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dkottum · 11-12-2013, 08:36 AM

rod' the managers must be instructed to never vary from factory specs on any tires. I had the same problem when I wanted to go to XL from P rated tires on my pickup.

I never discussed how I intended to use the Airstream's 16" wheels/tires with them, just had them mounted with metal valve stems, balanced and I brought them home and put them on the Airstream.

Good tire-changing practice for you, even though you will have greatly reduced the chance you will ever need to.

Noggin · 11-12-2013, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodsterinfl

Hello 16" wheel peeps. As I previously mentioned I got the sendel wheels. Today I ordered the ms/2 tires but in discussing the install with the manager at SAMs he said they could not mount them on the wheel with warranty if it was going on a trailer. I told him the factory was using them now on their 16" wheel option but he said without an official statement he could not mount them on the wheels. He said to go ahead with the order and in the meantime he would check on it. The tires went on sale today. Any ideas? I looked on the Internet for something from Airstream.

Rodster, I would take the sam's quote to discount Tire and ask them to match the price. I bet they would meet it or beat. They didn't have any issues installing them for me and had the best price I found at the time.

rodsterinfl · 11-12-2013, 10:05 AM

That is my intent, to have them mounted on the wheels not the stream but he is even bulking at that. I wouldn't have mentioned the AS but he said he had to know what I was putting them on.

dkottum · 11-12-2013, 11:07 AM

Tell him your truck. More seriously I understand the dealer's sense of liability, but sometimes they can play superiority games with you. I'd look for a different dealer, because the next thing he may want you to do is sign some warning statement they print on your invoice, which I would not do.

dannydimitt · 11-12-2013, 11:41 AM

I told them they were going on my 76 F-250 4x4 that I use at the ranch

rodsterinfl · 11-16-2013, 09:34 PM

Well got all the tires mounted. I ended up with a new wheel and different tire for the spare - an E rated Cooper Definity Dakota HT to go with the new M/S2 Sendel quad set. The switchover of all five wheels and tires cost me $1573 after sales and discounts.

switz · 11-16-2013, 09:45 PM

I am considering getting the same rated Sendel steel wheel for the spare 16" Michelin tire and save the fifth aluminum wheel in it's box just in case.

That way, per Murphy's Law, I will never damage the other four because I have a spare even after they are discontinued!?

rodsterinfl · 11-16-2013, 09:52 PM

Quote:

I am considering getting the same rated Sendel steel wheel for the spare 16" Michelin tire and save the fifth aluminum wheel in it's box just in case.

Murphy has one thing right, you never know about such things! I rolled the new set into the storage garage tonight and they look beautiful next to my old ones. I ended up getting the Eddie Bauer black inlay. What surprises me is that the tire places think that because they are for a "trailer" they need not balance the tires!!! Anything that runs down the road needs balanced.

switz · 11-16-2013, 10:14 PM

For my $0.02 (well, actually $199.00), adding a set of Centramatic wheel balancers in addition to a proper spinning wheel balance job on each tire and wheel adds additional piece of mind to going to the 16" Michelin MS/2 tires and 16" SenDel wheels. Putting the Dill TPMS is icing on the cake for me.

I think (after awakening from a stupor caused by reading all the tire threads

) that doing all this covers all the bases I have read about in the tire forums.

Wingeezer · 11-17-2013, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodsterinfl

Murphy has one thing right, you never know about such things! I rolled the new set into the storage garage tonight and they look beautiful next to my old ones. I ended up getting the Eddie Bauer black inlay. What surprises me is that the tire places think that because they are for a "trailer" they need not balance the tires!!! Anything that runs down the road needs balanced.

I had exactly the same experience at our local tire shop the other week when buying hew 16: wheels/Michelins.

They seemed very surprised that I wanted the wheels balanced and told me it wasn't needed for a trailer!

They did spin balance them for me when I asked for that, and as well, I do have centramatics. Couldn't hurt!

Brian

cwf · 11-17-2013, 07:35 AM

Thumbs up on Centramatics. We have 6.

Before, things would "migrate".. Drawers come out, etc.

After, only one drawer moved that we could tell and it did not fall out...

Of course that is on 15 inch wheels. Will upgrade, hope by next season.

Phoenix · 11-17-2013, 12:02 PM

It seems like the last few people in this thread that switched to 16-inch wheels and LT tires previously reported "no tire failures in the past 5 years" on the tire failure poll. Did you guys have tire problems AFTER completing the poll, or would you like to mention why you have now decided to switch? -- Thanks.

