Whitewalls

[DoctahDeane]

Hey folks, planning to upgrade my trailer with whitewalls and baby moon hubcaps. If anyone has a source they endorse (hey that rhymes) could you let me know, please.

[prohandyman]

One and only one place...Diamondback tires. Most others are Not trailer specific tires!

[DoctahDeane]

One and only one place...Diamondback tires. Most others are Not trailer specific tires!

Thank you for that reply PHM - I'll look into it. I did hear that radials are OK and that trailer specific tires are really only necessary on double axles. I'll do my homework and as I said, appreciate the reply. Also, any thoughts about Baby Moon hubcaps? I guess I'll talk to the tire people. I want the full look

[gudmund]

I for one - do 'not' use trailer tires on my teardrop. I use regular car tires and they do just fine/GREAT!! Trailer tires are made with very thick sidewalls thus giving a very stiff ride. They are built with the thick side walls for handling of the "top heavy" sway produced by regular trailers along with their heavier weights. Teardrops are of a lot 'less' weight without the 'height' of regular trailers. The car tires ride so much better along with them running so much 'cooler' in temperature's when towing. My tear is using a 205/75R14 tire, W-M's Douglass brand, W-M sells them for about 1/2 the cost of a trailer tire ($53ea) and has a payload capacity of 1430lbs at 35PSI (these are made in the USA by Goodyear for W-M) Also trailer tires are made in either radial or bias = both of my tears came with radial versions that were made in China when new. I changed both over to the car tires (US made) and both have done just great with them!! I have used this same brand/model of tire on my daily driver for years with never a problem = they have 45000 mile wear warranty and so far I have been getting right at 50000miles out of each of them for the last 15/20 years I have been using them. (have had 7 GEO Metro's/Suzuki Swift's since 1987-going upwards of 300miles with each of them except for 2nd one dying at 102000 after hitting the tree that fell in front of me at 50mph(wind storm) got a 57ft flight in the air from that and walked away from it ) Don't think they have a "whitewall" version of them????????????????

[DoctahDeane]

I for one - do 'not' use trailer tires on my teardrop. I use regular car tires and they do just fine/GREAT!! Trailer tires are made with very thick sidewalls thus giving a very stiff ride. They are built with the thick side walls for handling of the "top heavy" sway produced by regular trailers along with their heavier weights. Teardrops are of a lot 'less' weight without the 'height' of regular trailers. The car tires ride so much better along with them running so much 'cooler' in temperature's when towing. My tear is using a 205/75R14 tire, W-M's Douglass brand, W-M sells them for about 1/2 the cost of a trailer tire ($53ea) and has a payload capacity of 1430lbs at 35PSI (these are made in the USA by Goodyear for W-M) Also trailer tires are made in either radial or bias = both of my tears came with radial versions that were made in China when new. I changed both over to the car tires (US made) and both have done just great with them!! I have used this same brand/model of tire on my daily driver for years with never a problem = they have 45000 mile wear warranty and so far I have been getting right at 50000miles out of each of them for the last 15/20 years I have been using them. (have had 7 GEO Metro's/Suzuki Swift's since 1987-going upwards of 300miles with each of them except for 2nd one dying at 102000 after hitting the tree that fell in front of me at 50mph(wind storm) got a 57ft flight in the air from that and walked away from it ) Don't think they have a "whitewall" version of them????????????????

Yikes! thanks for this info., I'm getting this sense strongly and of course, I want a smooth ride. First issue is to ensure wheel bearings are packed correctly, then upgrade tires, then retire and play music

[Tomterrific]

Have you considered portawall for your existing trailer tires? These are stiff white rubber covers that are held between the sidewall and rim. A poor second to real whitewalls but since it is a vanity thing maybe okay.

Tt

[DoctahDeane]

Have you considered portawall for your existing trailer tires? These are stiff white rubber covers that are held between the sidewall and rim. A poor second to real whitewalls but since it is a vanity thing maybe okay.

Tt

Thank you Mr. Terrific. I have not considered that option (since I did not know about it) but I will investigate now. I've got a pretty classic, standard look I'm after: big whitewalls, Baby Moon hubcaps so, we'll see. I will post photos when ready for prime time. The fender has such a nice flare that like The Big Lebowski's rug, I think these tires will "really tie things together."

