Tow dolly tires

[JcoFS3500]

Do you find that you have better luck with radials or bias ply? We're currently running a ST175/80D13 (50 psi, load range C) but have had wear issues with this set. The previous set of bias ply tires wore quickly but evenly until they developed golf ball size knots on the corners of the tread and were warrantied for this set. Considering radials for the next set but hate to spend the extra money ($10/tire) if the aren't going to wear any better. What's your experience been?

[mscamping]

Drain Surgeon, we put the key on accessary and that leaves the steering unlocked so the wheels turn.. Mike Mathews..

[wny_pat1]

okgc wrote:

wny_pat wrote:
If you want to stay with ST tires, get Maxxis, and nothing else.

X2

If one wants to know about ST tires, one needs to go down to the Travel Trailer discussion area. Lots of discussion are recommendations there. Think LT tires might be a option.

[DrainSurgeon]

Thanks for all the reply's. I'm going to try radials and see if that fixes the problem. Mike (mscamping), this makes perfect sense of the tire's skidding sideways. Wouldn't the same thing happen with flat tow's also? I don't flat tow but I'm assuming the steering is locked while towing, so wouldn't the same happen to the front tires?

[hipower]

As to the original question, almost all of the over the road trucks and trailers today are running radial tires quite successfully.

That in itself should remove any fears we may have about running radials on a dolly.

Also the tires on our motorhomes and towed vehicles are generally, if not always radials. Doesn't that somewhat fly in the face of the general thinking of not mixing radials and bias ply tires on the same unit?

Just some random musing of an underworked brain this morning.

[okgc]

wny_pat wrote:
If you want to stay with ST tires, get Maxxis, and nothing else.

X2

[moparmaga2]

When I had a tow dolly, I could not keep a set of trailer tires on it. They wore out in 5000-7000 miles.

I switched to passenger car tires. Tires showed no wear 20,000 miles later when I sold it.

According to the "experts" you are not supposed to run passenger car tires on a trailer.

I surmised that the "experts" would not be there on the side of the road helping me change a cheap china bomb trailer tire, or repair the damage to my vehicle after a tire blew out right next to the door. Pretty easy decision.

[mscamping]

If you have a dolly that has a table that turns, they have stops so it can only turn so far.. So when you're going around a corner the stops are hit and you are not completely around the corner, so the dolly is drug side ways and scrubs the tires wearing them out faster than they should.. When we had a dolly, that's what I figured out after a couple of set of tires and I had DW turn the coach in a parking lot so I could watch.. The most we got out of a set was a little over 10,000 miles.. They were 14" Marathon trailer tires and I kept 50# of air( the Max ) in them all the time.. The dolly was a Master Tow.. Mike Mathews..

[PDDGM]

sundance_8 wrote:
I trashed 2 sets of bias ply tires on my dolly on our Alaska trip. Replaced the last set with radials and have approx. 5000 miles on them with hardly any noticeable wear. I'm towing a lighter vehicle now but still....

Been thinking about the same, think I will contact a couple of tire shops around here and see what a set of 15's in radial cost. Don't want no problems on my trip to Florida in Sept.

[sundance_8]

I trashed 2 sets of bias ply tires on my dolly on our Alaska trip. Replaced the last set with radials and have approx. 5000 miles on them with hardly any noticeable wear. I'm towing a lighter vehicle now but still....

[DrainSurgeon]

Soooooo....WNY PAT's link to tire tec says that ST (special tire) designation means a tire made with heavy duty materials...and PDDGM takes a trip with brand new ST tires, from TX to Tennessee (what, maybe 1500 miles, tops) and he's already showing wear??? What is going on here? Also the Tire Tec article talked about high profile trailers, (which a tow dolly is not) needing a stiffer tire (to prevent sway), so maybe I should go to a regular radial. I just don't think I should have to replace tires every two or three years.

[PDDGM]

I put a set of st205/75/15's on mine in Texas and pulled it to east Tennessee via Missouri and noticed the outside edge of the right tire was showing wear. Checked the air pressure and still holding 50 psi as recommended from Southwest Wheel. Am going to swap sides when we leave for Florida in Sept and see what happens...

[wny_pat1]

cwit wrote:
If car tires will hold up a car with the wheels 4 down, why won't they hold 1/2 a car on a dolly?

:h I don't know, but here is what the big boys say: Trailer Tires vs. Passenger Vehicle Tires

[DrainSurgeon]

I found this thread on a search of tow dolly tires. I also am having issues of tires wearing out pre-maturely. Master tow dolly, Tow Master trailer radials, ST205/175R14 size. The set from Master Tow were shot at 7,000 miles and contacted Master Tow to complain. They reimbursed me $120 ($60 per tire) towards new tires which cost a little over $100 a piece. The new Tow Master tires mentioned above have not quite 10,000 miles and are shot also. They are wearing unevenly. First question: Do tires designed for trailers have a shorter life for some reason? Do tow dollies need alignments like a car? I just don't understand why a radial I put on my car can go 50k - 70k miles and this tow dolly can't even squeak out 10??? I never tow empty and do NOT exceed the trailer limits and rarely do mountain driving. What's the answer here??

[cwit]

If car tires will hold up a car with the wheels 4 down, why won't they hold 1/2 a car on a dolly?