Made in USA Trailer Tires? (for my shops trailer)

Ox · Apr 16, 2015

Ordered new tires for my goose. Told the voice that I want USA.
Voice told me that Carlisle has USA tires.
"All of them?"
Well, he couldn't answer that for sure.

I ordered up the tires. (Radial Trail) I didn't think to look at them when I picked them up, but when I went to put them on the trailer - I see "made in china" printed really small on them.

So I called Carlisle and asked about their tires, and that voice told me that the only trailer tire that they had that was Yank was the "USA Trail". (of course) However - that is bias.
The voice also told me that as far as she knew - no-one offered a radial trailer tire from the US.

I'm OK with that....

So I looked at the USA Trail page, and they only go to 15's.
I need 3500# single 16's @ 80#, and they don't go there.

I was all ready to hop back in the truck, but decided that I should research a bit more first.

OK - so does anyone here know who makes such a tire in the US?
Bias is OK as I am biased as well.

This BS just makes me want to :ack2:

To add insult to injury, this is the town that has the Titan Tire facility! (was General Tire)

--------------------------------

I was a Kraut 150 yrs ago, I'm a bloody Yank right now, but I doubt that I'll ever be a Chinc.
I want Yank products! :mad5:

Ox

CountryBoy19 · Apr 16, 2015

A quick google search seems to indicate that there is no profit in USA made trailer tires so most manufacturers are getting out of the game. That's unfortunate.

I did find this:

companies that supply ST trailer tires are Goodyear, Titan International Inc., Maxxis International Inc., Carlisle Tire & Wheel Co. and American Kenda Rubber Industries Co. Ltd. Of those firms, Goodyear and Maxxis both said they manufacture their trailer tires in Asia

that paragraph was followed by one that said Titan was getting completely out of the trailer tire market which indicates "good luck finding USA made tires for your trailer"

Another alternative would be a truck/suv tire. With the right tire dimensions and tread pattern it should function just like a trailer tire but hopefully last longer as long as you're not overloading them.

ETA, that above quoted excerpt was from 2007 so may be outdated info, you may not be able to find any USA made trailer tires anymore...

Ox · Apr 16, 2015

I have already checked Titan Tire's website, called General and Good Year, and chatted with a Tire Rack rep.
I may be SOL. :bawling:

But hey - unemployment pays so well these days, why bother making our own shtuff? :mad5:

----------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Scottl · Apr 16, 2015

Well we can always sell hamburgers and haircuts. Of course the hamburger may be textured vegetable protein from China and the scissors and clippers will be from there as well.

If anyone thinks this Made in China thing is not getting out of hand they are not thinking hard enough.

quadman2007 · Apr 16, 2015

I was in the tire industry for many years and trust me, you DONT want bias tires. They wear really irregularly and they wear out really fast especially on a gooseneck.

metalmaster10 · Apr 16, 2015

quadman2007 said:
I was in the tire industry for many years and trust me, you DONT want bias tires. They wear really irregularly and they wear out really fast especially on a gooseneck.

Yep! I just replaced the cupped bias tires that came on my tandem trailer. I couldn't find USA radials either... Must suck to think about bringing our tire technology into the 1980's...

I did see "Made in USA" on the Carlisle tires on my zero turn lawnmower last weekend tho. I felt good about that at least.

Phantom Rider · Apr 16, 2015

metalmaster10 said:
Yep! I just replaced the cupped bias tires that came on my tandem trailer. I couldn't find USA radials either... Must suck to think about bringing our tire technology into the 1980's...

I did see "Made in USA" on the Carlisle tires on my zero turn lawnmower last weekend tho. I felt good about that at least.

If you are opposed to chink tires, look where your food comes from that should put the fear in you!

metlmunchr · Apr 16, 2015

Kaufman Trailers website (trlr mfgr here in NC) shows options for US made 235/85R16 load range E from Firestone, Uniroyal (Michelin), and General.

The Firestone is the Transforce and the Uniroyal is the Laredo HDH. They don't specify which General tire they supply.