[gudmund]

the 'fake' whitewall's were a 'poor-mans' way of having them years ago = did a few of them at my dad's shop and they could be a bit 'finicky' when trying to get them centered when airing up the tire (they needed to 'spun' after being installed to make sure they weren't 'visually' out of round when driving down the road.) Years ago, when buying tires, whitewalls were an extra $$ cost thing - in latter years as they were falling out of popularity, tire company's started to include them (we would just mount them black side out if not wanted)
Now as far as 'Baby Moons' go (me being of the 'mag' wheel era - late 60's/early 70's (age 16 in '70 =65 GTO / age 18 =70 455 GTO - I was a 'mag' wheel person) at that time Moons had gone the way of whitewalls = poor-man's way of dressing up wheels, it wasn't until I bought the first teardrop that I ever dealt with them and I got quite an awakening from that. Was totally surprised at 'all' the different sizes - lip shapes, etc. Amazon ended up being where I was able to find mine. Had to be very carful when ordering them so as to get the right size/shape and than had an even harder time finding them in Stainless Steel. Had no problem finding beauty rings in SS but the moon's were a different story. (The 2nd tear of today came with mag's.) Take care.

[gudmund]

PS - Note, if using 'trailer' wheels - most of them, Baby Moon's 'cannot' be mounted on - being they don't have the mounting provisions for them....................

[DoctahDeane]

the 'fake' whitewall's were a 'poor-mans' way of having them years ago = did a few of them at my dad's shop and they could be a bit 'finicky' when trying to get them centered when airing up the tire (they needed to 'spun' after being installed to make sure they weren't 'visually' out of round when driving down the road.) Years ago, when buying tires, whitewalls were an extra $$ cost thing - in latter years as they were falling out of popularity, tire company's started to include them (we would just mount them black side out if not wanted)
Now as far as 'Baby Moons' go (me being of the 'mag' wheel era - late 60's/early 70's (age 16 in '70 =65 GTO / age 18 =70 455 GTO - I was a 'mag' wheel person) at that time Moons had gone the way of whitewalls = poor-man's way of dressing up wheels, it wasn't until I bought the first teardrop that I ever dealt with them and I got quite an awakening from that. Was totally surprised at 'all' the different sizes - lip shapes, etc. Amazon ended up being where I was able to find mine. Had to be very carful when ordering them so as to get the right size/shape and than had an even harder time finding them in Stainless Steel. Had no problem finding beauty rings in SS but the moon's were a different story. (The 2nd tear of today came with mag's.) Take care.

It's a sickness but it keeps us out of trouble. I do like finding the right solution, so thanks for this input. Very helpful.

[Sparksalot]

I had baby moons on Rose for years. They were a push on style with the sprung fingers around the perimeter, aka, like old hubaps. They worked great with the original wheels. When it was time for new tires, I bought already mounted trailer tires and wheels. The diameter was just different enough, the old moons went rolling down the highway the first trip out. Bummer.

I bought mine from Hubcap Mikes.

[DoctahDeane]

Thanks, Sparks - I will add that to my list. I appreciate it.

[martymcfly]

If you have tires with a narrow white wall or better yet raised white letters. I have seen guys take a flapper disk on an angle grinder to the sidewall to make the white part wider. There may be videos on youtube. I don't know how well portawalls will work on a radial tire. The sidewalls on a radial flex a lot more that a bias ply tire.

[DoctahDeane]

Thanks, Marty. That's more work than I want to get involved with. Tires look to be in the range price-wise of what I would call normal. And, considering its only two, not four, I think I can get out of this without a loan. Mostly need to make sure all the pieces play nice as this thread suggests.

[Vedette]

I have run whitewalls on my Street Rods all my life and my Teardrop Trailer Miss Piggy.
165 x 15" Cokers on MP, got 52,000 miles out of the first set and 31,000 miles on current set and they look like new.
Go online and look up Wheels Vintiques for your wheel and hubcap needs.
For my current project "Kermit" I bought "Artillery" style wheels and P195R15 American Classics.
Love Whitewalls!
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi