Replacement Trailer Tire Size 5.30-12 For 1998 Sparta Trailer

Question:

I bought a used boat with a circa 1998 spartan single axle roller bunk trailer for a 16 ft lund with decking. I noticed the spare had cracked sidewalls so i wanted to look up what i should get for a new spare and got confused. Currently, the trailer has 5.30-12 Load range C tires on it with a max cold rating of 80 psi. The previous owner was running the tires at 50ish PSI and I have been hesitant to increase it despite much information saying I should run the tires at or close to max PSI for trailer tires. Additionally, I have seen information that I should look on the sticker for the trailer to see what it says I should be running the pressure at. The problem is, the VIN sticker has totally faded and bleached. To top it off, Spartan went out of business and I cannot find any info. Can you provide some guidance on appropriate tires and pressure for this setup? I do trailer the boat at interstate speeds. Any help is greatly appreciated!

asked by: Carl K

Expert Reply:

First thing you need to do is replace the tires like you mentioned since the cracking you are seeing means the tires are most likely on the verge of failing. For that we have the Kenda part # AM10066 which would work great. You do have to keep this tire inflated to it's max psi so that it retains it's full weight capacity and heat build up does not occur which also leads to failure. This is due to the added flex that the lower psi allows in the sidewall. Unlike passenger car tires which allow you to lower the psi and smooth out the ride quality by adding some flex in the sidewall you cannot do that with trailer tires. This tire also has a 80 psi max as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C