Trailer Tires

[kevinwburke]

Newbie here with some dumb questions...I have a 10 year old trailer I just bouhgt. One tire seems in good shape. It is a St185/80 D13. I need a new tire for the other side. THis is made by Treddit Tire. Do I need to get the same brand or just the same size. I dont see this brand for sale many places. And if I need to buy two am I better of getting mounted with rims and installing or having a dealer mount new tires on existing rims?

Thanks for your help.

 

[bruceb58]

Get 2 new ones if they are over 5 years old. You can check the date code to see how old it is.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11

I would just get 2 new tires and move the newest one to a spare.

 

[WIMUSKY]

I agree with Bruce. Use the good tire that you currently have as a spare and buy 2 new ones. As long as the current rims are in good shape, not bent(you can check by spinning them) or all rusted, use them.

 

[keith2k455]

Two tires are worth the piece of mind

 

[kjsAZ]

+ 1 to get two new tires.. As for getting them with or without rim depends on what your installer charges for putting tires bought elseweher on your rims. The standard white rims are pretty cheap (+/- $25) in 13" and some tire places won't even install tires you bought elsewhere.

 

[JASinIL2006]

How far and how often will you be trailering your boat?

 

[haulnazz15]

Yup, get new tires. I just replaced 5 tires (4 + spare) of tires that were from 2001 which still held air and looked fine. I wouldn't entrust my boat's well-being to 15-yr old tires. It's $300 piece of mind for me.

 

[Scott Danforth]

your 185/80/D13's are 8-ply tires (1725 - 1740# capacity) vs the much more common 175/80/13 load range C.

price out tires, and tire/wheel combinations. usually you can get a mounted tire and wheel combo for less money than buying a tire and paying for mounting. I found it less expensive to go to the more common 205/75/14's load range C (1760#) than to attempt to find the 13" 8 ply load range D tires myself.

 

[Snowfish]

your 185/80/D13's are 8-ply tires

Not really. The "D", in this case means diagonal cord design. Or Bias Ply. In the long run, getting tire & rim will be less expensive. Go with radials. They run cooler and will last longer.

 

[bruceb58]

Not really. The "D", in this case means diagonal cord design. Or Bias Ply. In the long run, getting tire & rim will be less expensive. Go with radials. They run cooler and will last longer.

The D is the ply rating or load rating. Radials have those same ratings.

http://www.etrailer.com/Tires-and-Wheels/Kenda/AM10256.html

 

[Mel Taylor]

The D is the ply rating or load rating. Radials have those same ratings.

http://www.etrailer.com/Tires-and-Wheels/Kenda/AM10256.html

What he said!

 

[Snowfish]

Original poster said

St185/80 D13

This is a 13" Bias Ply tire of unknown load range.

The load range is after the designation, someplace else on the tire, like your link shows. The radial variant, of the same tire would be ST185/80R13. This is not a load range R. Same as ST185/80D13 is not a load range D.

 

[bruceb58]

Original poster said

This is a 13" Bia Ply tire of unknown load range.

The load range is after the designation, someplace else on the tire, like your link shows. The radial variant, of the same tire would be ST185/80R13. This is not a load range R. Same as ST185/80D13 is not a load range D.

Hmmm...I think I agree with you after all.

 

[kjsAZ]

your 185/80/D13's are 8-ply tires (1725 - 1740# capacity) vs the much more common 175/80/13 load range C.

price out tires, and tire/wheel combinations. usually you can get a mounted tire and wheel combo for less money than buying a tire and paying for mounting. I found it less expensive to go to the more common 205/75/14's load range C (1760#) than to attempt to find the 13" 8 ply load range D tires myself.

+1 and the trailer will behave a lot better with the larger diameter and width tires too (IF they fit into the fenders and have sufficient clearance!!). I did this on my trailer too. Escort trailers were famous in using these stroller size wheels on their smaller trailers to save a few pennies per wheel.

 

[lrak]

If you already have an air compressor, rubber tip blow gun, and a cargo strap, then buy yourself three tire irons and a valve core tool and learn to change your own tires. It isn't rocket science. It is however a life skill that has saved me many hundred of dollars and many hours of hassle over the years.

 

[kjsAZ]

If you already have an air compressor, rubber tip blow gun, and a cargo strap, then buy yourself three tire irons and a valve core tool and learn to change your own tires. It isn't rocket science. It is however a life skill that has saved me many hundred of dollars and many hours of hassle over the years.

only if you value your time at minimum wages..... If you have radials you also want to take advantage of them and have them balanced. Not worth on bias ply as they change shape all the time but an unbalanced tire on a trailer jumps as much as it would do it on a vehicle.