MIL's utility trailer. Her cottage is on a long gravel road (42km) and on of the dust caps has been missing for quite some time. Its normally just used around the cottage so never really bothered but there may be some bigger projects with back and forth trips to the city. Cleaned out what was left of the old grease (which was mostly sand and muck at this point), pounded out the old races and pounded in the new ones. That's enough for tonight, tomorrow i will pack the new bearings with grease and put it all back together. Then its on to the non-functioning lights...