MFL wrote:
My 6-bolt wheels on 5200 lb axles with oem 225/75R 15 D-rated 2540 max wt tires. My wheels are steel and are marked 2,600 max weight. My FW GVWR is 12,110, which would mean 10K max on tires/wheels. I have a 4K CCC, so FW never loaded to GVWR. I am thinking not much more than 8,500 lbs on tires/wheels most times.
I am planning to replace the tires this Spring. My first choice is GY Endurance 225/75R 15E with max rating 2,830 at 80 psi. I understand that at 65 psi, these tires would carry same 2540 as current D tires.
My question is...if I inflate these new E-rated tires to 80 psi, giving the tires full load carrying capacity, will the wheels take that increase in pressure? I will replace the rubber stems, with 80 psi rated stems.
Any of you heavy commercial haulers ever break a steel trailer wheel from a bit over listed max weight?
Jerry
I've been trying to answer that question for many years. I have yet to get a definitive answer. Why?
1) Because federal regulations do NOT require a max load and/or max pressure on wheels - only tires. This is likely because wheel failures are not very common. It appears that if your wheels are marked it is because of the manufacturer of the wheels - perhaps for legal liability reasons and not because of an actual stress limitation?
2) Every time I talk to a wheel designer, they say they design wheels according to the max load - and do NOT consider inflation pressure at all. But since this is always a one-on-one conversation, I don't consider this definitive.
So the best information I have been able to dig up is that it OK to inflate your tires to more than the max pressure stamped on the wheels.
