All Terrain Tires

Furio

New Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2016
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3
Hello, I have a question regarding trailer tires. My tow vehicle is a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, I would like to possibly use matching tires; Cooper Discoverer ATP 255/75-17. I read everywhere that car tires on a trailer is bad because they have a flexible side wall where as a trailer tire has a much stiffer one.

Wouldn't an all terrain tire have a stiff sidewall? I see teardrops sold with all terrain tires on them. Are those for off road only? Is it safe for freeway speeds too?

This is mostly based on looks but it will also be nice to share a spare tire.
 
I think the sidewall thing could be worth considering on a heavy trailer, but with a TD that might weigh 1500lbs, and tires that are rated to carry 3 times that I wouldn't worry.
Tom

Sent from my Lenovo A7600-F using Tapatalk
 
Right on,

What year is your Jeep? Mine is a 2010, so I have the smaller engine (2012 was the upgrade). Wondering how it tows,I just took mine out too Yellowstone and those mountain interstates with 80MPH speed limits was a little rough.
 
Furio":v1ls4k5r said:
Right on,

What year is your Jeep? Mine is a 2010, so I have the smaller engine (2012 was the upgrade). Wondering how it tows,I just took mine out too Yellowstone and those mountain interstates with 80MPH speed limits was a little rough.

Its a 2007. It tows my TD fine, but I do have it set up with the superchip with the tow setting. I've got a sahara with 4.10 gears so that helps. I don't run at 80 especially with the trailer. I generally run about 60 towing, and I stay 65 -70 the rest of the time, unless traffic is pushing me.
Tom
 
It's all about weight capacity, stability and tracking. Trailer tires (designated ST) will still have stiffer sidewalls than offroad tires. Trailer tires also have shallower threads to avoid wiggling from tread flex. In fact, I've found offroad tires to have more flex than standard P and LT road tires. I had 33" Cooper Discoverer STT's on my previous vehicle and could feel the sideways flex much more than my GY Silent Armors. They also made the trailer more stable because they don't compress as easily, and your trailer won't tilt side-to-side as much, causing extra sway.

You also have to take into account the material they're made out of. Trailer tires resist UV and oxidization better than standard tires because they're meant to spend of a lot of time sitting around doing nothing. They're also constantly in the stream of exhaust coming from your tow vehicle, which eats away at the rubber of normal tires. Ask someone who tows a trailer with normal passenger tires on it if they had a tire blow, and which side it was on, and I'll bet you it was on the same side as the exhaust from their vehicle.

There's nothing wrong with using offroad tires for a trailer. Just be aware of the reason why ST tires exist, and carry a spare :thumbsup:
 
I don't have experience or wisdom to offer - just a question! :)

I've heard some off-roaders like to run the same wheels on their trailers as their vehicles so they can use them all interchangeably. Is this the case, and if so, is it advisable for this builder's situation?
 
I run LT'-AT's on our 'drop. Radials run noticeably better than bias tires.



It's my understanding that stiff-walled trailer tires are built that way to take the side loads of double axle trailers when in a tight turn.

Exhaust fumes degrading tire rubber? Trailer tires more UV resistant? Is that true? :thinking:

T
 
Andrew Herrick":1bo6kr2d said:
I don't have experience or wisdom to offer - just a question! :)

I've heard some off-roaders like to run the same wheels on their trailers as their vehicles so they can use them all interchangeably. Is this the case, and if so, is it advisable for this builder's situation?

Having the same tires as the trailer is definitely an advantage, but moreso for very long expeditions and overland trips where it's more likely to lose more than one tire on your trip. You should always have a spare for your trailer. If you start getting flats or blowouts on a regular basis, then it might be time to look into upgrading your tires to something that can stand the abuse, and consider if you might be overloading your tires.


tony.latham":1bo6kr2d said:
I run LT'-AT's on our 'drop. Radials run noticeably better than bias tires.



It's my understanding that stiff-walled trailer tires are built that way to take the side loads of double axle trailers when in a tight turn.

