Tire and Tire/Wheel Combos for Enclosed Cargo Trailer with ST205/75-15 Tires

Question:

i have two questions, one - after looking through your tire and wheel combos, i do not understand the differences between themfor instance bias vs radial what do you recommend as a good spare? i was thinking - Taskmaster ST205/75R15 Radial Trailer Tire with 15inch Silver Mod Wheel - 5 on 4-1/2 - LR C Two - the tag on the trailer indicates it is a 2011 and i can only assumei am not the original owner that the tires have never been changed or any way to determine the number of miles on them. the treads look fine and there appears to be no unusual wear/marks on the tires. since there are so many unknowns about the trailer should i purchase 2 new wheelsandtires and use the current wheels as spare? Thank you for your time.

asked by: Scott

Expert Reply:

The main difference between a radial ply and a bias ply tire is how the tire is constructed. The cords inside a bias ply tire run at a 32 degree angle to the direction of travel, and the cords on a radial tire run at a 90 degree angle to the direction of travel, or across the tire from wheel lip to wheel lip.

A radial tire flexes more than a bias tire, giving it better ground contact, traction, stability, and tread wear. A radial tire will normally run cooler than a bias ply tire, especially when the tire is under a load. A tire that runs cooler will last longer.

A bias ply tire has a stiffer sidewall than a radial, a feature that might be useful for off road applications like farm use. At one time radials were more expensive than bias ply tires, but now they are closer in price. This makes radials a much better value.

When choosing a spare tire I recommend the same size, construction, and load range as the tires that are on the trailer. You would not want to mix bias and radial tires because if you use tires that don't match, you could experience problems of overloading and overheating, which can lead to tire failure.

Since so much is unknown about the tire age and condition I do recommend replacing the tires. The wheels are most likely fine unless there is visible damage to them so if you wanted you could just replace the tires with # TTWSF20515C for a bias or # TTWTRTM2057515C for a radial. If you go this route just make sure you get all bias or all radial.

expert reply by: Michael H