Can Radial Tire be Used in Place of Bias Ply Tire on Boat Trailer

Question

Question:

Is it okay to put radial tires vs bias tires on my 2006 Xpress H50 bass boat trailer. The info on the trailer says bias tires but the tires have never been replaced. The lake I fish is about 45 minutes away. What do you think?

asked by: Mark W

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

Radial tires can be used instead of bias tires on a trailer. If most of your driving is highway driving they would actually be preferred. Radial tires have better ground contact and run cooler. A bias tire can be more useful if you're towing your trailer off-road a lot because they have a stiffer sidewall.

Generally, for a boat trailer you're better off going with a galvanized wheel, like # AM31994, because of the rust resistance.

I've linked our selection of 175/80-13 sized tires on a wheel with a 5 on 4-1/2 bolt pattern for you.

expert reply by: Charles S

1

Answer 1

The pre-mounted trailer wheel/trailer tire products we sell, such as #AM31994, are not dynamically balanced the way vehicle wheels/tires are. Trailer tires do not really need to be fully balanced the way vehicle tires do but you could have them…

view full answer...

Answer 2

A trailer tire size 175/80-13 will replace either an A78-13 or B78-13 trailer tire. A 175/80-13 is going to have 3 load ratings: B at 1,100 pounds at 35 psi, C at 1,360 pounds at 50 psi, and D at 1,610 pounds at 65 psi. This size will have a diameter…

view full answer...

Answer 3

The wheel/tire products we sell, such as the Kenda #AM31994, have not been given a full dynamic machine balancing but what is done is that the tire's light spot and the wheel's heavy spot are aligned by the distributor. This is not the same…

view full answer...

Answer 4

I took a look at Kendon's website and confirmed that the trailers made before 2014 have ST175/80R13 bias ply tires on them. With this in mind you will want the Loadstar ST175/80D13 Bias Trailer Tire item #AM3S160. This has a galvanized 13" x…

view full answer...

Answer 5

If the trailer is supposed to have 185/80-13 tires on it, then you should stick with that tire size and use #AM3S334. This is the correct size tire with a galvanized wheel. The only difference is this is a bias tire and not a radial. A bias tire the…

view full answer...

Answer 6

From my research on the Harbor Freight 4x8 folding trailer uses 4.80-12 tires on a 12 inch wheel for the 1195 lb capacity trailer and a 5.30-12 for the 1720 lbs capacity trailer. It is a good idea to check your existing tires to see which size they…

view full answer...

Answer 7

For your Teske 4' x 8' utility trailer I would stick with the 4.80-12 tire size. From what I have found, your trailer weighs approximately 460 lbs so with your bike you are looking for tires that can handle 1,460 lbs and are rated for a…

view full answer...

Answer 8

I looked up the trailer you mentioned and was able to find that it uses 12 inch trailer wheels with a 5 on 4-1/2 inch bolt pattern. Based on the width of the tire relative to the rim it looks like a 4.80-12 tire size. The fender clearance looks…

view full answer...

Answer 9

You do indeed have a 12 inch rim. When you measure the diameter of the wheel, you'll need to measure the diameter of he wheel where the tire bead meets the wheel. I've provided you a cutaway diagram of a wheel showing where the measurement…

view full answer...

Answer 10

Yes, your camper with a 2,390 lb GVWR will be okay along with the Kenda Karrier ST145/R12 Radial Trailer Tire with 12" Black Mod Wheel - 5 on 4-1/2 - LR D #AM35354 These tires have a capacity of 1,220 lbs when inflated at 65 psi, but that's…

view full answer...

Answer 11

The difference is only the construction and not the size. R stands for radial and D stands for bias ply. So if you find a tire size you would not need to compensate in anyway based on either construction.

view full answer...

Answer 12

You can potentially use new tires and wheels on your trailer as long as there is clearance all around the existing tires for the larger size. Going to a 13 inch like with #AM31985 you will need at least 1.8 inches clearance above the existing tires…

view full answer...

Can Radial Tire be Used in Place of Bias Ply Tire on Boat Trailer

Product Page this Question was Asked From

Featured Help Information

Miscellaneous Media

Continue Researching