Exhaust fumes degrading tire rubber? Trailer tires more UV resistant? Is that true? :thinking:

T

LT tires are definitely better than P-rated tires, but ST are still better than LT because the ST's are designed to take side loads, where LT tires are not. As with most things, ST tires were created for a reason, and their specific application.

Some more reading on trailer (ST) tires as well as the effects of oxidization and UV on the rubber:

http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-how-to/trailer-tech/rolling-along-safely-a-tire-guide/

http://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Trailer-Tire-Basics

:beer:
 
but ST are still better than LT because the ST's are designed to take side loads,

Agreed. And as stated on that web page: "You may have noticed that tight turns with your tandem- and triple-axle trailer put tremendous side loads on the tires. You can see it in the sidewalls or hear it coming from the contact patch. ST tires are designed to handle these side stresses; LTs usually are not."

The OP is asking for thoughts on teardrops not double-axled trailers.

The reason I went with these LT radials was because of a conversation I had with two tire-fixers that work at the local Les Schwab tire store––they don't sell tires––these are the guys that fix flats and remount tires forty-hours a week for the last many-many years. (This community is agricultural and recreational based with lots of trailers.) Between the two, I'm sure they have over thirty years of fixing busted tires.

I asked these guys: What tires would you guys put on a teardrop that weighed 1300 pounds if it was yours and you didn't want any flats? They looked at each other and spat the same answer out at the same time.

For a single axle trailer, I'll stick to my LT radials.

As Grant Whipp once stated on this forum:
Mid-grade automotive radial tires ... I've been using them on my teardrops for almost 30 years with never a problem, and always a way better ride ...
Grant's built more teardrops than I'll probaly ever see.

:thumbsup: :beer:

Tony
 
Yeah I'm not knocking using LT tires, especially for a single axle, and something really light like a tear drop that comes in under a couple thousand pounds. People just need to be aware of the max load for the tire and ensure they're inflated properly. Getting close to max load, or running underinflated will increase the chance of a tire failure, and the sideways flexing together with any swaying will make the swaying even worse. I've never towed a little trailer so I don't know how unconcerned you can be towing it, and I also drive an F-150 which I'll tow 6000+ lbs with easily. But at this point I'm always very concerned with the trailer's tires and their condition. And they're always ST tires, be it single or dual axle. Goodyear Marathon ST tires are great and last a long long time. Carlisle's are good too.

Honestly, for some of these trailer coming in at sub 1200lbs, you can probably run anything, but I would never recommend that to someone, and will always recommend ST's. I never want to be that guy who claims to be an expert saying "yeah go ahead and run XXXX tires, it'll be fine, I've done it for years, etc" and then have someone run them and have a blowout on the highway, because it would look bad on me. You put the square peg in the square hole, and I wouldn't suggest anything different. :LOL:

:beer:
 
Furio":1ghxhius said:
Hello, I have a question regarding trailer tires. My tow vehicle is a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, I would like to possibly use matching tires; Cooper Discoverer ATP 255/75-17. I read everywhere that car tires on a trailer is bad because they have a flexible side wall where as a trailer tire has a much stiffer one. Wouldn't an all terrain tire have a stiff sidewall? I see teardrops sold with all terrain tires on them. Are those for off road only? Is it safe for freeway speeds too?....
tony.latham":1ghxhius said:
but ST are still better than LT because the ST's are designed to take side loads,
Agreed....The reason I went with these LT radials was because of a conversation I had with two tire-fixers that work at the local Les Schwab tire store––they don't sell tires––these are the guys that fix flats and remount tires forty-hours a week for the last many-many years. (This community is agricultural and recreational based with lots of trailers.) Between the two, I'm sure they have over thirty years of fixing busted tires.

I asked these guys: What tires would you guys put on a teardrop that weighed 1300 pounds if it was yours and you didn't want any flats? They looked at each other and spat the same answer out at the same time.

