Selecting Trailer Tires to Avoid Blowouts During Freeway Driving

Question:

I continue to have blowouts on the freeway. I currently have load range c tires, if I change to D range could this help solve the problem?

asked by: Dave

Helpful Expert Reply:

Trailer tire failure usually comes from heat, and excessive heat in a tire can arise from several potential causes.

One is inflation; a tire that is under- or over-inflated will build up more internal heat. A second common cause is overloading the tire with more weight than it can handle. The third common cause for tire failure is operating the tire above its speed rating. This too will cause heat build up that can lead to premature failure.

Special trailer (ST type) tires should always be inflated to the maximum cold psi pressure noted on the tire sidewall. It is never appropriate to under- or over-inflate a trailer tire; there is no benefit from doing so. Both conditions result in excess heat.

You will want to select trailer tires of a load range that provides you with some safety margin. If your tires are rated for Load Range C, such as Provider ST205/75R14 Radial Trailer Tire # TR20514 rated for 1760-lbs, and your actual load is near 1700-lbs, then moving to a higher load range is a good idea since this will provide some safety margin.

Finally, we have driving speed. Special trailer tires carry a 65-mph speed rating (a J rating) unless it is specifically stated that they can handle higher speeds. Since you said you have had the blowouts on the freeway, this seems to suggest that speed may be the issue.

We have tires such as the Westlake ST175/80R13 Radial Trailer Tire # LHWL101 which is rated for 75-mph (speed rating L), but the Taskmaster # TR20514 that is mentioned above is rated for 81-mph.

The linked page will show you all special trailer tires. Just click on your size to see all options. You can also email me back with your tire size (listed on the sidewall) and I can then offer specific recommendations.