which tires are better

[ranchos]

lost a 4 year old goodyear marathon radial tire (st215/75r14) yesterday comming back from fishing. is there a better tire for a single axle trailer. boat is 2005 tahoe q4sf (approx 2300 lbs). thanks for input

 

[wingmastr23]

Re: which tires are better

Maxxis....no question!

 

[oldjeep]

Re: which tires are better

More important than the brand is the load rating. Chances are good that your Marathons are only a C rating. Might want to step up to a D rated tire, which gives you a lot more "overkill" on the weight rating.

 

[JRJ]

Re: which tires are better

Chances are your Goodyear ST was made in China. There are Made in USA Goodyears available again. I would up-grade 1 size and at least 1 ply-rating. Always run max sidewall air pressure.
Maxxis has a very good rep and I have a set on my travel trailer. Good luck.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: which tires are better

Maxxis!! Night and day difference in towing my boat when I got rid of the Transmasters that were under it. I'd heard the rumor Goodyear would be supplying US built trailer tires again, doesn't matter to me because after all of the Goodyear truck tires I've had go junk on me I wouldn't pay money for a Goodyear tire again in my life. Just my .02.

 

[JimMH]

Re: which tires are better

I have GoodYear Marathons on my current trailer they are fairly new. I run Maxxis on all my other trailers as I have replaced my tires. When it comes time to replace the boat tires they will definitely be Maxxis!

 

[204 Escape]

Re: which tires are better

I personally run COOPERs on EVERYTHING I have. Never tried Maxxis. (Honestly never heard of them).

 

[bruceb58]

Re: which tires are better

More important than the brand is the load rating. Chances are good that your Marathons are only a C rating. Might want to step up to a D rated tire, which gives you a lot more "overkill" on the weight rating.

Can you find a D rated 14" tire?

 

[oldjeep]

Re: which tires are better

Can you find a D rated 14" tire?

Sure, I run them on my trailer.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: which tires are better

Sure, I run them on my trailer.

Which brand and model? I couldn't find them so I ended up going up to 15".

I know Maxxis, GoodYear and Greenball don't have them in an ST tire.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: which tires are better

I've had no luck over the years with the Marathon tires, they just seem to dryrot and crack too fast.Any new tire should be better than an old dryrotted one.

You can buy just about any tire size or brand but if you in an area like I am, you may be looking at either mail order or a long drive to get what you want.

The best tires I've had overall have been Carlisle, they seem to last the longest before cracking and I've never had a blow out.

I have two huge Cooper dealers near here, neither carries or will order Cooper trailer tires, and their more money than the Carlisle tires anyway. Most of the tires I get here are Tow Master, I've never had an issue with a tire failing on the road but I've had a few dryrot and leak in as little as two years. All of the import Chinese made tires seem very sensitive to UV light and don't fair well with age.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: which tires are better

Which brand and model? I couldn't find them so I ended up going up to 15".

I know Maxxis, GoodYear and Greenball don't have them in an ST tire.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200365326_200365326

 

[204 Escape]

Re: which tires are better

The COOPER tires that I am running on my tandem axle trailer, are:

SMRII Radial
185R14C tires.

I paid $85.00 apiece for them 1 1/2 years ago. I replaced the Carlisle tires that came new on the EZ Loader trailer. Like I have said. I run COOPER tires on EVERYTHING !!!!

Here's an example of why.

I put 4 new COOPER 10 ply LT265/70/R17 Cooper Discover ATR tires on my pick-up, on 11/12/05. My truck then had 82,175.3/10's miles on it. I presently right now have 191,000.5/10's on my pick-up. That is 108,825.2/10's miles that I have driven on these tires.

EVERY 5,000 miles the tires are ROTATED, and balanced as needed. (The rotation is part of the purchase price, balance, I pay for). These tires are rated for 50,000 miles. Just the other day, in a heavy rain, I felt a little hydro-plane with the tires.

Good Year tires ........ NO

I'd like to try a set of MASTERCRAFT tires some day, just for giggles.

 

[wbc1957]

Re: which tires are better

I don't know if you are implying that regular radial tires are better than the trailer tires but you need to know a few facts. Trailer tires are made of natural rubber, which means they last longer through the years of ozone, heat, and just sitting in your backyard waiting to be used. Synthetic rubber is used on radials and non radial passenger and light truck tires. Synthetic rubber is great for mileage, but only lasts a little over 4-5 years on dry rot. Hence, the dry rot warranty of only 4 years! A trailer tire normally lasts about 7-10 years (natural rubber) and clocks about 1,000 to 15,000 miles. But it's up to you. Maybe you wear flip flops to the office and formal weddings too!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: which tires are better

I don't know if you are implying that regular radial tires are better than the trailer tires but you need to know a few facts. Trailer tires are made of natural rubber, which means they last longer through the years of ozone, heat, and just sitting in your backyard waiting to be used. Synthetic rubber is used on radials and non radial passenger and light truck tires. Synthetic rubber is great for mileage, but only lasts a little over 4-5 years on dry rot. Hence, the dry rot warranty of only 4 years! A trailer tire normally lasts about 7-10 years (natural rubber) and clocks about 1,000 to 15,000 miles. But it's up to you. Maybe you wear flip flops to the office and formal weddings too!

I think you need to back these statements up with some sources.

 

[wbc1957]

Re: which tires are better

Dad worked for Goodyear for over 32 years. I worked for them for 12 years. I also owned two Goodyear dealer stores during the 80's and 90's. I also have consulted with both Ford dealerships on retail tire sales and helped a few other tire franchises gain more market share.Also, I have been in eleven different tire plants where the process was detailed, including the very hard to access Michelin plant. I have a little bit of tire training and knowledge.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: which tires are better

Ok...how about some written sources!

 

[JimKW]

Re: which tires are better

Just replaced my tires with two new Maxxis tires yesterday. The tires I took off were probably the originals and the boat is 10 years old. New bearing, new tires, I'm ready to roll this thing 440 miles to upstate Michicgan next weekend!

 

[wbc1957]

Re: which tires are better

Ok...how about some written sources!

Really? You mean to tell me that with al your experience with boats over the years, that you have never heard of natural rubber versus sytnetic rubber in tire use, and that natural rubber was still used for the trailer tire applications? I suggest you contact any major tire store and ask. It's that easy, if the man behind the counter knows tires at all.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: which tires are better

If its that well known, you should be able to find that info on the internet. I did some looking and it sounds like all tires have some natural rubber in them among other types.

Let's say I ask a guy behind the counter and he says there is no difference, should I believe him?