For a single axle trailer, I'll stick to my LT radials.... :thumbsup: :beer: Tony
I just came to the same conclusion myself, after twenty years of sticking to the "ST for trailers, LT for trucks, P radials on cars" dictum, and arguing with my friends and neighbors about it. Even on this forum. But, after sitting out camping, not using my TTT or hauling loads in my other trailers for over a year, I knew I had to get new tires before I ventured forth, again. I have my TTT suspended in the air, in the garage, so I could inspect (and to keep from flat-spotting) my Carlisle ST bias-ply tires that are 12 years old. They were given to me 5.5 years ago, after having been used for 4 and sitting in a scrap tire pile for 2.5 years (they both had punctures and had been replaced). I counted my lucky stars that they had survived a pothole incident that damaged my 10 year old LT tires on my truck. I sure wasn't going to trust them any longer, so I reviewed my tire history (all the tires I have had, what happened to them, and was I happy with them) covering all my trucks and trailers, for the last 20 or so years. My conclusion was, LT tires had the best record on my trucks (over 300,000 miles and just one flat tire, despite the tire damage from the major pothole incident, those tires didn't go flat!); the ST trailer tires had a mixed record: 1) the Denman tires (made in USA) lasted longest-10 years for 3 before the tread was gone, and one complete shredding for unknown reasons-, 2) the Carlisle USA Trail (made in USA) ST tires- the two on my TTT are still round and inflated, after 12 years, but of the 4 I had on my big trailer, only one (with no tread left) survives as my spare, while a mixed bag of Chinese "SHIELD" brand bias-ply and radials (I needed four, out on the road), 2 and 2 on separate axles, worked fairly well, but the radials' sidewalls have disintegrated while the trailer sits unused in the yard (the bias-ply tires are not flat yet, but I'll not trust them either). As for my wife's trailer tires, Loadstar Radials: they are 9 years old, still hold air, have only 5k lite-duty miles on them, look good. Good enough to sell the unused trailer with! My conclusion is this: the truck LT tires have lived a much harder life, lasted longer per tire, showed no age-or-weather cracking (as seen on many of my ST tires), and have had less flats from road debris (one versus a dozen, including the unknown tire shredding).ST trailer tires, travelled less miles, and were more undependable than LT s. I, nor many of my racing friends, liked ST radials on tandem trailers, due to sway, so all went to bias-ply when able to (some put all their money into their cars!) The summation I arrived at, was to put LT tires on my TTT, since it is the trailer I'll use most, from now on. The LT tire will be able to handle my heavy-ish single axle, both on highway and dirt road, since it is intended as all-terrain (and the tread depth is twice the alternative ST bias-ply I would've chosen), and no doubt will track better on slick or muddy surfaces. I posted similar reasoning for going to LT tires in a post on Exploration Portal http://forum.expeditionportal.com/t...as-ply-vs-radial-or-LT-tire-for-14-quot-wheel In the end, I bought two General Grabber AT 2 27X8.50R14tires. I apologize for trying to sway people to ST tires on their teardrops for so long; I'm converted!
General Grabber AT 2 27X8.50R14-snip.GIF
 
I figure the blanket statements against it are for the herd. It can be done, but numerous things have to be right.

Firstly, in the herd mind, a 205/70 ST 14" and a 205/70R14 are identical, nothing to pick between them, apart from one says ST on it.... well the trailer one maybe has a 2000lb or so load rating and the car version maybe 1400lb. Also they don't see that trailer rims and auto rims have different bead profiles, auto tires fall off trailer rims.

Secondly in the herd mind. "If you blow it up to maximum sidewall it will blow up." No, that is the only point it attains it's maximum load rating. A tire HAS TO BE at sidewall to achieve it's max speed and load ratings, otherwise it's grinding sidewall heating up too much. Numbers on your car door pillar are as much about ride and road noise as being the maximum inflation pressure, they are a hard minimum though, look in the manual some cars will tell you, if driving at high speed or with heavy loads for long periods, inflate tires to max sidewall pressure.

Thirdly in the herd mind. Hot pressure = cold pressure, "it's all pressure, if I check at a brief stop and my pressure is 5psi up, I should let it out." I don't care if it's 50 PSI over cold, leave it, it's designed in.

These people need to be told, if it's a trailer put the correct trailer tire on it.


However,,,.

Load rating, load rating, load rating, auto tires only go on auto rims, trailer tires only go on trailer rims, run (whatever) tires on trailer at max sidewall cold pressure always, it runs coolest and supports the most.

