Maxxis Load D To E - Bouncy Ride

[Cecilt]

Had maxxis load E's mounted and balanced to replace my factory D's. TT weighs about 9500 loaded but wanted peace of mind. Drove home and ride was bouncy and I could feel it in the drivers seat. Called back and they said they balanced out fine, no tire flat spots and rims were all good. They aired them up to 80 psi per my request. Told them I was going to bring back to have them re look at the balancing.

They called back and said that I should air down to 65 psi to soften ride since that is what I had before. I said if I did that I would lose the benefit of having an E tire. Is that even correct to say. They said it will be a sacrifice of a stiffer ride at 80 and more weight carrying capacity on the tire of a softer ride and not getting the full benefit of the E's capacity.

I don't know if I should believe them so I am asking you folks. Please advise what I should do. I don't mind going to 72-75 psi but at 65 I could have stuck with a D tire. Thanks

[kaydeejay]

TundraTower wrote:
I finally understand that the data on the sidewall, something like: 80 PSI max, XXXX lbs max load" is very misleading. These two pieces of data are meant to stand separately. It is not XXXX lbs max load AT 80 PSI, it is 80 PSI max pressure at some load, and XXXX lbs max load at some pressure -- two separate and unrelated pieces of info.

Sorry, not buying that.
The statement "Max load xxxx lbs at xxx psi" absolutely means that the tire can support xxxx lbs at xxx psi.
The xxxx lbs is the maximum the tire is rated for, xxx psi is the pressure required for the tire to carry that weight.
They are VERY CLOSELY related.
Read the load inflation charts.
They ALL state the pressure required to support specific loads right up to their max load rating.
Your discussion with Michelin got the wires crossed somewhere.

[Sandia_Man]

The results you are experiencing going to a stiffer, heavier, and higher inflated psi tire is pretty common. Big difference between Maxxis D and E rated ST tires.

Two things will make it better. Lower inflation to about 72-73psi, and put some miles on them and the towing experience will get better as you break them in.

[JIMNLIN]

Some folks keep bringing up tires on their trucks when tires on the trailer is the subject. Tire tech for the two are apples vs oranges.

A question asked;
* I guess the question is how much safety margin is enough? 20%, 50%, 100% maybe 500% ? *

Both tire engineers (Tireman9 and Capriracer) we've had on RV.net and other websites both have said in various threads that a 20 percent reserve capacity is recommended. And like Tireman9 says no benefit of derating a E tires pressure down to the D tire pressure.

Keep in mind their talking about tires on trailers.

[coolbreeze01]

Was the trailer loaded as you would for a trip at the tire shop?

[wanderingbob]

Think about it , more pressure more bounce ! If you could put 200 pounds of air in them do ya think they would run nicer ?

[rtz549]

I think it reads "max load at"

[TundraTower]

We replaced our "Vail"-brand tires with a set of Maxxis 4 weeks after we bought our new trailer, and went from LR D to E as well.

I did this because the no-name tires were running about 95% of their max load capacity from the factory, and now the LR-E tires are running close to 80% of capacity. It has to create a safety factory to not run a component so close to failure.

Not sure where your 80 PSI came from, but I'll bet it was from the sidewall. I just went thru a long e-mail debate with Micheline on my new truck tires versus a load chart versus pressure/load numbers provided by Micheline.

I finally understand that the data on the sidewall, something like: 80 PSI max, XXXX lbs max load" is very misleading. These two pieces of data are meant to stand separately. It is not XXXX lbs max load AT 80 PSI, it is 80 PSI max pressure at some load, and XXXX lbs max load at some pressure -- two separate and unrelated pieces of info. It's a screwy way to do this but this is the only way it makes sense.

I found a load/pressure chart on the MAXXIS website. A Maxxis tire in my size uses the same pressure for the same load for both LR D and LR E, but the chart for the LR E goes up to higher loads.

Last week we reached a 3-year total of 12K miles on the Maxxis tires and I am very pleased. And, no bounce (at 50-55 PSI).

[Cecilt]

I redrove the TT again and it felt better. DW was with me and she thought it was okay. However, we both noticed around 40 mph that it felt like the tire would skip. Hard to explain but you could feel a difference than the more normal feel at other speeds.

[Huntindog]

rbpru wrote:
Since my current tires already exceeds my axle capacity, why should I buy tires that have even more more capacity then the axles that support them?

Yet people do this all the time.

This is pretty simple. Tires fail at a much higher rate than axles do...
There can be many reasons for this. Age, heat, cumulative road hazard damage, low psi etc....
Some things can affect axles as well, but not to the same degree.

[nevadanick]

I did it because i am on a gravel roads alot. The extra carcass helps and the lower pressure keeps from getting rock punctures.

[rbpru]

I guess the question is how much safety margin is enough? 20%, 50%, 100% maybe 500%?

It is not surprising that a heavier load rated tire rides stiffer, it is designed to carry a heavier load.


The usual tire complaint is too mushy a TV ride.

[Huntindog]

Cecilt wrote:
Huntingdog, if they say they did not use a lug plate and say they won't rebalance using a lug plate am I better off just removing the wheel weights they put on and going unbalanced like the factory wheels come anways? tks

This is a total crapshoot.... But since you are having trouble now that they are balanced... I see no harm and a real possible benefit to trying it.

[Huntindog]

Cecilt wrote:
Does it matter if your wheels are steel or aluminum. Mine are aluminum. Read steel wheels are lug centric and need the plate but aluminum rims can use the cone to balance like a car tire. So much different information online it is crazy.

I don't think so.
I know that my GM dually's hubs have the casting machined so that the HUBCENTRIC rims fit perfectly on them... But all of my TTs hubs have been rough casted, with no precision machining done to them. So even if one were to put a hubcentric rim on them.... It would likely not be centered.

[fla-gypsy]

All these responses ignore that there is middle ground between 65 and 80. Try 75 and 70 and find a reasonable compromise.

[Huntindog]

The E tire at 65 psi is not any stronger than the D tire at 65 psi. Its been my experience when pulling trailers for a living the E tire at only 65 psi will create more carcass heat than the D tire at 65 psi.

I read that here sometimes...
But I believe that the heat difference if any is insignifignant.
My dually comes from the factory with LREs... Yet the door/tire placard states a 65 psi maximum for them. I am sure that Ram and Ford do the same. Since I am pretty sure they know what they are doing.... This stands that theory on its head

As for strength, more plies will = more strength.
I do agree that any tire will perform to it's maximum when inflated to its max. But that is not the same as saying a 80 psi tire inflated to 65 psi is weaker than a 65 psi tire inflated to 65 is.