I doubt any of these tires carry an ST designation. ST tires in general aren't anything to write home about. Max speed rating of 65mph will satisfy the ST spec. Main characteristic is stiffer sidewalls to minimize sway. That's legitimate when comparing against P rated tires or some of the 65 or 70 aspect ratio LT tires made for good ride in SUVs, but 235/85s run at the max pressure are generally very stiff tires.

Where people got themselves into trouble was using passenger car radials on trailers and going to a tire too wide for the wheel in order to get the load rating. Putting a tire on a too narrow wheel reduces its lateral stiffness, so when you take a passenger car tire that's not real stiff to start with and put it on a wheel that makes it even more loose, its a recipe for trouble on a trailer.

Goodyear shows a Unisteel G614 RST as a trailer specific tire in 235/85R16 load range G. Don't know where its made, but would guess a strong possibility its US made. I'd also wager the price of those will make you think they should come with wheels and axles attached.

Ox · Apr 16, 2015

The voice at GoodYear told me about the G tire, but it is rated for 110 PSI.
My rims are only 80#.
Edit - they are rated for 3042# at 80# pressure

I will check the others that you mentioned tho.
Thanks! I was about to give up...

---------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

matt_isserstedt · Apr 16, 2015

I feel like a LT truck tire is superior to a ST trailer tire, equivalently sized. There are a ton of cautions about never using an ST on a vehicle.

I also put LT 235-85R16s @ LR-E Bridgestones on my GN...this was in desperation after the OEM China tires all gave out in 1 day. Normally I just get Michelins and forget about them, but on that day it was not an option. However I have been happy with them.

I too inquired about the LR-Gs but unless going full GVW all day every day I think its sort of a luxury for a sparse duty trailer.

Ox · Apr 16, 2015

The Uniroyals only get to 3000# on a 6" trailer rim.

The Firestrone site doesn't give that much detail.

Is it Kosher to run truck tires on a trailer?
If that's the case - then that opens other doors.
But I have had poor experience with car tires on a single axle trailer before.
Seemed too wishy washy. Not enough sidewall. But maybe another rated tire would have been better?

????

edit:

matt_isserstedt said:
I feel like a LT truck tire is superior to a ST trailer tire, equivalently sized. There are a ton of cautions about never using an ST on a vehicle.

I also put LT 235-85R16s @ LR-E Bridgestones on my GN...this was in desperation after the OEM China tires all gave out in 1 day. Normally I just get Michelins and forget about them, but on that day it was not an option. However I have been happy with them.

I too inquired about the LR-Gs but unless going full GVW all day every day I think its sort of a luxury for a sparse duty trailer.

The Bridgestone site doesn't give load rating/pressure details either...

-----------------------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

matt_isserstedt · Apr 16, 2015

A LT- tire @ LR-E is what you'd probably run on a box truck, with duals, and that could be presumably loaded to the gills (loaded to tire weight max cap) and still have to maintain vehicle dynamics. I don't find any issues with my formula towing loaded, although this is only a 4-tire GN and not the big dog 8-tire version.

Ox · Apr 16, 2015

Well, mine is 6 tires...

I only need 4 tho. The front axle(s) skid them off quicker when empty near as I have deciphered.

I may be getting deeper into this than I want to by opening up to LT tires...

I will get much more involved with the details if/when I order my next trailer - that's for sure! :gossip:

BTW - I added to my post above...

----------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

jakefreese · Apr 16, 2015

Yeah your pretty much out of luck.

My two larger trailers have the Hankook trailer tires on them. AWESOME trailer tires. There the 9-16.00 14 ply tires, they handle my 14k gooseneck equipment trailer and my 18k horse trailer. They run like $200 a piece

My medium stock trailer just has some 235-85 16" 10 ply load range E cooper highway tires, they have been very good on the trailer for 6 years now with no issues. I thought I remember paying $100 a piece for them

The Coopers are USA made, the Hankooks are Korean.

Ox said:
Ordered new tires for my goose. Told the voice that I want USA.
Voice told me that Carlisle has USA tires.
"All of them?"
Well, he couldn't answer that for sure.

I ordered up the tires. (Radial Trail) I didn't think to look at them when I picked them up, but when I went to put them on the trailer - I see "made in china" printed really small on them.

So I called Carlisle and asked about their tires, and that voice told me that the only trailer tire that they had that was Yank was the "USA Trail". (of course) However - that is bias.
The voice also told me that as far as she knew - no-one offered a radial trailer tire from the US.

