Had to shell out some good bucks for my boat trailer tires this past summer. It's about time to store it for the winter and now ask the age old question: should I put the boat/trailer on jack stands to help the tires stay "in round", or just forgetaboutit and store like normal? Boat is in a covered dry stall that gets no UV damage. I've read so many pros/cons into this I'm confused. Some say the "older" tires would have a problem but newer tires are better. Boat is a 19 foot inboard, single axel Tennessee trailer.
read too much on boat trailer storage...confused..
- Thread starter Schmoe
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Couldn't hurt, could help...
go for it.
go for it.
At the very least increase the trailer tires to the max sidewall pressure to try to prevent flat spotting.
My trailer tires get cracks and that is why they get replaced. I think you are fine to leave trailer.
Exactly what is flat spotting? I know the point where the tire hits the concrete will be flatter than the rest of the tire. But, once you move it, and a tire being made of rubber/synthetics, won't it fill back out with the pressure from within? I've read some stuff on thread seperation occurs quicker from letting a boat trailer sit fully loaded.
pulled this off the Tire Tech website...interesting....so if a boat trailer is stored AFTER the tires cool down, then there should be no flatspotting???
As they roll, tires go from a relaxed state to a loaded state about 800 times every mile. This constant deflection generates heat that makes the tires more flexible. But once they are parked, the spot in contact with the ground (the tire's footprint) flattens as it is pressed against the road's flat surface as the tires cool. This is what generates flatspots. And until the tires "warm up" again, the flatspot on each tire can cause a ride disturbance that will be felt for the first few miles the next time the vehicle is driven.
As they roll, tires go from a relaxed state to a loaded state about 800 times every mile. This constant deflection generates heat that makes the tires more flexible. But once they are parked, the spot in contact with the ground (the tire's footprint) flattens as it is pressed against the road's flat surface as the tires cool. This is what generates flatspots. And until the tires "warm up" again, the flatspot on each tire can cause a ride disturbance that will be felt for the first few miles the next time the vehicle is driven.
I'd put it on stands to protect the wheel bearings AND the tires.
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
I'd put it on stands to protect the wheel bearings AND the tires.
Why? How does it matter? I've run machinery where the bearings had been idle for months or years. If the lube was in good condition, the bearings ran fine.
No one is reporting an epidemic of tire failures in the spring. Air them up to the sidewall max and park them. Correct the air pressure next spring and have fun. ST Special Trailer tires are usually unreliable junk tires anyway. They'll blow out at any old time, not just when taken out of storage. That said, I have not had a failure with my trailer tires that were parked outside all winter, just on boards so they wouldn't sink into soft soil.
Do examine your trailer tires closely every trip, check the air pressure, look for damage, look for cracks in the valve stems.
Barry has an excellent article on ST tires with a table for upgrading the load capability. It is an Excel file. If you don't have Excel (Microsoft offers a free Excel viewer download) post your tire size and ask someone to post Barry's comments.
http://www.barrystiretech.com/sttires.html
I'd put it on stands to protect the wheel bearings AND the tires.
Why? How does it matter? I've run machinery where the bearings had been idle for months or years. If the lube was in good condition, the bearings ran fine.
No one is reporting an epidemic of tire failures in the spring. Air them up to the sidewall max and park them. Correct the air pressure next spring and have fun. ST Special Trailer tires are usually unreliable junk tires anyway. They'll blow out at any old time, not just when taken out of storage. That said, I have not had a failure with my trailer tires that were parked outside all winter, just on boards so they wouldn't sink into soft soil.
Do examine your trailer tires closely every trip, check the air pressure, look for damage, look for cracks in the valve stems.
Barry has an excellent article on ST tires with a table for upgrading the load capability. It is an Excel file. If you don't have Excel (Microsoft offers a free Excel viewer download) post your tire size and ask someone to post Barry's comments.
http://www.barrystiretech.com/sttires.html
Originally Posted By: Schmoe
Exactly what is flat spotting? I know the point where the tire hits the concrete will be flatter than the rest of the tire. But, once you move it, and a tire being made of rubber/synthetics, won't it fill back out with the pressure from within? I've read some stuff on thread seperation occurs quicker from letting a boat trailer sit fully loaded.
As was pointed out, the portion of the tire in contact with the ground is distorted - but so is every other part of the tire because it is connected to that portion.
Everything "flatspots". The technical term is "creep". Some examples are springs that sag, the collapse of the World Trade Center, and of course, tires.
And while there are short term flatspots in tires, a tire that sits for long lengths of time can develop "permanent flatspots". I put that term in quotes, because I am not entirely convinced they are truly permanent - but I will concede the point for discussion purposes.
But I don't think flatspotting is an issue for trailers simply because flatspots cause vibrations and since no one is sitting in a trailer when it is moving (or at least they shouldn't).
Besides, trailer tires SHOULD be inflated to the max listed on the sidewall (because trailer manufacturers put on the smallest tires they can). Frankly, when the opportunity presents itself, I would be doing some upsizing on every trailer 9with some exceptions.)
And, No!, no one has connected the flatspot to tire failures. However, it has been pointed out that idle tires don't allow for the migration of those protective materials inside the rubber, so tires that sit for a long time tend to deteriorate faster (which seems counter intuitive, but true.)
Exactly what is flat spotting? I know the point where the tire hits the concrete will be flatter than the rest of the tire. But, once you move it, and a tire being made of rubber/synthetics, won't it fill back out with the pressure from within? I've read some stuff on thread seperation occurs quicker from letting a boat trailer sit fully loaded.
As was pointed out, the portion of the tire in contact with the ground is distorted - but so is every other part of the tire because it is connected to that portion.
Everything "flatspots". The technical term is "creep". Some examples are springs that sag, the collapse of the World Trade Center, and of course, tires.
And while there are short term flatspots in tires, a tire that sits for long lengths of time can develop "permanent flatspots". I put that term in quotes, because I am not entirely convinced they are truly permanent - but I will concede the point for discussion purposes.
But I don't think flatspotting is an issue for trailers simply because flatspots cause vibrations and since no one is sitting in a trailer when it is moving (or at least they shouldn't).
Besides, trailer tires SHOULD be inflated to the max listed on the sidewall (because trailer manufacturers put on the smallest tires they can). Frankly, when the opportunity presents itself, I would be doing some upsizing on every trailer 9with some exceptions.)
And, No!, no one has connected the flatspot to tire failures. However, it has been pointed out that idle tires don't allow for the migration of those protective materials inside the rubber, so tires that sit for a long time tend to deteriorate faster (which seems counter intuitive, but true.)
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