If you want a high-yielding crop, that quest begins with a soil test. If you want high-yielding tires, that journey starts with having your tires balanced to get the most reliability from the vehicle or trailer. Many think of tire balance as strictly for ride comfort, but there is much more going on as any tire rolls down the road.
Though it is commonplace to have car and truck tires balanced, it is just as important to balance those on trailers if they’ll be driven at 30 mph or faster.
When a wheel rotates, any difference in mass creates the desire for the heavier area to want to move away from its axis of rotation – or, in other terms, be flung out. It needs to be recognized that as a tire rolls down the road, it does not stay completely round.
As the portion of the tread contacts the surface, it flattens out as the weight of the vehicle is placed on it. Then, as that part of the tire rolls away from the surface, another contact patch undergoes deformation. Though an exaggerated image, just think of a tire that is very low on air. In this case, the bottom is flattened while the rest of the tire is round. To a lesser extent, this is what happens to every tire as it rolls. For this reason, inflation pressure is critical since it not only supports the weight of the load but also limits the amount of tread that flattens as it rolls.
When the rotating mass of the wheel and tire assembly is out of equilibrium, then it wants to hop, wobble, and bounce. As the road speed is raised, these actions increase and magnify. I think this is understood, so I want to bring the discussion to a higher level. I also want to establish that you need to balance trailer tires since the dynamics of rotational imbalance affect them – even though you may not feel it.
Just as a nutrient deficiency in a crop has already caused a yield loss by the time it is visual in the plant, by the time a tire vibration reaches your senses, it is degrading many components.
Out-of-balance tires cause excessive wear in wheel bearings, suspension parts, spring shackles, shock absorbers, and the tires themselves. The tire may experience cupping, uneven wear and tread, or ply separation. This is especially true with trailer tires. Trailers will also bounce more when unloaded, shake themselves apart, and transmit that motion into the hitch and the tow vehicle. As it pertains to an emergency braking situation, a properly balanced trailer tire will decrease the stopping distance and provide much better control.
New tires should always be dynamically (spun) balanced – if possible, on a machine that provides a road force test. This is where a roller is pressed against the tire to simulate the deformation that occurs when in use. There is an effect identified as radial force runout that allows a tire to bounce down the road even though it is in mass equilibrium.
As a tire wears, it will impact the balance. At one-half tread life, I like to get tires rebalanced.
The cost of balancing is very low, and it provides better driving dynamics, decreases wear on the tire and vehicle or trailer, and improves safety.
A good technician will acknowledge the amount of weight required and then, if excessive (more than 2 ounces on one side), will break the bead and rotate the tire on the rim 90° and then retest. This process is repeated until the least amount of weight is required.
When tires are new, they have a paint or ink dot to identify the mounting in relation to the valve stem. If you see a wheel loaded with lead weights, then either the mechanic that balanced it was poor, the machine was out of calibration, the rim bent, or the tire is not well made.
I also like to carry with me a tire crayon. If I get a flat on the road, I can mark the position of the valve stem and the weights so the tire can be put back on the rim in the exact location, if the shop fixing it doesn’t have a balancer I feel comfortable with.
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When you first purchase your RV you will have several questions on your mind like Do travel trailer tires and wheels need to be balanced? The answer is yes, you should. Although you may meet RVers and travel trailer owners who disagree, balancing your travel trailer tires is actually necessary for improved performance, tire longevity, and safety factors.
Passenger vehicle tires need to be balanced for ride stability and comfort, as well as for function. Travel trailer tires aren’t balanced to improve the ride for passengers, but they should be properly balanced for a safe towing experience.
Unbalanced travel trailer tires can lead to premature tire and wheel failure, or worse: an accident. As you travel at high rates of speed, an unbalanced tire wobbles which creates an unsafe towing environment.
And to top it off, drivers aren’t likely to feel or notice the wobbling from the cockpit of the tow vehicle.
It’s important to have your trailer tires balanced even if you don’t feel like there’s an issue.
In this article we’re taking a closer look at balancing travel trailer tires, answering some FAQ, and more. Let’s get into it.
Should Travel Trailer Tires Be Balanced?Yes, travel trailer tires should be balanced.
This is a subject that’s really not talked about a lot in the RVing community, nor is it recommended by many people.
And if you ask the vast majority of RV trailer owners if they balance their trailer tires, the answer will probably be “no”.