Get a tire rated 20% over half the axle load rating at least, leaves room for Murphy,

Do not expect an auto tire rated high enough load to actually fit in the wheel well of your factory trailer. ST tires mostly have much higher load ratings for their size than P tires and as they get larger, LT tires even. Modifications to accommodate your preferred tire are on you.

Rims, auto tires, use auto rims, trailers often want a negative offset though, if a rim suitable to swap on your vehicle is high positive, then you may need to use spacers on the trailer, getting this right, modifying the hub, ensuring the bearing can take the load if the centerline of the combo is off, all on you.

However, the above is all fairly simple to achieve by offroaders who'll be doing an axle flip or lift on a trailer ensuring plenty of room that large tires go under it and are typically using trailers limited in weight and size. Then the TV matching LT tires in use often have decently high load ratings that you don't even have to notice to "get away with it."

Should you therefore decide to do this with your econobox Toyota and put matching tires on your teardrop you are likely to hit the following problems... i) Load rating, you've probably got ~800lb rated tires on your econobox, this limits you to a total weight, wet and loaded (GVWR) of 1300lb after you leave 20% margin (For blowouts etc, not for when you accidentally want to carry 20% more.) So if you built heavy, forget it. Secondly if your base trailer came with the little 8" rims, or 10" even, you've probably built everything in around them, there may not be room to stick a 24" diameter tire where a 20" or less diameter tire was meant to go, test clearance at full suspension articulation, buy new fenders, rehack your trailer body, whatever you have to do. Thirdly, rim offset, FWD positive, trailers likely negative. might not work, may require spacers, or different hubs if you've got 5x100 and trailer has 4x100.


But yeah, always use ST tires on trailers.
 
After seeing the number of catastrophic tire folks have had here with grossly under loaded tires, failing and doing some research on ST tires (all made in China) and talking with a Goodyear tire exec who indicated China tires were "junk". I bought a pair of Micheline Harmony passenger care tires each of which has a rating greater than the weight of the entire trailer.
You do not necessarily want matching tires to a 4X4, added weight, width etc. that you have to drag around. I do carry an adapter so that I can use the spare from the TV.
 
Kendo tires have been getting good feedback from all the RV groups I hang out on, if anyone determined to stick with trailer type.
 
Camp4Life":x9we4e64 said:
Ask someone who tows a trailer with normal passenger tires on it if they had a tire blow, and which side it was on, and I'll bet you it was on the same side as the exhaust from their vehicle.

All vehicles I've had, have had exhaust exit on the passenger side. That's the side that gets all the protruding drain covers, most of the pot holes and curb rubs and has most weight on it on a cambered road... so I'm kinda doubtful it's all on the exhaust.
 
[b:1g4kzyk5 said:
Tirerack.com[/b]":1g4kzyk5]
Trailer Tires vs. Passenger Vehicle Tires
There are differences in the driving requirements between the tires on your trailer and those on the car or light truck you use to tow it. Therefore, there are distinct differences between the way trailer tires and tow vehicle tires are engineered.

Your tow vehicle is a leader, which means traction is a key focus in the design of its tires. Traction allows your tow vehicle to accelerate down the road, turn around the corner and brake to a stop. Another important consideration is tow vehicle tires are designed for ride comfort, which is achieved in part by allowing their sidewalls to flex.

Your trailer is a follower, which often makes tire sidewall flexing a negative. Sidewall flexing on trailers, especially those with a high center of gravity (enclosed/travel trailers) or that carry heavy loads, is a primary cause of trailer sway. Typical passenger radial tires with flexible sidewalls can accentuate trailer sway problems. The stiffer sidewalls and higher operating pressures common with Special Trailer (ST) designated tires help reduce trailer sway.

"Trailers will be more stable and pull better on tires designed specifically for trailer use. Since Special Trailer (ST) tires are constructed with heavier duty materials, they are tougher than typical passenger vehicle tires."

Also consider that Special Trailer (ST), as well as Light Truck (LT) tires are fully rated for trailer applications. This means ST- and LT-sized tires can carry the full weight rating branded on the sidewalls when used on a trailer.

