Why Do Rear Tires on Tandem Horse Trailer Run Hotter Than Those on Front Axle

Question:

The rubber on My rear tires on my tandem axel bumper pull stock trailer always seem hotter than the front tires. There’s no smoke and the hubs aren’t hot. The trailer sits a bit high in the front when I pull, could it be I should use a hitch instead of a straight hitch? I pull it with a stick 2007 dodge 3500

asked by: Janice

Expert Reply:

If the tires on the rear axle of your tandem axle horse trailer are running hotter than those on the front axle, this could be due to several possible causes. One of these causes you mentioned; the trailer not being level when hitched.

If the trailer rides nose-high this tends to place more of the trailer's load onto the rear axle. This could easily cause those rear tires to run hotter. All trailers tow best when they are level so if you need to switch ball mounts you can choose one with more drop or use an adjustable one like # C45900 if you have a 2-inch hitch or # C45902 if you have a 2-1/2-inch hitch. To help you choose the right one I linked a helpful article and our main page for adjustable ball mounts.

Other possible reasons for the rear tires running hot are if they are not inflated to the correct cold psi pressure (which is noted on each tire's sidewall), if they are overloaded beyond their weight capacity (either due to the nose-high angle or to them having a different (lower) Load Range Rating than the other tires), or if you drive on them faster than their speed rating allows.

As a general rule all special trailer tires should ALWAYS be inflated to the maximum cold psi pressure noted on the tire sidewall and their weight and speed limits should of course be observed. The tire you referenced, Kenda Karrier # AM10501, has a Load Range Rating "F" (up to 3,960-lbs at 110 psi) and a speed rating "M" (up to 81-mph).

expert reply by: Adam R