But we’re here to tell you that: yes, you should have your travel trailer tires balanced.
In an interview done by RV Travel, Wilson Beach, a director with the Tire Industry Association, had this to say:
“Have you ever driven down the freeway and watched a vehicle with an unbalanced tire? The tire can bounce so hard it can actually leave the pavement.”
This bouncing is caused by vibrations and it’s aptly known as “tire hop”.
A balanced travel trailer tire will run smoother, cooler, and increase the overall lifespan of the tire.
Have you ever wondered why some RV travel trailer owners experience blowout after blowout? While blowouts can be caused by many factors, improper tire balance definitely plays a part.
In a passenger vehicle you typically know immediately if your tires need to be balanced. You can feel it in the steering wheel and in the overall ride itself.
However, if you’re pulling an RV trailer, you’re not likely to notice it in your tow vehicle. And RV trailer tires typically don’t come balanced from the manufacturer or dealer, either. Because of these reasons, you need to make sure to have your travel trailer tires balanced yourself.
Do Travel Trailer Wheels Need to Be Balanced?Just like with your travel trailer tires, you should have the wheels balanced, too.
Improper wheel balance can have a negative impact on your wheel bearings, your axle, and trailer suspension.
Besides the obvious issues of trailer damage and tire blowouts, improper wheel or tire balancing on your travel trailer can damage components inside your trailer, too.
What Are The Consequences of Improperly Balanced Trailer Tires?There are several potential consequences of improperly balanced trailer tires. Here are few main ones:
As you can see, there are many important reasons to have your trailer tires balanced.
Can I Use Truck Tires on My Trailer?If you are looking to replace the tires on your trailer you will have a few options available to you. You might even think to use truck tires instead of travel trailer tires, but is this a good idea?
Light truck tires are sometimes used in RVs but generally not on utility trailers.
Light truck tires are a type of passenger vehicle tire, and as a result, they are not built with a thick sidewall like regular trailer tires. The thicker sidewall helps significantly with the vertical load. So, with that in mind, it is recommended that you use travel trailer tires in most situations.
One of the biggest reasons that a tire can fail is overloading. If you use a truck tire, you are significantly increasing the chances that it will happen. You are towing a lot of weight with your travel trailer and if the tires are not properly rated, they will fail.
Additionally, heat build up can be a significant problem for a lot of people. Thicker tires build up heat when they are not properly inflated. As a result, you need to constantly make sure your tires are inflated correctly when you are pulling a travel trailer. This is why so many RVers use a Tire Pressure Monitoring System like the one we use on our RV.
How Long Do Travel Trailer Tires Last?Age is a major factor when you are determining whether you need to replace your tires.
Unfortunately, travel trailer tires undergo a lot more wear and tear than regular passenger vehicle tires. As a result, they need to be replaced more frequently.
Each tire manufacturer will have different recommendations on when to replace their tires. However, the average life span of a trailer tire is around five years under normal maintenance and conditions. That being said, you should start to consider tire replacement after three years. At this time you should consult with an expert and see how your tires are faring.
To increase the lifespan of your tires you can keep an eye out for things that cause tire damage and try to avoid them. Tire damage is often caused by improper tire pressure, excessive exposure to sunlight, improper loading, exposure to high temperatures, improper tire balance, and axle alignment issues. If you can avoid exposing them to these issues, then you can maximize your tire’s life span.
How Often Should You Replace Travel Trailer Tires?Industry experts recommend replacing your travel trailer tires between three to six years of age.
If you’re unsure how to tell how old your travel trailer tires are, you can find out the age by reading the tire date code printed on the sidewall.
Pro tip: learning how to read tire dates can help you negotiate price when buying a used RV or travel trailer with old tires, even if they look new.
If the travel trailer has been left sitting in the sun for extended periods of time, aim for replacing them every three years or so. Otherwise, the general consensus is about every five years.
Why Do Travel Trailer Tires Blow Out?As we have mentioned several times already, heat build up can cause a myriad of issues for travel trailer tires. As a result, it should come as no surprise to hear that heat build up is the biggest cause of tire blowouts.
There are many reasons that your tires might get overheated, but the two most common reasons are overloading of the trailer and having underinflated tires.
You should be able to check the trailer axle capacity on a sticker or plate on the frame of your trailer. You should not load your trailer beyond its capacity in any scenario. Additionally, you should make sure that your tires are always inflated to no more than 90%the maximum psi indicated on the tire when the tires are cold.