However when P-metric or Euro-metric tires are used on a trailer, the load capacity branded on the sidewalls must be reduced by 9%. This means P-metric or Euro-metric tires with a maximum branded load rating of 1,874 lbs. for use on a car is only rated to carry 1,705 lbs. when used on a trailer.

Comparing the load capacities of a pair of tires of the same dimensions fitted to a single axle trailer, ST225/75R15 Load Range C-sized tires inflated to their maximum of 50 psi provide 4,300 lbs. of load capacity, where P225/75R15 Standard Load-sized tires inflated to their maximum of 35 psi would be limited to 3,410 lbs. of load capacity, a total reduction of 890 pounds.

Trailers will be more stable and pull better on tires designed specifically for trailer use. Since Special Trailer (ST) tires are constructed with heavier duty materials, they are tougher than typical passenger vehicle tires. This is a plus because trailer suspension systems are generally stiffer and less sophisticated than automotive suspension systems.
[color=#4000BF:1g4kzyk5 said:
JaggedEdges[/color]":1g4kzyk5]Load rating, load rating, load rating, auto tires only go on auto rims, trailer tires only go on trailer rims, run (whatever) tires on trailer at max sidewall cold pressure always, it runs coolest and supports the most.

Get a tire rated 20% over half the axle load rating at least, leaves room for Murphy,

Do not expect an auto tire rated high enough load to actually fit in the wheel well of your factory trailer. ST tires mostly have much higher load ratings for their size than P tires and as they get larger, LT tires even. Modifications to accommodate your preferred tire are on you.

Rims, auto tires, use auto rims, trailers often want a negative offset though, if a rim suitable to swap on your vehicle is high positive, then you may need to use spacers on the trailer, getting this right, modifying the hub, ensuring the bearing can take the load if the centerline of the combo is off, all on you.
I've always used ST trailer tires on my trailers, not just putting old P235-75 R15 truck or SUV take-offs on my trailers, like many of my friends did with theirs. When I look at most lawn service trailers around here, most have balding tires of that size on them. Just my observation! I also note, that in the car community I came from, most carhauling trailers used automotive wheels, too, some aluminum and some with varying amounts of offset. My own carhauler had slightly offset wheels that matched my '69 Chevy 1500 (I bought 10 used 6-lug wheels, for truck & trailer to match). No problems were caused by the small offset, no bearing wear or tire scrub on either truck nor trailer. I can't say the same for some combinations I've seen, though. I will probably replace the Chevy wheels on my carhauler trailer, with proper trailer tires and wheels, probably already mounted as a set, but not now. I'm replacing the old ST tires on my TTT , weighing under a ton, with LT tires on my trailer-specific wheels. According to Tirerack.com, I can do so. I have no concerns about the extra flex of the thinner sidewalls, since I intend to inflate them to recommended pressure (and reduce it if I need to, but only a bit, if there is no noticeable sway). I've run tire size comparisons online (and also been assured by a fellow member of Exploration Portal who made the exact tire change I'm doing) that the tire will fit , and carry the load of my trailer.
new vs old tires v.2.GIF
The ST tires had a load rating of 1760 lbs per tire- the LT tires have a load rating of 1520 lbs per tire; either tire is sufficient for my 1700 lb trailer. I don't feel the 1/2" tread depth (of the LT tire) will add to squirm or sway of the trailer; the flatter tread will grab the road better, and should give better traction than the thinner, shallower tread of even new ST tires. I've towed mainly tandem axle trailers, loaded weight from 2.5 tons to 5 tons...they are a different animal than the smaller single-axle trailer, and can followa slightly more lenient tire rule (within reason). Choose wisely!
 
