Balancing trailer tires - Do you do it???

[Nolimits]

If you read my other post in this section you know we just got a 20 open aluminum trailer. It has 20.5 x 8 x 10in tires. we just put on 2 new tire and rims on the front ( the rear are like new ). My father - in - law just pulled it about 30 miles empty and said it bounced and made his Suburban shake bad. I think it may have to do with 70psi in the tires and empty trailer. But is it possible the tires are that far out of balance. I have never balanced 8 or 10in tires before, always just mount them and put them on. Anyone balance their small tires?

Thanks!

 

[harrysmith500]

Bouncing is very typical of an empty tandem axle trailers. Balancing the tires would do nothing to keep it from shaking his burban. It's simply because the trailer is designed to carry most the weight on the axles meaning there isn't enough tounge weight on the burban to give it a smooth ride.
I'd keep those lil tires inflated to the max as long as you'll be haulng 4 sleds. If you only haul 3 sleds I'd bump them down to 50 or 55.

 

[Engine Pro 5x]

We are 1300 miles from the mountains so we have a good haul everytime we take off for a ride. I balance my tires as to try to get the max life out of them and I never like to stop to change a flat with snow flying and traffic buzzing by. I like the life that I get out of my tires. I'm servicing my trailer as we speek so I have checked my records and I see that the tires have 6 trips to the mountains on them. This equates to 7800 miles for those little high speed rascals so I would say that balancing them doesn't hurt >>>>.

 

[Nolimits]

We are 1300 miles from the mountains so we have a good haul everytime we take off for a ride. I balance my tires as to try to get the max life out of them and I never like to stop to change a flat with snow flying and traffic buzzing by. I like the life that I get out of my tires. I'm servicing my trailer as we speek so I have checked my records and I see that the tires have 6 trips to the mountains on them. This equates to 7800 miles for those little high speed rascals so I would say that balancing them doesn't hurt >>>>.

What size tires are you running on your trailer?

 

[Rotax-Guy]

Its a waste of time/money

 

[Engine Pro 5x]

I run 20.5-8-10s with 60psi and here's the trailer >>>>.

 

[HuskyPower]

Another option to balancing is to put stuff inside your tire - antifreeze, bb's etc. lots of big 4x4 trucks do this and swear by it

 

[MT boondocker]

Cost me $4 to balance my two trailer tires. Personally, I would balance your trailer tires.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

It also wouldn't hurt for those that put on high mileage to get bigger tires....Those little donuts are asking for trouble...

 

[94fordguy]

If you read my other post in this section you know we just got a 20 open aluminum trailer. It has 20.5 x 8 x 10in tires. we just put on 2 new tire and rims on the front ( the rear are like new ). My father - in - law just pulled it about 30 miles empty and said it bounced and made his Suburban shake bad. I think it may have to do with 70psi in the tires and empty trailer. But is it possible the tires are that far out of balance. I have never balanced 8 or 10in tires before, always just mount them and put them on. Anyone balance their small tires?

Thanks!

The tires on my trailer do the same thing when unloaded, they aren't even close. On my last trailer I had the tires balanced and you didn't even know the trailer was back there.... highly recommend

 

[Good to Go]

Ok, I might be way out there....... not that I tow much or would have any opinion...I'm down to only 12 trailers now..., but seriously...What for..?

There's a reason they don't put shocks on trailers either. Food for thought.

 

[northof40]

If you want a longer life out of your trailer components then do it. You wouldn't leave a tire unbalanced on your truck pulling the trailer because it would shake the chit out of everything... that prolonged vibration is not good for anything... So why would you think any less of your trailer?

 

[Good to Go]

If you want a longer life out of your trailer components then do it. You wouldn't leave a tire unbalanced on your truck pulling the trailer because it would shake the chit out of everything... that prolonged vibration is not good for anything... So why would you think any less of your trailer?

Because I don't ride in the trailer...so I think less of it. I suppose in some small way a vibration could affect something. I put forth that any possible damage would be so insignificant in scope that it wouldn't offset the costs of keeping trailer tires balanced. Tell me that you people don't rotate the things too...

There's a reason that trailer tires aren't balanced on new rigs and tire shops don't recommend it (of course they'd be glad to do it for a small fee). Worried about shaking...? why do large trailers not have their tires balanced..after all, as opposed to most RV folks, the trailers might see a million miles in it's life.

Balance away folks...it does the economy good

 

[Snowjunky]

Most people dont do the smaller tires because they think the radius is small and makes no difference. Any iomprovement to the rotating mass is just that ...an improvement. If your looking for the MOST balance away. If close is enough run with your best guess. It does help though.

 

[MNSLEDNECK56308]

Just put on four new ones, shop said it would be overkill on 13 inch tires. So no balance for me this time, hopefully its ok!

 

[wjl]

The trailer I bought had the tires and wheels balanced but also the guy I bought it from had radial tires installed and a matching spare. (also a radial and balanced)
I think it is a little over kill but I had a 10k trailer that the wheels were balanced when I bought it new.

 

[vdo1948]

I suppose in some small way a vibration could affect something. I put forth that any possible damage would be so insignificant in scope that it wouldn't offset the costs of keeping trailer tires balanced.

I don't balance my small tires but may start after this thread. 39 year old story. Got married in '70 in western Iowa. Loaded up a 5 x 8 enclosed uhaul with everything the bride and I owned and headed to Maryland where I was stationed in the Air Force. One tire on the trailer was cupped. When I complained to the rental place they said if I had any probs to stop at another uhaul along the way. Crossing the Mississippi on I-80 the leafsprings on that side snapped from the fatigue of the bouncing. Luckily the box just dropped onto the axle and trailed pretty straight until I could get to another uhaul dealer. Point: if a bouncing tire can fatigue a leaf spring enough to snap it, it can certainly do other damage to a trailer.

 

[pernikm]

Ballance the tires. It is more than just the trailer. You will be vibration testing your sled. Screws and rivets can shake loose from vibrations that stem from the trailer as well as from the sled. I remember in the old days pulling sleds down the road and the snowmobiles looked "hazy". The trailers wheels were way out of ballance. Why do that to a trailer? Why do that to a sled?

 

[akrevrider]

I took my two new 13" tires in with the spare and it was twenty bucks for all three on a new Hunter tire machine. Two were out pretty good and it took weights on both sides.

Bottom line it was 20 bucks well spent....My two cents

akrevrider

 

[Good to Go]

I don't balance my small tires but may start after this thread. 39 year old story. Got married in '70 in western Iowa. Loaded up a 5 x 8 enclosed uhaul with everything the bride and I owned and headed to Maryland where I was stationed in the Air Force. One tire on the trailer was cupped. When I complained to the rental place they said if I had any probs to stop at another uhaul along the way. Crossing the Mississippi on I-80 the leafsprings on that side snapped from the fatigue of the bouncing. Luckily the box just dropped onto the axle and trailed pretty straight until I could get to another uhaul dealer. Point: if a bouncing tire can fatigue a leaf spring enough to snap it, it can certainly do other damage to a trailer.

And jump ahead 40 years (1970 to present)... tires have improved just a bit.

I DO know the effects of out of round/un-balanced tires. Try riding in an empty dump truck (semi, whatever) that has an out of round tire. No, they don't balance those things. Yes, it will shake the crap out of you and self destruct the rig. They get fixed. No, they still don't get balanced.

There's nothing wrong with balancing a trailer tire...I just couldn't justify it. I've got trailers with up to 100k on them...bouncy bouncy down the road they go. I'm thinking shocks might be a great idea too. And a sway bar.