How Do I Identify Trailer Tires?When you are looking for travel trailer tires you want to look for an ST or LT rating. ST stands for Special Tire, and LT stands for Light Truck. When you see a tire it should have a label and it will say something like ST 205/75 D14. ST of course stands for special tire, but what does everything else mean?
The 205 refers to the width of the tire in millimeters. Then the 75 refers to the ratio of height to width. In this example, the tire’s height is 75 percent of its width. The smaller the aspect ratio, the wider the tire in relation to height. Finally, the D indicates a bias ply tire and stands for diagonal.
If there is an R there instead of a D, it means that it is a radial tire. The number following the letter is the diameter in inches. In this case, the tire is 14 inches in diameter.
One of the biggest decisions you need to make for your travel trailer is which type of tires to use. Your two main choices are bias and radial tires. Generally, bias tires are less expensive, but they do not perform as well. Trailer owners often say that these tires are flowers because they follow behind the vehicle that pulls them. The vehicle up front does all the work, while the tires just keep the trailer moving.
Conversely, radial tires perform much better. With radial tires your ride will be smoother, the trailer will not bounce as much, and they have a longer shelf life. However, the most important characteristic of these tires is that they can carry a heavy load.
So, should you use radial tires? If money is not a factor then radial tires are certainly the better option.
However, finances obviously affect the decision making of most people. As a result, you may need to go with bias tires if you think radial tires are too expensive.
Here we will look at five of the best travel trailer tire brands available to you. There are so many sellers on the market that is important to narrow things down. Otherwise, you will have a long and grueling search for the best option. However, by looking at these five brands you should be able to find your perfect tires much quicker.
1. Trailer KingTrailer King is one of the best options for people that are looking for new travel trailer tires. Their tries are manufactured to provide a high standard of safety, reliability, and comfort. They deliver everything you might need from an expansive ST Radial size lineup while providing incredible value. Here you should be able to find something that fits any type of trailer.
Since 2003 Task Master has been making tires for light trucks, trailers, and other towable vehicles. They deliver products that deliver exceptional performance while operating under demanding conditions. Task Master is most known for its travel trailer tires. These products feature a double polyester cord body, double steel belts or full steel sidewalls, and nylon overlays that add extra endurance in tough loading conditions. Additionally, these tires are incredibly strong, making them a great choice for drivers that will be driving off road and in rough conditions.
3. Cooper RoadmasterAnother great brand available to you is Cooper Roadmaster. They sell a variety of tires for many types of vehicles and trailers. The travel trailer tires they sell feature a premium, high scrub tread compound that provides improved treadwear and long lasting protection against cutting and chipping.
Additionally, they have stone ejector ribs in the grooves that help preserve the casing for retreading.
Finally, the rounded shoulder design helps minimize the effect of high lateral forces on the tire.
Yokohama is another brand that has several travel trailer tires available to you. Their tires have optimized tread depth, ensuring maximum efficiency and an extra long tread life. They also are built with a cut and chip resistant compound that will protect your tires from damage without sacrificing rolling resistance or wear performance.
The cornerstone of their tires is the zero degree belt which creates a consistently stable footprint for long, even wear. They also have funnel shape stepped grooves which prevent stones and other debris from getting to the bottom of the grooves and causing damage.
Finally, the tires have a newly designed tread pattern. This new design ensures that ground contact pressure is evenly distributed. As a result, you will have greater stability, flawless tracking, and better fuel efficiency.
5.
DeestoneThe final brand we will be looking at is Deestone. They have nine tires available for sale that are designed for trailers. Each of these options is built to reduce rolling resistance. Additionally, you will not need to worry about heat built up with these options. As a result, these tires last longer than many other options available to you.
Prepare for Your Next Trip by Finding the Best Travel Trailer Tires for YouDo travel trailer tires need to be balanced? After reading this article, you should know that our answer is an unequivocal “yes”. In addition to having properly balanced trailer tires, you should also have tires that are capable of handling the load of your travel trailer.
It is generally not a good idea to use truck tires on your trailer as they are not strong enough to handle the weight of a large trailer. As a result, you will want to look for tires that either has an ST or LT rating. These ratings indicate that they can handle at least some trailers.
If you use regular tires you will be at a higher risk of overheating. When this happens your tires might blow out which is the last thing you want to happen. Not only can it be expensive to replace your tires, but if it happens while you are driving it is incredibly dangerous.