Finally got the AT2s on the trailer. They are heavier, and with noticeably more tread depth and width, though the section width is almost the same. The squared-off shoulder profile of the all-terrain tires does stick out an 1.5" from under the fenders. I will have to get extending fender flares to cover. Though I see lots of uncovered tires in Texas, and I could probably let it be, I will be going out of state, and also, I don't want to spray other vehicles. I might even use mud-flaps, too. I still have lots off fender clearance, similar to Tony Latham's trailer photo, so I'll be OK with mine.
  • new tires & fender clearance.png
  • Latham trailer fender clearance.jpg
 
working on it":1ab528ru said:
Finally got the AT2s on the trailer. They are heavier, and with noticeably more tread depth and width, though the section width is almost the same. The squared-off shoulder profile of the all-terrain tires does stick out an 1.5" from under the fenders. I will have to get extending fender flares to cover. Though I see lots of uncovered tires in Texas, and I could probably let it be, I will be going out of state, and also, I don't want to spray other vehicles. I might even use mud-flaps, too. I still have lots off fender clearance....
  • I said I could probably get by without complete fender over tire coverage in Texas, but I just can't do it, myself. I've been trying to find the ideal fender flare for my rounded-lip fenders, but of the two candidates, both by Pacer Performance, I just couldn't see either working out 100%. One goes under the lip, but being rounded, the fender lip would tend to angle the flare downwards; the other, meant to attach to a vertical surface, would also not completely fit the rounded fender lip. I did a lot of research, and couldn't decide. Note: the fender is so solidly mounted, that I didn't want to do it again, so removal of the fender, and modification or reshaping the rounded lip, were not to be considered.
  • So, I tried an old trick, using a re-purposed rubber strip or conveyor belting fragment to cover the tires. But, this time, I used Vigoro lawn edging, since I needed something with angles or rounded surfaces I could experiment with, to find the best fit of the rounded lip. I decided to go with the natural curve of the rolled edging (wrinkled badly when trying to make it go the other way). The stiff oval outer edge almost fit inside the fender lip radius perfectly (with fingertip pressure applied), so I hand-fitted the edging into the fender lip, worked with continuous pressure all around the fender, to get the exact length I needed to cut to length. When that was done, I looked down to see the tire coverage I wanted, and marked it with a soapstone pencil.
  • Back at my truck tailgate (I use it for projects, since my garage is full: trailer & parts in one bay, my Chevelle dragcar, parts, and assorted equipment in a second bay, furniture from two rooms being re-built in the third bay; I haven't been able to use my workbenches for three years), I saw a thin line marked on the edging that was exactly where I marked it. That made cutting the edging much easier; I followed the line with kitchen shears. I tried to get the trimmed Vigoro to stay in the fender groove, so I could take pictures and decide if it was OK enough to use on my rough-hewn trailer, but with tape and clamps in various positions, it would not stay where I put it. So, not wanting to do this, I went ahead, marked equally-spaced spots along the fender edge, and started to drill pilot holes (at a consistent angle), to finish with the self-drilling Tek screws. After having three bits snap, when the rounded fender edge caused them to slip out of the indentations I provided, I tried to make the holes of uniform angle and placement, but they ended up-not so much.
  • Anyway, the 3/4" long Teks (with a washer underneath) were just long enough to grab the plastic oval edge under the lip. It would never hold the edging in place on the road, but it was good enough for photos. If I decide to keep it, I'll taper the leading edge, attach 12-inch wide mud-flaps at the rear (bolted to both fender and plastic flare, for continuity), and re-attach all with #10-32 (probably 3/4" long, again) button-head cap screws (with washers on only the underside of the plastic), and nylocks to secure. I don't think it looks too out of place with my handyman's approach to trailering; others, with a finer aesthetic taste may think them "ghetto", but at my age, I don't care...just if it works.
  • I'll wait a week, or so, see if I still think it's OK, then either remove it, or duplicate it on the other side (with hardware changes). But, after drilling the holes in the fender, I'm committed. I could probably use the same holes with the Flexy Flares, so that is now a back-up plan.
  • before & after flare install.png
  • flexy flares (sidemount) comparison.jpg
    the only alternatives I could find
 
  • Well, I only waited four days, and bought some #10-32 x 1" capscrews. black oxide flatwashers, and some #10-32 nylocks. I removed the Tek screws from the fender, one at a time, drilled the fender and lawn edging with a 3/16" bit (using the same holes that the TEKs had made, this time making sure the angle was more consistent). Previously, the Teks were only partially penetrating the hard oval edge of the Vigoro, so they would've worked loose at highway speeds. I drilled all the way thru the oval edge, so I could put a washer and nylock to ensure them staying put. I had trouble getting the capscrew to go all the way thru enough to get the washer/nylock onto the end, to tighten. When I succeeded, using a lot of force to coerce the oval to fit into the curved fender edge, and tightened the screws, then the Vigoro wrinkled up badly. Looks like ruffles on a petticoat (I'm old, I remember girls wearing them). I went ahead, doing the same procedure on the other fender. Same result.

