HF tire questions

[kd5edj63]

My 1750 lbd HF trailer came with 2 ply bias tires. It says inflate to 80 psi and a max speed of 55 mph. 80 seems kinda high. does everyone run 80 psi. and could I get away with 60-65 if the trailer is only at half weight capacity. I would guess my trailer is less than 1000 pounds total.

[H.A.]

[kd5edj63]

yes, I feel that something in the 30-40 psi range should be fine. But the tire says 80 right on the side wall

[eggsalad]

Since about 1975, we've all become accustomed to passenger car and light truck radial tires. HF trailers come with bias-ply tires. The two types of tires have different changes with varying pressures. Someone here will chime in with deeper knowledge.

[kd5edj63]

Hopefully so. Im a little too worried to be running 80 psi in tires on something that cost me 6 weeks and well over a grand to build

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Both of these questions are quite popular around here and have been answered many times before. The search function is a good tool for many questions.

80psi is MAX pressure and will shake the heck out of a trailer only weighing 1000lbs. I have the same heavy duty HF trailer kit (rated at 1720lbs) . My teardrop (1100lbs empty) tows really well with about 45-50psi. If you don't have enough air, the tire deforms too much and can cause premature failure.

The sticker on the tire wheel that reads 45mph (or 55mph or whatever) is what the manufacturer suggests, and is essentially there to cover them legally. Many of us have towed much faster without problems - I often cruise @ 65-70mph.

[KCStudly]

I agree with Zach.

Under inflating can cause overheating if the tire is allowed to bulge too much (... which may not be an issue with lighter loads). Just saying for the sake of information, as the tire rolls the bulge is like a wave running through the tire over and over again. This wave causes friction in the materials of tire and can lead to heat build-up, weakening the bonds between plies and rubber, and subsequent failure.

The mobile home style tires on our pumpkin ballista have a max pressure listed at 110 psi and we run them at 90 to 100 psi, but they are operating at near max load and bounce is just never going to be an issue that they will have to contend with, at least not as far as ride comfort is concerned.

What I am trying to say is don't get hung up by the numbers too much. The tire and ride will tell you what it wants. Use the chalk across the tread trick, keep an eye out for bulging sidewalls (unlike radials, you do not want bias ply tires to bulge), and check them frequently for heat build up when in use. Run them for a short trip and get out and put the palm of your hand on the tread to feel them right away before they have a chance to cool. In normal conditions they should only ever feel just warm to the touch. Do this frequently and after increasing lengths of time until you are comfortable with your inflation setting and sure that they are not overheating.

[kd5edj63]

Thank you guys. Thats just what I needed to know. I have tried the search tool on here with little success.

[kd5edj63]

I went on my 1st outing with 40 psi and it towed fine. unfortunately I forgot my camera. So I will have to post pics of my 2nd outing.

[angib]

As a general rule of thumb, a tire inflated to half its maximum pressure can safely carry half its maximum load, and so on - it actually can carry a bit more, but using an equal ratio is easier!

This works down to maybe a quarter load and pressure, below which you are on your own.

[ssrjim]

Everything you ever wanted to know about trailer tires and more:

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTrailerTireFacts.dos

[kd5edj63]

Thanks