Finding the best travel trailer tires for you can be challenging. After all, there are dozens of brands out there, and each of them has several options to choose from. As a result, you should start your search by narrowing the field down to a few brands. Some of the best manufacturers available to you include Trailer King, Task Master, Cooper Roadmaster, Yokohama, and Deestone.
What type of tires are you most interested in purchasing? Have you ever had issues with your travel trailer tires in the past? Where do you plan on going on your next trip? Let us know in the comments!
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com Mandatory wheel balancing on a trailer is required for vibration while driving Sometimes the shaking is felt if you increase the speed, other times the feeling is constant, although it is stabilized by the hitch. Sometimes the trailer body begins to vibrate when the wheel gets into a hole at an increased speed and the center of gravity of the disc shifts. Such a case requires an urgent unscheduled balance check.
It is imperative for every driver to balance the wheels on a light trailer, the suspension on which is very fragile. And it needs to be done on time. In addition, unbalanced wheels can lead to difficulties in driving a car. nine0003
The main element of car care is called balancing, which eliminates the weight heterogeneity that leads to imbalance. Keeping the car in order, do not forget about the trailer, especially if you have to move on broken roads.
Reasons for the asymmetry of the rotating system (imbalance):
To ensure the stability and safety of the road train (machine + trailer) on the road, it is necessary to correctly distribute the mass of the wheels in relation to the central axis. Due to the different thickness of the tires, the weight of the spool and the disc, uniform rotation is disturbed, accompanied by radial and end runout. nine0003
To eliminate these phenomena, you need to balance the wheels on a light trailer, and not just on a car. Proper tire fitting will be performed by the masters of the service station (SRT). Sometimes, if you can’t ask for help, you can do the procedure yourself in your own garage.
Mandatory wheel balancing on the trailer is required in case of vibration while driving. Sometimes the shaking is felt if you increase the speed, other times the feeling is constant, although it is stabilized by the hitch.
Sometimes the trailer body begins to vibrate when the wheel gets into a hole at an increased speed and the center of gravity of the disc shifts. Such a case requires an urgent unscheduled balance check. nine0003
Is it necessary to balance the wheels on the trailer?
Increased, and uncharacteristic, tire wear is considered a sign of contacting a service station: the inner or outer side is erased more often, forming a “figure eight”.
Other cases where tire fitting is inevitable:
If tightened with a balancing procedure, it will no longer be possible to restore balance.
When it is necessary to balance the wheels on a car trailer, the procedure is carried out for each element separately.
With modern equipment, the foreman needs to remove the wheel, remove the disc, then install the wheel on the machine and follow the procedure.
Thoroughly clean the tread before checking. The master removes adhering dirt with stones and selects a plate corresponding to the disc holes. Fixes it in this place and with the help of the machine determines the place of the center of gravity. Having found the problem area, the specialist installs balancing weights, focusing on the type of disk. Next, the master checks the geometry and, if the imbalance is eliminated, installs the wheel back on the trailer. nine0003
Errors during the procedure that prevent proper balancing:
See also: How to check the steering rack for knocking and play yourself, health diagnostics
When it is necessary to balance the wheels on the trailer
In order not to return to correct mistakes, it is recommended to follow the work of the masters and check the final result.
nine0003
When deciding whether to balance the wheels on a car trailer or not, car owners should understand that this is a regular and mandatory procedure. By balancing the wheels, personal safety is increased, and suspension components and tires last longer.
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wheel balancing light trailer
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Article content
Good day, dear blog readers! You probably know what wheel balancing is and understand that this is a necessary procedure.
But do you understand its importance? nine0003
A car is a complex structure with various components and mechanisms; it is a kind of living organism. And if one mechanism starts to work unstably, it causes a malfunction of other systems, deterioration of the general condition and parameters of the machine. That is why it is so important to take such a moment as balancing seriously.
Balancing is needed in order to accurately distribute the mass of the wheel in relation to the axle. This procedure prevents vibration, premature wear of rubber and wheel bearing during the trip. nine0003
Many people ask why do balancing if the car behaves properly? And what happens if you don't balance? Imagine that you are driving a car at a speed of 100 km / h and on a fourteen inch disk you have an imbalance of approximately 20 grams. But the resulting load on the suspension is equivalent to hitting a three-kilogram hammer with a frequency of eight hundred times per minute.
