I need to replace the tires on my horse trailer due to age. I am currently running bias ply, but radials seem to be far more "available" on the market.

I researching the pros & cons of each, I'm not really seeing anything that makes one far and away better than the other.

The trailer that gets limited use and is prone to being loaded on one side (2-horse trailer, sometimes only haul 1 horse), the sidewall stability of bias ply is attractive, but then the ride quality of a radial is nice too. Trailer is a standard steel, 2-horse side by side, tandem axle.

Thoughts?

Radial

...why?

Biased is the only way to go. Radials will break down if they sit for any period of time. Biased also run cooler on the road. I have 6 trailers on my ranch from 10 ft. to 27 ft, I run all biased with 12 ply tires. If you are near New Ulm, I can tell you where they sell these tires at a good price.

With a single axle two horse I'd run new bias because of what rancher said.

If it is a dual axle slant load, I'd run whatever cheap tire I could find regardless of radial/bias.

What if it's a tandem axle, not dual? (2 axles, 4 total tires; not 2 axles, 8 tires).

silverado_lover, I had never heard what rancher1953 posted.
As a tire man is there any truth to this? Up until the change to all these offbeat wheel sizes on new trucks I used to put my worn out truck tires on my trailers (except my heavy duty tandem dual which I put the best tires I can buy on and they are radial) and never had any trouble.
I have bought some of the "cheap" bias to put on a couple of trailers for UTV's and 4 wheelers.
Now I am at a junction in the road I have 2 or 3 trailers I would have put my used truck tires on but they don't fit anymore so what do I do?
Radial or Bias????

It seems like the answer is radial, "unless". Lots of good resources on the 'net:

http://www.etrailer.com/question-29412.html
http://recstuff.com/radialvsbiasplytrailertires.aspx
http://blog.easternmarine.com/trailer-tires-bias-ply-vs-radial/

I suspect the main thing is to make sure you've got tires that are the right load rating for your load and making sure they're inflated properly.

I really have no idea what I'm doing.

robert

My experiences...ymmv.

I've pulled trailers constantly for the last 30 years, from 4x8 utility to tandem 28' semi. I have removed every bias ply tire as soon as I buy a trailer. Maybe I'm lucky, but I've never had a radial blow out. I've got friends and co-workers that have had bias tires blow out and tear up fenders and sides. Radials are easier to find on the road should you need one, and it isn't recommended to mix the two on the same axle due to ride characteristics. Radials seem to ride smoother. As posted earlier, just make sure the radial has the correct load rating for your total weight, and run the correct pressure.

Thanks to all. Silvy please feel free to add your DT knowledge.
This is what I thought but rancher spoke with such authority I figured I must have been wrong for all these years.
The only disagreement and they could be right just can't prove it by my experience is not running truck tires on trailers. Until all of the new 17's and 20's I always used my worn down truck tires for my trailers. The only thing is I always ran load range E on my trucks and tried to buy tires with stiffer sidewalls in radials. Tires are one of the places I have found it much better to NOT do cheap!!

[This message has been edited by SD_71 (edited 4/14/2014 6:20a).]

A radial tire is more likely to separate due to the twisting of a tire (maneuvering a trailer using tight turns) compared to a bias ply. A bias ply is more likely to separate due to the heat that they generate compared to a radial.

Also what Rexster said, you shouldn't mix the tires. It's a hell lot harder to find a bias ply than it is a radial, I'm rather certain we don't keep bias ply in stock.

Rancher - Can you post some details (store name, tire brand, phone number etc.) on where to buy the bias tires you mentioned?

We typically use old radial pickup tires on our gooseneck cattle trailer like CanyonAg used to do. Hooked it up again over the weekend and blew out two tires. These were both high dollar Michelins with quite a bit of tread left. You are right about them going downhill if they sit around much. It seems we blow one or two every time we use the trailer (every 6 months).

My used tire inventory is about used up, so I may have to actually buy replacements..... Unless some Texagers want to get rid of some load range E 16" pulloffs.

Bias ply tires flat spot as well

quote:

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We typically use old radial pickup tires on our gooseneck cattle trailer

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And you're wondering why these blew out? Lol

I know 4 things.

1. The Goodyear tire I thought would blow based on cracking of the sidewall around the rim and being much older (and I had to air it up before using it) made it when the other two that didn't show any signs of deterioration and had 50% tread remaining didn't, so you can never guarantee performance;
2. I've had at least 3 radials blow out on various trailers while they were sitting empty in the lot in the last year or so (two of which were purchased relatively recently);
3. After switching to bias tires on some other trailers with 15" tires we have had far better performance; and
4. My hay hauler swears by radials since he uses the trailer practically every day, while a feed store guy I know swears by bias tires since some of his trailers sit for longer periods of time.

If I actually have to pay for cattle trailer tires, I'm trying bias next time. Maybe Rancher will come around again to give me contact info for his lead, but just because Discount Tire has them in stock doesn't mean radials are the best for every use.

my trailer i'm running 100 miles a day right now sat for the last 3 years, being used 1 or 2 times each year. i put it into daily service the 1st of april. it has westlake trailer radials on it. these are the first trailer radials i've run, and i left them on because they were new when i bought the trailer. when these go, i'll take the rims to discount or wally world and get regular radials installed. so far, the wear rate is normal with the expctation of 20K life.