Wingeezer · 11-17-2013, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phoenix

It seems like the last few people in this thread that switched to 16-inch wheels and LT tires previously reported "no tire failures in the past 5 years" on the tire failure poll. Did you guys have tire problems AFTER completing the poll, or would you like to mention why you have now decided to switch? -- Thanks.

For my part (having answered the poll), I did have ST tire problems with throwing tread, but prior to the last five years.

Coupling that with the fact that my current tires were due for replacement, together with all the good comments I have been reading lately about LT tires on trailers (and continuing bad comments about ST tires) I decided it might be worth giving the 16" LT's a try.

Admittedly I did wonder if the info I was reading was skewed a bit because I am sure that there are a great many trailers out there running ST tires and so there are bound to be more failures.

Also people have not been using the LT's on trailers all that long I think so perhaps it is early days to be drawing firm conclusions.

Time may tell if I will be glad I made the switch or not!

Brian.

BigAl · 11-17-2013, 01:23 PM

Also, unless asked people don't often post that they have not had a failure of any product; not just tires.
Only problems are talked about.
Most threads on the forum start out with a problem that people want help with.
Al

dkottum · 11-17-2013, 01:33 PM

Never had a problem with the GYMs but after doing some research realized we have been lucky. We travel too far from home, too often. Even with TPMS the damage can be done before we are able to stop. Got the 16" Michelins and don't worry about trailer tires anymore.

polarlyse · 11-17-2013, 02:12 PM

We also had not had any problems with our GYM's. They were 1 year old when we got the trailer so now going on 4 yrs. I decided to make the switch to 16's and when I removed the GYM's ( tread like new ) one was on the verge of failure so we were on borrowed time and got lucky this past summer. I put 3 of them on my son's flatbed trailer. Hope they have a few miles left on them on a much lighter trailer.

dlkist · 11-17-2013, 07:57 PM

Just installed 16 inch Michelin's on Sendel wheels today. Still plenty of room fore/aft and between wheels. Dill TMPS display in TV works great (PSI/Temp). Necessary - maybe, Insurance - certainly. Thanks for thoughtful insight both pro and con with this continuous modification.

rodsterinfl · 11-17-2013, 08:30 PM

I haven't messed with the TPMS yet but I purchased a Tire Tracker system. I looked at it in Feb. at the Sarasota Rally. Hopefully it will work well. At last I have metal valve stems. Thanks to many of you I knew to ask for them.

As for the question about switching to 16"- in my case, I had no prior issues but was running Towmax tires with about 4500 miles on them. The supposed blowout window is 5-7K miles for the majority of 15" ST tires so although mine were only about 1.5 years old, I decided to prepare for the upgrade a little early in an effort to avoid potential issues. My spare was an early '04 age-wise GYM and 15" the original tires were a bulging mess when I went to purchase the trailer and had to be replaced immediately.

crisen · 11-17-2013, 09:30 PM

While not on AS, I can report satisfactory experience w/GYM'S. 4000#plus boat/single axle trailer, new in 2007, ran GYMs to the wear bars, need to replace next year. Brought used 28' toyhauler a few years ago that had what appeared to be original GYM on it. Put over 15000 Miles on them with 1 flat from sharp rock. Having said that the EB has the std. 16" setup and have 6000 miles so far.

farrel509 · 11-18-2013, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by switz

For my $0.02 (well, actually $199.00), adding a set of Centramatic wheel balancers in addition to a proper spinning wheel balance job on each tire and wheel adds additional piece of mind to going to the 16" Michelin MS/2 tires and 16" SenDel wheels. Putting the Dill TPMS is icing on the cake for me. I think (after awakening from a stupor caused by reading all the tire threads

) that doing all this covers all the bases I have read about in the tire forums.

You did PRECISELY what I did! I bought the all-aluminum (no black) wheels plus the Centramatics, the Kumho E-rated LT tires, and the TPMS by Eezrvproducts (EBay). I'm tickled pink with the outcome. I can DEFINITELY tell the BIG difference with the balance while towing - smooth as silk!

At the tire shop they folks there didn't give me the slightest grief about my LT tires or balancing the SENDEL wheels. I even brought the wheels in their original boxes. I made a point of insisting the balance weights not show on the front.

Honestly, if the tire shop had given me any grief about my setup, I would have taken my business elsewhere.