I'm OK with that....

So I looked at the USA Trail page, and they only go to 15's.
I need 3500# single 16's @ 80#, and they don't go there.

I was all ready to hop back in the truck, but decided that I should research a bit more first.

OK - so does anyone here know who makes such a tire in the US?
Bias is OK as I am biased as well.

This BS just makes me want to

To add insult to injury, this is the town that has the Titan Tire facility! (was General Tire)

--------------------------------

I was a Kraut 150 yrs ago, I'm a bloody Yank right now, but I doubt that I'll ever be a Chinc.
I want Yank products!
Ox

Ox · Apr 16, 2015

Not finding anything that will get me over the 3000# mark on any of the recent recommendations given the rim size and pressure boundaries.

The OEM tires were bias and other than them being under rated by 1000 # each, they were fine and lasted 19 yrs. Even with hauling at and over rated capacity.* I did replace one a few yrs ago, and two are still on it, but essentially - 19 yrs. Not like I use it every day...

That said - sure - upgrading to where it should have been all along is the whole idea here.

*However I did lose a spindle and bearings and hub assy several yrs ago when coming out of Chi Town. Bearing grease caught fire and every state truck or cop in 20 miles had to come see the "truck fire" they were hearing on the radio....

Tire was fine tho!

It was 1/8 mile up the road in the median. (Was passenger side tire/wheel assy)

I normally stop every rest area if hauling heavy (and sometimes even if not) and in hot weather tho.
Hopefully won't feel that I need to do that in the future.

--------------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

morsetaper2 · Apr 16, 2015

While i can't help you with your choice of tires for your trailer. I can tell you that tire plants in the USA have a code that is included in each DOT number on the tire. So you can look at the DOT code and determine where it was mfgd. I believe tire rack will allow you to search for made in USA.

I went through this when I put tires on my PU truck a few years back. Maybe you already know this, I did not read each post in this thread thoroughly.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/how-identify-tires-made-usa-171080/

true temper · Apr 16, 2015

Get you some Hankook f19,s made in Korea, load range G 105 psi. I have been running them for several years and my tire problems are over. I buy mine from
Tyres International - Home. The last ones I bought were 197.00 each.

tdmidget · Apr 17, 2015

I wouldn't buy anything called a "trailer " tire. That's saying it isn't good enough to be on a real vehicle.
When I quit college I went to work for a major tire manufacturer. Every shift guys from "waste control" went through the BPA ( Bead and Ply Assembly) area and collected tire fabric that had been discarded by the builders. Maybe it just got balled up, wouldn't stick, anything. They took it to their area and sorted by cord material.All polyesters together, all nylons, together, all Rayons together, regardless of cord size , etc.
They put this Frankenfabric on a table at the desired angle and cut it to a specified width. Then it was sent to the floor to be 7.00X14.5 trailer tires and 6.00X 16 front tractor tires. The shit was so bad that the tire builders who were on an incentive rate could not run it on incentive because of the difficulties due to the shit fabric.
If you want a good tire for a trailer , get a truck tire. You don't really think that the tractor-trailer rigs you see are running some scrap shit trailer tire, do you?

If your bias ply tires are cupping, it has nothing to do with bias ply. Balancing is good for that, as is proper spring damping.

P.S. The 2 links above were added by the clowns blowing smoke up Milacrons ass, not me.

binderplum · Dec 13, 2017

Good news. There is now a USA made trailer tire. We had 4 installed on a travel trailer we just bought. Then immediately left on a camping trip from central Fla to Las Vegas and back to Fla. NO flats! It was great. Previously every trip we had multiple flats. We called our local tire shop and they got the Endurance tires for us in a couple of days. We had them balanced and had the good valve stem installed.

SeaMoss · Dec 13, 2017

sniff. sniffsniff. sniffsniffsniff ..... is someone frying spam ? I could swear I smell hot spam :gossip:

Made in USA Trailer Tires? (for my shops trailer)

Diamond

Stainless

Diamond

Diamond

Aluminum

Stainless

Plastic

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Diamond

Stainless

Diamond

Plastic

Banned

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