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Keyword: Goodyear Trailer Tires
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en: Español
Goodyear Trailer Tires
 Goodyear Trailer Tires...almost all you'll ever need to know.
When I did a web search on "Goodyear Trailer Tires" one
thing that struck me was the number of reports which people had made
complaining of poor performance for the Marathon design which is
typical of the company's trailer tires.
Shop for
Goodyear tires at The Tire Rack.
Tire Information World : your friendly
independent source of tire help
Before I go on, I think it's
important to disclose that I became a Goodyear dealer many years ago
and was certified as a warranty claims adjuster for
the company. That being said, I also wish to note that I go
to great lengths to report fairly and objectively on all aspects of
tires, no matter who makes them.
 A bum rap
In over 10 years of making adjustments for Goodyear
tires, I never once had to deal with any complaints for faulty
performance of trailer tires, but I have some ideas of how many of the
problems I read about on the internet might have been prevented.
You see, these Goodyear trailer tires are used primarily
on utility trailers, boat trailers and fifth-wheel vehicles, all of
which are not used as regularly as the family car or even the vehicle
which is used for towing them. This means, that they might
not get the same degree of care and attention as the vehicle and, even
more importantly possibly the owner isn't aware of the special needs of
a tire when used in these kinds of applications.
What I'm saying is that any brand of trailer
tire is likely to give disappointing performance unless
certain basic steps are taken ... and that is what I plan to show you
now.
Tire Service Life
First let's look at the amount of service life you get
from your tires. This, is directly related to how your tires
are used and stored. Things such as how evenly you load your
trailer, the weight of your cargo, tire inflation pressure, how fast or
slow you drive, whether you’re driving in the mountains or not and the
types of terrain you drive on all have an effect on your tires.
Because these conditions vary widely, it’s impossible to
predict how long your tires will last. But, if you take care of your
tires and try to control the service conditions as much as possible,
you efforts will pay off in longer tire life.
Importance Of Proper Tire Inflation
Keeping your trailer tires properly inflated is the
single most important thing you can do to enhance performance and help
extend the life of your tires.
Improper inflation can cause issues and stress for the
tire:
- Under-inflation can cause poor
handling, pre-mature and/or irregular wear, decreased fuel economy or
even tire failure.
- Over-inflation can reduce
traction, braking ability and handling, as well as result in uneven
wear and a harsh ride.
When To Check Your Trailer Tire Pressure
Now that you understand how important it is to maintain
proper inflation pressure in your trailer's tires, you need to know
when and how often to check it. Here are some recommendations:
- Before each trip
- Every morning during long trips
- Before you leave and when you return home on short
trips
- Before and after storing your vehicle
- At least once per month while the vehicle is in
storage.
Always check your tires when they are cold and haven’t
been driven more than one mile.
The load capacity for a given cold inflation pressure is
based on surrounding outside temperatures. The pressure in a hot tire
may be as much as 10 to 15 psi higher than the cold tire pressure, so
you will only get an accurate reading when you check your tires when
they’re cold.
To help make sure your tire pressure readings are
accurate, it is a good idea use a quality truck tire gauge with a
dual-angled head. This way, you can check inner and outer dual wheels
at the same time, if you have them.
With or without Load
Here's something you'll not hear about very widely, even
among professional drivers. All tires which are designed to
carry a load have a working radius, which you can discover in a table
of tire specifications which your dealer can likely provide, if you ask
for it. It will look something like the following one which I
adapted from the Goodyear Trailer Tires specifications guide.
See the number I've circled in red on the first
line? This tells you that if you have this tire fully loaded
with the correct amount of air in it for the weight being carried, it
will measure 11.2 inches from the center of the axle to the road.
Shop for
Goodyear tires at The Tire Rack.
That's if the trailer is fully loaded and the tire has
the correct pressure. If you find that the distance is
greater, you need to let out some air, if the distance is less, you
need to add air.
Now, the practical way to use this is to load up your
trailer and then adjust the pressure so that you have this
distance. Take a stick, or a piece of 1/2" plastic
PVC pipe and mark it with exactly this length. Then, each
time you change your load, pull out the stick and compare the height of
the wheel's axle to the mark you've made.
Normally, you'd let air out when your load is less, so
that you won't be over-inflated, and add air when you increase the
load, so that you won't be under-inflated. Under ideal conditions you
want to keep this distance always the same.
Loading precautions
If you're a professional driver you likely know about
load balancing and distribution. If you use a trailer only
occasionally, it's something you may have never even thought about, but
can make a big difference both in the way a trailer handles and the way
it's tires wear.
The trick in load distribution is to do everything you
can to make sure that each tire carries the same amount of
weight. If you have a load which is much heavier on the left
side, that tire is going to work a lot harder and be subject to a lot
more stress than the one on the other side.
Also turning and lane changing, especially a higher
speeds is another way in which tire can be subjected to increased
stress.
Wrapping it up
One final note is that almost all ST
or Specialty Trailer tires are designed to be
driven at --or below-- a certain speed. In the case of the
Marathon tires in the chart above it is 65mph. None of these
tires are designed to be operated at the speed which passenger car
tires are designed and exceeding the design speed can have a seriously
detrimental effect on their performance and life.
None of what I've told you is rocket-science, but if you
follow these tips and ideas I'm sure your Goodyear trailer tires, or
any other brand will give you a much more satisfactory service than
you'd get otherwise. There's also some additional useful information in
Trailer Tiresand
Trailer Wheels.
Did you know we have a special
place to show-off your favorite wheels?
See the Hot Wheels Show Room
Return to
To Tire Information
Tire Information World's
home page from Goodyear Trailer Tires.
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