Bias vs Radial

[perryg114]

So does it matter if your tires are radial or bias ply. Cooper makes a Solid Track Bias ply tire and I was wondering if that would be a good tire for my 31ft Excella II? It seems there are the Chinese made Dynatrail tires and the Good year Marathons both of which are radial and I don't know where the Cooper's are made.

Perry

[Jammer]

In this day and age, bias ply trailer tires are a low cost alternative used primarily for low-value trailers hauling low-value cargo at reduced speeds, where tire failure is relatively inconsequential.

They're fine for agricultural equipment, for example.

[Not Done]

My 70's era alloy wheels apparently require tubes as they do not accept valve stems. I'm currently running with radial tires and tubes. The problem with that is that radial and bias are shaped differently and tubes do not conform well to the radial shape. The short version of this is I'm at risk of overheading the the tube/tire combination. 5 extra psi reduces sidewall flex and in my case the temp... My other options are to use bias tires with my factory wheels or get rid of the factory wheels so I can use radials.

[Silver Threads]

We had a 65 Tradewind before we got our Excella. We put new wheels on it and also some bias-ply tires on, although I don't remember the brand. We never had any problems with them at all, in fact it towed very well!!!

[rideair]

I've been running bias plys for many years for many miles and never a problem on any Airstream. The box trailer I use for my business has had the Goodyear radials and I've had two blow outs.

I personally like the "Power King" (Lite Truck) bias plys, they have a better speed rating, no sidewall flex and make the trailer set high like it did originally.

I'll never run anything other than a 7.00x15 on my vintage rigs and since I have seven Airstreams, that's a bunch of rubber!

[bmklawt]

I researched this a while back and found that Radials run cooler, have more contact on the road, wear better and some say you get better gas mileage. But when they blow they can beat the hell out of your trailer.

Bias tires have stronger side walls, and maybe handle better off road, but they don't tend to fly apart and damage your trailer as easily as radials.

Radials sound better but I'll stick with bias ply, the trailer is aluminum and the wheel wells are plastic.

[perryg114]

Does tread wear matter when most tires dry rot way before running out of tread? I mean the average car miliage is 10K a year so a trailer going to be less than 1000 miles in a year and they will dry rot in less than 10 yrs.

Perry

[ROBERT CROSS]

Perry,

Consider, you wouldn't be buying a 40 year old bias tire. There have been many improvements over the years.

Iv'e been considering the same change over recently. Nothing wrong with a quality LT bias ply.

We've had an old Ford in the Family for 58 yrs, been biased since new..

Bob

[bwoodtx]

I had two tire failures last wekend. One was a tread separation and the other was a blowout. Took out my wheel wells, about a 3X2 piece of floor, water pipes, stripped tank valves of the tanks and tore up wiring. Both failure were in the same wheel position-left rear and on different days. I will be replacing all four with 7.00-15 bias ply tires. I'm done with radials on my trialers.

[perryg114]

So what brand of radials were you running? Maybe I should get bias ply tires. I have had flats before but never have I had a tire come apart.

Perry

Originally Posted by bwoodtx

I had two tire failures last wekend. One was a tread separation and the other was a blowout. Took out my wheel wells, about a 3X2 piece of floor, water pipes, stripped tank valves of the tanks and tore up wiring. Both failure were in the same wheel position-left rear and on different days. I will be replacing all four with 7.00-15 bias ply tires. I'm done with radials on my trialers.

[scarylarry]

Cooper tires are made in Ohio. Yes, tire made in the USA!!

[Sphere Guy]

Do bias tires require to be run with an tire tube?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Sphere Guy

Do bias tires require to be run with an tire tube?

No...these are new tubeless bias Firestone's on original 53 Ford rims.

Bob

[SteveH]

I have a friend in our unit that won't run anything on his trailer but bias ply tires. He says when the radial tires come apart, and it's just a matter of when, not if, the steel belts that come off do all the damage to the trailer. The bias ply tires don't have the belts to tear everything apart when/if they fail.

It makes sence to me, but I've not changed, yet.

[Kosm1o]

It's the tread separation that causes the damage, not just a flat. The ST tires that everyone complains about , suffer from these separations. I believe it is pretty rare among LT tires. You don't hear of them on passenger tires either.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by Kosm1o

It's the tread separation that causes the damage, not just a flat. The ST tires that everyone complains about , suffer from these separations. I believe it is pretty rare among LT tires. You don't hear of them on passenger tires either.

I agree with that, Kosm1o. The trick is to catch them as they have seperated just a little bit, and before they throw all the rubber and come apart.

[ROBERT CROSS]

I submit....it may be the radial design that contributes to "tread separation". LT or ST.
Underinflation, weaker sidewalls and road hazards being the primary causes.
It's the tread belt that separates from the casing causing the damage.

Bob

[Kosm1o]

O.K. We are not in disagreement. But when is the last time you saw a tread separation on a passenger vehicle or small truck. I haven't even so much as heard of one since radials came on the market. I am not saying they don't happen but it must be very rare. There must be something unique about ST construction has that makes it more prone to it, besides what country they are made in. I don't know, my opinion is only based on my observations.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Kosm1o

........ There must be something unique about ST construction has that makes it more prone to it, besides what country they are made in.

Check it out..


Maxxis=Taiwan

Bob

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by Kosm1o

O.K. We are not in disagreement. But when is the last time you saw a tread separation on a passenger vehicle or small truck. I haven't even so much as heard of one since radials came on the market. I am not saying they don't happen but it must be very rare. There must be something unique about ST construction has that makes it more prone to it, besides what country they are made in. I don't know, my opinion is only based on my observations.

Yes, and not only the fact that it does not happen on passenger and truck tires, also if you dig deep enough, the ST tires that happen to have the extra nylon belt under the tread, do not seem to have the seperation problem.

Some of those tires are the Towmaster, and the others escape my memory at this time.

But, the GYM's, the Carlile's, and again the memory thing, but they don't have the extra nylon belt, and they do seperate frequently and fail.

Check the sidewall of the tire, it is written right on there the number of plys and the number of belts.