It's getting a little scary, isn't it?!
The result of this wear is the occurrence of "spin" of the tire, the movement becomes unsafe. The imbalance leads to the fact that centrifugal forces appear. With each meter of movement, the wheels arbitrarily begin to change direction in different directions, and not at the same time. Just think what will happen to your car? Absolutely, the steering will be difficult, and the end of such a trip can be sad. nine0003
Due to imbalance, tire wear will increase significantly, traffic safety will decrease, suspension units will collapse, the steering wheel will begin to vibrate. I think these reasons are quite enough to timely perform wheel balancing.
Of course, among you there may be car owners who disagree and ask why balancing is needed, because they have been driving a car steadily for a long time and no accidents have occurred. Yes, it’s just that you are very lucky that you didn’t get into a traffic accident, because a car is, first of all, a device that carries an increased danger, why increase it even more? nine0003
You may be wondering if the rear wheels need to be balanced because they are involved in driving a car? Of course, it is needed, because the rear wheels are no less than the front ones subject to mechanical stress.
And imbalance will cause the same consequences.
Think about how the front wheels will behave during a trip if the rear wheels are reflected in the opposite direction of the car? That's right, the front wheel will undergo "slip", and the front suspension will suffer from such a blow. Now imagine that such shocks occur at least eight hundred times a minute? I guess there is no point in explaining anything further. nine0003
Unbalance can occur for various reasons. So, for example, you could run into a hole, a hill or an obstacle at high speed, which led to mechanical deformation of the wheel. Also, an imbalance occurs due to poor quality, heterogeneity of the material, valve. In other words, if your wheel doesn't look like a perfect circle, the more often it will be out of balance.
Unbalance options:
If you spin a disk with a tire, you can easily notice such a deviation, the wheel will seem to “jump” during rotation. nine0014 Dynamic imbalance often occurs on wide profile tyres. But it is not uncommon for a disk to be affected simultaneously by two types of imbalance. But they are easy to eliminate if you use a balancing machine. The manufacturer of the equipment in this case is completely irrelevant. The quality of the repair will be affected not only by the qualifications of the specialist, but also by the condition of the working machine, the wheel alignment cone, that is, it is important to regularly maintain the equipment, carry out maintenance, calibration and verification. nine0003
In the case of racing cars, a final balance is carried out.
How do experienced craftsmen do it? The car is suspended on a special stand, the wheel spins up to 90 km / h. With the help of a computer, all the necessary measurements are made and a place for installing the appropriate weight is determined. Although this type does not at all serve as a substitute for stationary balancing, and before the finishing procedure, the disk of a racing car must be processed on a stationary stand.
In addition, it is worth noting the existence of another type of balancing - automatic, it is used for small wheels of a truck, motorcycle, bus. The inner part of the disk is covered with special granules. When driving, these substances stick to the inside of the tire. This is how automatic balancing works. nine0003
There is a separate category of cars without a center hole. Balancing in this case is carried out along the bolt holes. This uses a flange adapter.
Many people ask when and how often to balance cars and motorcycles.
Based on personal experience, we recommend that you do the procedure:
To see if your car needs or can't be balanced, jack it up and spin the wheel. This does not require special training, even a beginner can handle this procedure. As soon as the disc stops, mark the bottom point with chalk. Do this experiment many more times. If it turns out that the marks are scattered randomly, everything is in order with your wheel. But if such points are concentrated in one or more areas, it's time for you to think about tire fitting. nine0003
For balancing, a professional stand and a computer are used, which helps to determine the place of fixation of the weight.
The weight is selected based on the type of disk. Often it is created from steel, lead or zinc. When choosing the weight of the weight, the degree of imbalance is taken into account. It varies from five to sixty grams. If you need a weight larger than what you have, then pay attention to the dimensions of the disk, and whether it was assembled correctly. Often this applies to large cars, in the form of a gazelle. For a stamped disc, stuffed weights are used, they are fixed to the edge of the R16, R15 disc with the help of stuffing, which is why they are called stuffed weights. nine0003
Velcro fasteners are often used, which are attached from the inside of the disc. They are almost invisible on the front side of the disc and do not spoil its appearance. You might think that if you buy such weights, they will not be reliable. But this is not so at all. The main thing is that the materials used are correct, of high quality, and there is no dirt on the surface.
Do not ignore the problem, but contact the service center in time.
