Towing cross country on small trailer tires...

Jay K said:
I end up rebuilding all my hubs with Timkens. As mentioned, I got a brand new trailer with a bad hub. Personally, I think it was bad assembly, and the person putting the hubs on did not know how to set/adjust them. Talking with the company, they ONLY sell pre-assembled hubs with minimal grease. When I asked the rep "How does someone go about adding/packing grease in a hub with a grease seal installed", he didn't know. It was a rhetorical question but I had to ask. I went ahead and just hammered out the races on the old hub and replaced with all Timken.

I just did a set of Timkens in my trailer. Adjusted them, greased them, and proceeded to pull the boat 200 round trip miles going 65mph or more. I stopped once on the way and once coming back to see if they were heating up. Cool as the other side of the pillow.

I probably don't trailer nearly as much as @tod osier but I am a fanatic about trailer safety. I had to help someone out with a hub that went bad on the road and it was NOT fun.
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I have no experience rebuilding a hub on the side of the road and I'd like to keep it that way.

It sounds like from what the 2 of you are saying, I'd want to consider wheel/tire upgrades if I was on wheels less than 12". I just ordered some 12" radials that hopefully will behave.

When I'm trailering, I always put my hand on the hubs when I stop to get gas to check temperature. Next fair weather spell we get, I'll pull things apart and repack.
 
@Jay K got me thinking.

Over 25 years ago trailering our 1964 14' fiberglass MFG duck boat, just an open hull, the trailer axle broke. We were on I 91 in CT, pulled over, then looked over the situation for a bit. Somehow, I don't know how we did it, we put all the decoys, the boat, motor, and the trailer in the bed of my F250! I can't believe that we actually put it all in the bed!
Younger, and dumber
 
Jay,

Just an FYI....based on my observations, not all Timken bearings are created equal. I bought them to replace bogie wheel bearings in snowsleds and wheel bearings in a UTV. Made in Korea and China, according to the box. No problems though.
 
MIKE-SID said:
@Jay K got me thinking.

Over 25 years ago trailering our 1964 14' fiberglass MFG duck boat, just an open hull, the trailer axle broke. We were on I 91 in CT, pulled over, then looked over the situation for a bit. Somehow, I don't know how we did it, we put all the decoys, the boat, motor, and the trailer in the bed of my F250! I can't believe that we actually put it all in the bed!
Younger, and dumber
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I've broken a spring on a duckboat trailer before. I did have enough stuff in the truck to make it home, so I have had some good times with trailers as well. :).
 
I'm getting nervous discussing all this trailer stuff. I'm headed out ice fishing tonight, I have a vehicle in a cargo trailer headed to a lake 20 miles away. The trailer is a 2012, never done more than add grease through the bearing buddies and a new set of tires five years ago. This is night fishing for walleyes, I head home around 9. I'll have my fingers crossed. :)
 
tod osier said:
I have no experience rebuilding a hub on the side of the road and I'd like to keep it that way.

It sounds like from what the 2 of you are saying, I'd want to consider wheel/tire upgrades if I was on wheels less than 12". I just ordered some 12" radials that hopefully will behave.

When I'm trailering, I always put my hand on the hubs when I stop to get gas to check temperature. Next fair weather spell we get, I'll pull things apart and repack.
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I think you may have 12's on there based on the pic. They look like load range C as well. Those are decent tires. You can go up to 5.30 in terms of width (not necessary) and an E rating which is way, way overkill. If you do opt for new wheels/tires, I'd just go with another 4.80x12 in load range C which should be 6 ply. I've launched on some awful ramps with the same tire. Now, if you're driving miles and miles down a gravel road, OK, maybe consider a D rated tire. E is just way, way overkill. I can't even imagine why you would ever need an E rated 12" tire/wheel. Pretty cool they offer that, but way overkill.

I believe I have the same size/width on my rig but radial.
 
Jay K said:
I think you may have 12's on there based on the pic. They look like load range C as well. Those are decent tires. You can go up to 5.30 in terms of width (not necessary) and an E rating which is way, way overkill. If you do opt for new wheels/tires, I'd just go with another 4.80x12 in load range C which should be 6 ply. I've launched on some awful ramps with the same tire. Now, if you're driving miles and miles down a gravel road, OK, maybe consider a D rated tire. E is just way, way overkill. I can't even imagine why you would ever need an E rated 12" tire/wheel. Pretty cool they offer that, but way overkill.

If those tires in good shape? I wouldn't do anything. I have probably a couple thousand miles on the same setup wheels/tires. As others said, if they are cracking a bit, might be time to replace.
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They are 12's and going on 5 years old, so I'm replacing them (were I not towing 2000 miles, I'd keep them until they looked bad). I'm going with 145/r12s, which are radials and available in load range e. I have a lake in WY that is 30 miles of horrific gravel to get to - I'll take the 10 ply every day under those conditions.
 
tod osier said:
They are 12's and going on 5 years old, so I'm replacing them (were I not towing 2000 miles, I'd keep them until they looked bad). I'm going with 145/r12s, which are radials and available in load range e. I have a lake in WY that is 30 miles of horrific gravel to get to - I'll take the 10 ply every day under those conditions.
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Yeah that's the way to go then. 145/80-12. That's a long drive on gravel. Right with you on replacing them.

Most of the 145/80-12's I'm seeing online are D rated. The E's come with fancy-shmancy wheels. Something like you'd see on a trailer with a Donzi on it lol.
 
Jay K said:
Yeah that's the way to go then. 145/80-12. That's a long drive on gravel. Right with you on replacing them.

Most of the 145/80-12's I'm seeing online are D rated. The E's come with fancy-shmancy wheels. Something like you'd see on a trailer with a Donzi on it lol.
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I'm trying the Carlisle, be the Kendas are supposed to be OK as well. Neither are what I'd consider a premium tire, but that is what you get in a 12".

Carlisle:

Kenda:
 
tod osier said:
I'm trying the Carlisle, be the Kendas are supposed to be OK as well. Neither are what I'd consider a premium tire, but that is what you get in a 12".

Carlisle:

Kenda:
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Ahh going to replace the tire. That works.

I was never good at matching wheels to tire section widths but I'm assuming that will fit a 4" wheel?

Curious because I probably need to replace my tires soon.
 
Jay K said:
Ahh going to replace the tire. That works.

I was never good at matching wheels to tire section widths but I'm assuming that will fit a 4" wheel?

Curious because I probably need to replace my tires soon.
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Yes on the 12x4" wheel.

They are also rated for 81 MPH, so better than some of the bias tires.
 
SJ Fairbank said:
I'm getting nervous discussing all this trailer stuff. I'm headed out ice fishing tonight, I have a vehicle in a cargo trailer headed to a lake 20 miles away. The trailer is a 2012, never done more than add grease through the bearing buddies and a new set of tires five years ago. This is night fishing for walleyes, I head home around 9. I'll have my fingers crossed. :)
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Did you make it there and back again?!?!? Didja ice any tasty walleye?
 
SJ Fairbank said:
Jay,

Just an FYI....based on my observations, not all Timken bearings are created equal. I bought them to replace bogie wheel bearings in snowsleds and wheel bearings in a UTV. Made in Korea and China, according to the box. No problems though.
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Yup. I get mine from the local auto parts that can put in an order for the USA ones. The manager told me certain size bearings/races/seals are only made overseas. That could have been the case with your snowsleds. It seems like, at least for now, the ones for my hubs are made here in the USA or overseas.

I still think even the overseas ones are better quality than the other Chinese junk.
 
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