  • I don't know if releasing some tension from the tight fasteners would also remove the wrinkles from the edging (I ordered some 1.25" long capscrews to use, perhaps the extra length will make a difference. If that doesn't work, I'll try using a hair-dryer to attempt reshaping them.I tried both of the above methods to smooth out the wrinkles (or ruffles? another term for disorder, it describes it better), and neither worked. Releasing tension by backing off on the bolts did nothing- the ruffles were already set; using a heat gun (first on a scrap test piece) just deepens the color, and actually emphasized/increased the waviness. I left them alone after that.

  • So, I went on to phase two: I took some very stiff 12" wide conveyor belt material (the same stuff I used for my hatch gap covering), and cut off two 12"x12" pieces, then used galvanized 1"x12"x1/8" thick bar stock to clamp them on a brace at the rear of each fender, before I drilled and bolted them there. I broke two more bits, hitting inner welds, and stripped the bolt holes on three of six bolt holes, so some Tek screws were used to supply a more secure attachment to the fender brace on both sides. I'll use bigger/better hardware later on, but I'm rushing to complete several trailer upgrades in a month's time. The mud flaps are at a 45 degree swept back angle, taking over where the fender flares leave off, to divert tire ejecta. Finished after dark, an didn't have my phone/camera with me to snap photos with, but I'll add them tomorrow. I like to re-purpose material for other uses. Half-just being cheap, and half-just being different. That's always been the way I do things. I re-purposed conveyor belting as mudflaps, yesterday, just as I had used it before as a cover over the gap between my trailer body and opened rear hatch (I had snatched it from the scrap barrel at work, just with that use in mind).

  • I still wasn't satisfied with the wrinkled, ruffled look of the re-purposed lawn edging I used for fender flares, and saw no way to avoid removing them and finding another solution. I liked the solid way I got them to fit, and I'm sure they would've worked well, but they just bothered me. So, after contemplating using rubber tire tubes to cover and smooth-out the wrinkles, I suddenly had an epiphany, to use the same conveyor material to do the job.

  • I still had my drill ready with the correct bit, and the impact still had the right bit in it, so I cut 2" wide strips of material (with my cut-off wheel), and used the last of my #10-32 x 1" capscrews, washers, and nylocks I had bought for the fender flare job, and bolted the conveyor belt to the lawn edging.

  • Now, the edging acts as a supporting structure, and the belting presents a horizontal, smoother appearance, around the fender curve. You can still see the wrinkled edging, if you view it on edge, but that's just part of the design (I'll claim, haha). The conveyor belting matches my grey trailer color scheme, now used for three functions. Yup, just as I planned all along. As a old dragracer, I learned a long time ago that if you change just one thing on your racecar, then very often, you'll have to change three or four other things...I find that this is true for trailer building/modification, as well. It may just be me....
  • image.php
    TEK screws to be replaced with bolts
  • image.php
    flares wrinkled up when tightly secured
  • image.php
    capscrews look good, wrinkled fender flares do not
  • image.php
    added conveyor belt mudflaps
  • image.php
    then added matching conveyor belt material to cover the wrinkles!
 
JaggedEdges":1ri0ykih said:
Camp4Life":1ri0ykih said:
Ask someone who tows a trailer with normal passenger tires on it if they had a tire blow, and which side it was on, and I'll bet you it was on the same side as the exhaust from their vehicle.

All vehicles I've had, have had exhaust exit on the passenger side. That's the side that gets all the protruding drain covers, most of the pot holes and curb rubs and has most weight on it on a cambered road... so I'm kinda doubtful it's all on the exhaust.

Thank you!


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