Trailer tires: bias-belted vs. radials

They Theirs · Post by **They Theirs** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:28 pm

Nitrogen filled Tires, free at Costco.....Seems to be a trend, not sure?

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa · Post by **Dimitri-2000X-Tampa** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:06 pm

And it will keep your beer from getting foamy too!

Night Sailor · Post by **Night Sailor** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 7:22 pm

We started using nitogen in our race and TSD rally cars back in 1962. If everyone did, the world would be a safer, and more economical place.

DLT · Post by **DLT** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 6:17 am

Ok, I stand corrected.

But, I guess I'd rather just pocket that $5 per tire. Costco has to be paying for industrial gas to be delivered to them, so they have to be making that up somewhere...

Frank C · Post by **Frank C** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:54 am

Costco's not spending money solely for good will. They probably figure to make up the cost of industrial nitrogen through a reduction in their free tire repairs or replacements.

Edit: if Costco is adding the cost to the tires, so be it.
They still sell tires for less than anywhere I've seen, and they're obviously still profiting.

DLT · Post by **DLT** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 11:33 am

That and/or just marking up their tires to cover it...

There is a big difference between what a retailer will call free and what I think of as free...

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 3:30 am

I missed this thread earlier but feel a bit compelled to reply professionally..

Effusion (rate at which gas evolves from a small fissure, assuming ideal gas law behaviour) is proportional to 1/SQRT(Molecular weight) so heavier molecules will leak from a tire slower than light molecules, although the square root means that this is a weak dependence.

Nitrogen has MW 28
Oxygen has MW 32

So Oxygen will actually effuse or leak slower than N2 in the ration sqrt( 28/32)

Of course, no one puts oxygen in their tires, we put in air, which has a weighted average equivalent MW of 29 or so.

So Nitrogen will actually leak faster than air by a very small amount

This is a lot of typing for a lot of hoohey......the one possible advantage is the elimination of moisture from dry nitrogen

LOUIS B HOLUB · Post by **LOUIS B HOLUB** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 7:24 am

Hey Steve .. My former boat was a Mac 26S...it towed great. I put one size larger, Carlisles, on mine just as I did on my 26Mac X trailer.
Considering how marginal Mac Trailers are built, upgrading the tires is a "no brainer" for safety. I salute your thinking on getting the "better" tires for safety.
Keep the bearings greased, and the lug nuts tight (a must).

BTW...I had a Merc 8 HP on my Mac 26S...it motored and sailed great. Two pulls on the starter rope, and that engine purred...Only reason we departed from the 26S, we just needed more head room in the cabin as most "older" folks do...

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:56 pm

But I thought you needed to have either all Bias or all Radial due to tracking differences??

Chip Hindes · Post by **Chip Hindes** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 5:13 pm

I would not recommend mixing bias and radial on a single axle because of the differences in the way they handle.

However, I have no problem mixing them front to rear on my tandem axle trailer. How am I to know whether the front axle and rear axle of the trailer handle differently?

This was strictly a cost saving measure; kept me from spending an additonal $180 on two more new tires when I added the second axle. I like the way the radials wear and the lower temp they run at, so as soon as I lose another bias tire I'll replace both those on my original axle with radials. I'll still keep the best remaining of the three bias I have left as an "emergency" spare.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 5:47 pm

But I thought you needed to have either all Bias or all Radial due to tracking differences??

Correct.A bias tire and a radial behave entirely different to forces applied, Weight, cornering or scuffing, impact and road imperfections.

My primary concern with mismatching is the a bias tire generally will tend to "follow" road imperfections. ie: the ruts the tractor trailers leave. Radials will not. This is due to the sidewalls controlling the tread patch on a bias and on a radial the contact patch will orient independant of sidewall flex. Placing mismatched tires on tandems will or at least could induce a whip when the tires return to tracking depending on speed. Using bias on an on road trailer will cause it to follow the road more than your car.

This is also the reson that a bias tire is the prefered tire for an off raod application.

You can get bias or radial trailer tires but for my money I would go with radial.

On Edit: Sat on my porch thinking about this for a few minutes and had to edit with 2 points.

1.As for bias ply, There is a reason why when radial tires were invented all tire manufacturers began producing them or went out of business. Also within 2 or 3years after their intro all cars had them as standard equipment.

2. Nitrogen. Hmmm.I dont think you will soon see filling stations with nitrogen outlets. At least not for less than near the price of fuel. Tire reps try to sell a nitrogen fill because it leaks slower. I had a vendor try to sell me on this and tell me that my tires lose 3# of air per month and that nitrogen would fix this. I have trucks that have steer tires with 100# of air in them that have not had to be topped off in a year. At 3# per month for 12 months they shoud have aprox 64# in them. By manufacturers specs a tractor tire is flat at 80#. Same tire guy has never come in and told me those"air filled tires are flat" He has told me repeatedly though that his service truck is equipped with nitrogen. Same result with my air filled family cars. I check them once per week and my daughters cars every chanceI get. With the exception of the odd screw or nail, I never have to add air. Hmmmmmmmm................

I am not saying Im against nitrogen for a minimally used trailer with steel rims though. The one benefit I can see is if nitrogen is a dry gas it could help to prevent pitting in the beads of your rims dueto rust. Engineers????

baldbaby2000 · Post by **baldbaby2000** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 6:03 pm

The brand new bias tires that came with our boat didn't last but a couple thousand miles on a hot day. I had to replace them halfway back from Canada and went to radials. They were slightly bigger so I had to raise the fenders a little. No problems with the radials

KayakDan · Post by **KayakDan** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 8:15 am

I just recently had a tire let go on my trailer of my brand new(april 06) 26M. I assumed it was because of whacking a curb a few weeks ago,but my tire guy says no. It looks like a belt slipped inside the tire. I recently got a spare tire and wheel from BWY and it was load range D. Originals were "C". Spare is now on the trailer and the replacement tire will be a "D" for the other side.
Since the long range plan is trailer to Fl,sail to Exuma,I am going to get a dual axle Load Rite next year($Ouch!$). Somebody will get a deal on a nice new Mac trailer next year.

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 1:51 pm

Scott Thanks for the info very much. Dan I have looking at that kit to make mine a twin axle but so far its only showing 14" wheels so SCOTT ! Could I mix 14 and 15 " tires on separate axles

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:08 pm

I dont see any reason why not. Just check the EQ to see if it causes it to hit the frame.

On edit. I put 14's all the way around on my tandems to help lower the CG

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Trailer tires: bias-belted vs. radials

Old hat

THis question can be answered by Scott for us