Visit our Popular Forums

seaaudio · 04-22-2004, 09:10 AM

I've been using a 14.5 Deestone tire my local garage found for me (for '57 Caravanner). Load range F bias plys.

I just had to swap out axles (brakes fell apart and dead), and am trying to find a compatible 15 inch tire/wheel combo. The old 14.5 inch wheels (3.5 center hole, 5.5 lug to lug) with 6 lugs are being retired (bad pun) because I can't find a third wheel as a spare.

There seems to be very few 15 inch tires that will fit... overall diameter needs to be less than 26 inches to fit, which rules out the Marathons...

Any comments?

overlander63 · 04-22-2004, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seaaudio

I've been using a 14.5 Deestone tire my local garage found for me (for '57 Caravanner). Load range F bias plys.

I just had to swap out axles (brakes fell apart and dead), and am trying to find a compatible 15 inch tire/wheel combo. The old 14.5 inch wheels (3.5 center hole, 5.5 lug to lug) with 6 lugs are being retired (bad pun) because I can't find a third wheel as a spare.

There seems to be very few 15 inch tires that will fit... overall diameter needs to be less than 26 inches to fit, which rules out the Marathons...

Any comments?

Standard in later years seems to be the ST225/75R15-D tire. Have you checked that out? The newer wheels seem to be that size, too. The only question would be if there is room in your wheelwells for them.
On edit, I found that a tire of ST185/75-15 would be the biggest size to fit within your criteria. It is a nominal 25.9" circumference. The next trick will be to find one with the correct weight rating in that size.
Terry

Over59 · 08-10-2010, 06:56 PM

Time to retire, the trailer that is....
Ran the 7-14.5 Tow Masters with no problems, at least none I can blame on the tires. Wheel's are rusted. The only brand out there seems to be Load Star. Would overrated tires cause a problem? So back to the new tires or new tires and wheels problem.
Interesting that the tires looked OK from the street, except one with worn thread. Turns out the inside track of two are badly scuffed and another badly worn in the inside thread. Looks like something isn't lined up right.

Dave Park · 08-10-2010, 07:53 PM

I think that holds the record for longest followup at 6 1/2 years!

Over59 · 08-10-2010, 08:10 PM

Guess I got my money's worth from the first set. Actually was underreconstruction the first two years. Anyone know what Low Platform Tire means?

markdoane · 08-10-2010, 08:53 PM

A low platform tire is for a low platform (lowboy) trailer.
A 7-14.5 tire is only 26 inches diameter, a real advantage for loading and low center of gravity.
Does sacrifice load capacity though.

Over59 · 08-11-2010, 07:32 AM

So with 32 inches center of hub to center of hub I could put on some new 15" wheels and tires rather than buy new tires. Twenty eight inch Diameter should give me four inches between, No?

Over59 · 08-11-2010, 06:31 PM

Pulled street front hub and found a bad made in china bearing. Hub is at the machine shop getting new races. Tire guru in town looked at the tire and thinks the axle is out of alignment. Not surprised given some of the shots it took on I495 bridges. (avoid this road if at all possible or slow down to 30 for the torn up bridges, if there is a bump sign crawl across).

So I'll be taking the whole think to the trailer shop in RI for a make over. May be grounded for the season.

Over59 · 08-17-2010, 02:20 PM

Trailer shop called. Good news the axles are fine. Bad news the front shocks are toast, one bracket is twisted, resulting in the axle between out of place. "Must have hit sometime really hard". That would be one of the bridges on I495 around Boston. Avoid this area. You are better off using I95 (old 128) which is the next inner beltway. Mass resurfaces it's roads, tears up the bridge's road surface, and leaves them that way.....
They'll have it fixed for Saturday, new springs and no shocks. I'll have to do that later.