Community Forums

Robf · 07-21-2016, 04:00 PM

Had a blow out this weekend, was wondering about finding a "better " tire???
or should I stick with the brand they come with ???

vettenuts · 07-21-2016, 04:45 PM

There really isn't another tire of the standard ACME size for replacement other than the Kenda. I have searched and many of the other tires are actually rated worse. Trailer tires lead a tough life.

If you simply want a tire, ACME has the best deal on two tires. If you want a wheel and tire, then I found really good prices at Trailer Tires & Wheels.

ACME has been evaluating a larger tire using a 12" wheel rather than a 10" wheel. I just bought a new set of the 12" diameter tires & wheels from the above link and added my metal valve stems and balance beads. I will be taking these new larger tires on their first trip in two weeks. Not sure how your tire failed, did they blow out between the treads or was there some other type of failure? How many miles did you get out of them? Trailer tires don't have a long life in either years or miles so depending on the miles and years, they may have simply been due for a change anyhow.

If you want more information on the 12" wheel setup, I can provide the part number that I used, which is a Load Range E tire.

Waiter21 · 07-21-2016, 05:29 PM

I've got about 10,000 miles on mine. Tires look OK. Drivers side is leaking grease. I just sent UFP a warranty request sheet for grease and seals.

ALSO Rock Auto has pads on sale for $4 a set (KIA Sephia 1994-2000)

I bought a couple sets

hdzcar · 07-21-2016, 06:25 PM

Carlisle makes the same size 10" rim tires in the same rating as the Kenda. My 2 cents worth is the Kenda tires have a too aggressive tread pattern and this is causing the splitting / cracking tread issues with all the friction in turns on the tires but I haven't tried the Carlise tires. I had the tread splitting issue with the Kenda's tires and got free replacement direct from Kenda but after 600 miles one is showing the signs of the splitting / cracking between treads again. I do have a set of the 12" rim radial tires and put about 1,500 miles on them without any issues but these are very narrow tires compared to the 10" rim tires. The issue with the 12" tires is there is no room for error on narrow roads or roads with pot holes due to the small width of the tires. With all that said, I'm putting the 12" radials back on for now.

vettenuts · 07-21-2016, 07:00 PM

My last set of brand new Kenda 10" tires were cracking after about 1,800 miles. Will be trying the larger 12" wheels and tires now. I do think the flex of the radial sidewall will help with this issue, at least that's what I am hoping.

Robf · 07-21-2016, 09:19 PM

Thank you all for the feed back !!! I have had a lot of experience with different type of trailers...Carslile is a consideration, I had good luck with them on my boat trailer. My tire failed on the side wall, I am guessing the tire had less than 1000 mi on it ??? I bought the dolly used and he said he pulled it 50 miles then went with a jeep 4 down. I think I hit something or had a bad tire from the get go. Also the hubs seem very hot to me ?? and don't seem to spin as freely as I would like? I am in texas and it is very hot here.....Hmmmm How freely do your wheels spin by hand ?

vettenuts · 07-22-2016, 06:03 AM

The brakes will drag a bit so they won't spin freely. Look at the black plastic center piece in the axle hub. It should be protruding out about 1/8". If it is in flush with the metal part of the hub, the lubricant has leaked out. They are warranted but not sure on a 2nd owner. I did this repair last fall/winter and also rebuilt the calipers and installed new pads while I had it apart.

Dennis Dean · 07-22-2016, 06:21 AM

I keep checking mine for cracks or wear but so far i see no issues with my tires on the EZE Tow. I have towed probably 5K miles since getting my Dolly last December (OKC-GA, OKC-IN, OKC-FLA, OKC-TX). I spray my tires down with aerospace 303 after every trip and keep it stowed in mostly shade area at my house. I also tow a Hyundai Elantra, I am not sure how much the towed vehicle matters but i think it plays a factor in the tire wear. My Elantra only weights about 3k and is very low profile, i actually place 2X10 on the dolly under the tires to clear the front of the vehicle from the front bar on the dolly. tore off the skid plate once that was enough for me. I keep watching this thread tho as dolly towing is my only option and so far i am very happy with my EZE tow dolly. I will get new tires as soon as i see any wear, $100 bucks for a new set is a reasonable cost for insuring safety of my Toad and RV.

Shawn E · 07-22-2016, 12:53 PM

You might try etrailer.com. I purchased 8 ply 14" dolly tires from them. They are very hard to find in 8 ply (most 14" are 6 ply). Their price was fair, the service and delivery excellent. They also have the Maxxis brand which I hear is a good quality tire but have no experience with. Good luck

vettenuts · 07-22-2016, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn E

You might try etrailer.com. I purchased 8 ply 14" dolly tires from them. They are very hard to find in 8 ply (most 14" are 6 ply). Their price was fair, the service and delivery excellent. They also have the Maxxis brand which I hear is a good quality tire but have no experience with. Good luck

The largest tire that will fit the ACME is 12". Just went through this research prior to buying new 12" wheels and tires. Once you increase rim size larger than 12", there is a substantial jump in tire OD.

Robf · 07-22-2016, 04:39 PM

I appreciate the feed back, I purchased a kenda tire/wheel and just a tire today on line. That way I will have a spare and a replacement tire if need be while on the road. May be an over kill but If I were to blow a tire on day one of a 3 day drive I would have no spare and would not want to be stuck waiting on a tire to be shipped. After some research people seem happy with these tires and I like to stick with original equipment. Also I want to say I called the Acme tow Dolly Co. and they were VERY helpful and responsive to my questions, It is great to know they stand behind their product !!!!!!

vettenuts · 07-22-2016, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennis Dean

My Elantra only weights about 3k and is very low profile .

I have wondered whether car weight plays any role in the tire issues I have experienced. My Malibu has a curb weight of 3,700 lbs. but I also have a few things packed in such as the ramps. Likely weight is closer to 4K in my estimation. My car is also a V6 so the weight on the dolly is likely not in my favor either.

Robf · 07-23-2016, 08:11 AM

Good point, I pull an old lexus es330 ( Basically like a toyota camery ) that weighs 3500 and also have the ramps in the trunk. it too is a v6 and I never really thought about the engine weight. It would be interesting to know the front axel weight of Dennis Elantra verses our cars.

Waiter21 · 07-23-2016, 08:28 AM

Rob, I tow a Camry with mine, its probably about the same weight as yours. (Camry is 3,300 lbs empty)

Do you recall the circumstances prior to the blowout, i.e. mountains, hills, speed, etc??

I mention this because I installed TPMS transmitters inside the Acme wheels (and the back wheels of the Camry) and monitor both pressure and internal temperature of the dolly and Camry tires while towing.

I start with 85 psi (cold sitting all night) in the Acme tires.

In the worst case I've seen to date, I was descending a very long steep mountain east of Phoenix on US 60 (Globe AZ). While traveling in the summer, the tire pressure usually hangs around 95 - 100 psi while traveling but had climbed to 110 psi. The internal temperature usually hangs around 150 - 160, but was approaching 200 deg.

I pulled off the road, I could put my hand on the tire and the wheel, They felt very warm, but not hot. (rubber doesn't conduct heat very well)

I attribute the temperatures to the braking required from the Acme dolly coming down the long steep incline.

If these tires get low on air pressure, they will heat up very fast.