Need new trailer tires, help

[Grizzly]

I called America's Tire and will be getting 245/75R-16E Michelin XPS Ribs

(3042lbs @80psi) and 16" MB Type 72 wheels (rated for 80psi) all installed w/certificates for $1363 (after $100 rebate) tomorrow. I'll have 1 yr to pay w/o interest.



The 245/75R-16's are 30. 6" dia vs. 28. 3" for my current 15 ST's. I should have approx 1. 5" of clearance between them after the install.



Thanks to all for the replies and commments.



Louis

Smart move on the XPS Rib's & wheels, congratulations. That sounds like a real good price. Are you getting 5 XPS Ribs and wheels? Be sure you get the heavy duty valve stems because the medium duty can't take 80 psi.

 

[LRutigliano]

XPS Ribs on my 5er are not meant to be, I guess...



I have a slide out bar and pinion directly adjacent to the top of the DS inboard edge of the 225/75-15's. Putting the 245/75-16's would have put the tires hard against the slide out mechanism.



Louis

 

[K5IP]

One possible method that worked out well for me:

When my Michillin 235x16 LR E tires (LTX) were about hallf used up (30K miles) I bought new ones for the truck and moved the used truck tires to the trailer.

Cheap, effective, and never had any additional problems in several trips to Alaska.

If you have an older truck with 16 inch wheels and a trailer with 16 inch wheels, consider the options.

Rog

 

[HBarlow]

One possible method that worked out well for me:

When my Michillin 235x16 LR E tires (LTX) were about hallf used up (30K miles) I bought new ones for the truck and moved the used truck tires to the trailer.

Cheap, effective, and never had any additional problems in several trips to Alaska.

If you have an older truck with 16 inch wheels and a trailer with 16 inch wheels, consider the options.

Rog

That's an excellent solution if you have a Gen II Ram with 16" tires and put lots of miles on the truck. Continually rotating used truck tires to the trailer every time you replace truck tires would avoid the trailer tire failure that occurs when the tires get old but not worn out.

 

[Grizzly]

That's an excellent solution if you have a Gen II Ram with 16" tires and put lots of miles on the truck. Continually rotating used truck tires to the trailer every time you replace truck tires would avoid the trailer tire failure that occurs when the tires get old but not worn out.

I also like that idea. What's the feasibility of putting 17" wheels on our 5er's? Spacing between the trailer tires could be a problem.

 

[HBarlow]

I also like that idea. What's the feasibility of putting 17" wheels on our 5er's? Spacing between the trailer tires could be a problem.

It's possible but as you suggested I'm not sure axle spacing would allow it on all trailers. The axle spacing on my HH is very close with Michelin tires but NuWa is now offering an 8,000# axle upgrade on new models which I understand includes 17" wheels/tires. I think some models of Mobil Suites may also offer 17" wheels/tires. The 17" tire the manufacturers offer may have shorter sidewalls ie lower aspect ratio and similar radius or diameter to an old-fashioned LT235/85 R16 in LRE.



I suppose we could look at tirerack.com or the SAM's Club tire website to determine the radius of a LT235/85R17 and compare it to an LT235/85 R16. The difference might be so small we could get away with it.

 

[Matt42]

XPS Ribs on my 5er are not meant to be, I guess...



I have a slide out bar and pinion directly adjacent to the top of the DS inboard edge of the 225/75-15's. Putting the 245/75-16's would have put the tires hard against the slide out mechanism.



Louis

Will LT235/75R15 tires fit?

 

[JHardwick]

I've got over 100,000 miles on my Carlisle tires

:{ I had to say it ... ... ... .....

 

[Matt42]

:{ I had to say it ... ... ... .....

Wow. You must have got the good set.

 

[Grizzly]

:{ I had to say it ... ... ... .....

I've got a bridge in Arizona I'd like to sell you.

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

Could the bridge be used for testing tires?

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I've got over 100,000 miles on my Carlisle tires

He means he's got 25,000 on the set of 4 tires, for a COMBINED total of 100K miles for the set... :-laf:-laf



I have 30K miles under my spare tire - and it still looks new... :-laf



Actually, my OEM Michelins on the truck have done great - 60K miles on the 2 still on the front of the truck, but only 15-20K on the Toyos on the rear, and THEY don't look any better than the fronts.



If I was looking for best possible tires on the 5er, I think I'd look at the Michelins there as well...

 

[HBarlow]

I can top Gary's spare tire report. The spare on my '01 Ram has 348,000 miles on it! Well ... ... ... ... I can say truthfully that many miles have passed under it.

 

[JHardwick]

Laugh if you will, but until the blowout the other night in NE, I was having a good run on Carlisle tires. I'm not sure if I'll go back to the LT Uniroyals or not. The tire that came on my spare wheel is an H/T Wrangler, maybe I'll go there. All of these tires that I'm referring to are 16", LR-E, and get drug around 75-100k/year.

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

I hope by now it is well known that ST Tires are SCAM Tires. They do not work for us but they do work well for the Tire Industry, they make them money. They are purposely chemically engineered to loose 1/3 of their strength in 3 years regardless of tread depth or no matter how good the tire looks. This brings us who own trailers back for more tires. Once the ST Tire is made in China it is shipped to a warehouse then to a dealers rack. You could be buying tires that have already gone through a years worth of the disintegrating process. These tires don't just go flat they throw rubber all over the highway and are a hazard to other drivers on the road. Any Dealer who refuses to sell you Pick Up tires (with the right load rating) is part of the SCAM. Needles to say they won't get any future business from me. I have written about this on here before. I feel that it is worth repeating.

 

[JHardwick]

The Carlisle tires I bought were LR-E, LT radials ... ... ..... I thought I made that clear, sry.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Laugh if you will, but until the blowout the other night in NE, I was having a good run on Carlisle tires. I'm not sure if I'll go back to the LT Uniroyals or not. The tire that came on my spare wheel is an H/T Wrangler, maybe I'll go there. All of these tires that I'm referring to are 16", LR-E, and get drug around 75-100k/year.

Not intending to offend - just kidding you a bit.



That's excellent tire mileage - and I am currently also running a pair of Carlisle tires on our 5er - dunno mileage, probably about 20K, and still going strong...

 

[Matt42]

I didn't know that Carlisle made LT tires.

 

[JHardwick]

I didn't know that Carlisle made LT tires.

I just got out of my truck and looked ... ... ... ..... sure enough ST235/85 R16 LR-E.



I stand corrected, I don't know what I was thinking.



I have gotten good service out of them. I'm not, however, happy about the thing coming apart like it did. I heard it blow with the windows up and air on ... ... I looked in my mirror and saw nothing but a big dust cloud.

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

That is why I have written so much about it, trying to save somebody having to learn the hard way. It won't be long until the rest of them blow. I am sorry but that is the pattern. If they are 3 years old you are skating on thin ice. They could have been a year old when you had them installed, OUCH.