Tow Dolly Tires Cracking

[vettenuts]

Originally Posted by EZE Tow

Vettenut.... Have you considered trying our new tire and wheel? We have 40 sets in the field being tested and used , so far we are having very good results with them. Contact us at acmetowdolly@gmail.com to discuss it. Richard.

Richard,

I did send an e-mail to ACME the other day. I ended up buying two 12" tires/wheels from a vendor I have used in the past for other trailer tires. They are the same as you are testing. Will be taking a 1,200 mile trip with them in August and then a 3,500 mile trip in September so that should provide a good indication of their performance.

[vettenuts]

New 12" tires arrived today. Was surprised to see how narrow the tread is compared to the original 10" tire that was actually very wide. I am hoping that the narrower tread and the radial design will eliminate the issue with the tires.

Now just waiting on the parts to convert to metal valve stems and I should be good to go again.

[G3G4G5]

Another data point for these tires.....

Set out with my brand new EZE Tow with a Honda Civic behind my Winni Adventurer. Three miles from my house on residential streets, the left tire failed. Tire tread is still in perfect shape, no damage from road hazards, the sidewall seems to have separated. Tire and rim were hot to the touch, right side was cool. Tires were set at 75psi.

Chris

[vettenuts]

Contact ACME and/or Kenda. Either should be able to help. Do you have any issues with the bearings or brakes (based on your comment about the heat)?

Does that axle hub spin freely?

Was that tire ever run low while loaded?

I have had some issues with these tires, but nothing like that.

[G3G4G5]

I contacted ACME as I sat on the side of the road. They dismissed me as having encountered a road hazard, but thanked me for the pictures. My concern was that the problem wheel did not freely spin after putting on spare. ACME told me later via email the brakes will be activated when I come to a stop and fully released once I drive off. Good info. As I sat there parked, the surge piston indicator showed fully released so I thought brakes would be released.

I swapped out my towed car for my pickup, reconnected dolly with brake inhibit clip in place and towed home. Both wheels were cool to the touch, no stuck brake.

I ordered another wheel and will ops check the dolly around the neighborhood. Very leery about taking this thing anywhere now.

I'll reach out to Kenda for any info.

Will update thread with checkout results......

[vettenuts]

Chris,

Verify that the black plastic piston in the center of the hub is sticking out about 1/8". This is the indicator that you still have lubricant in the bearings, although if leaking the wheels will get very greasy. If the lubricant is gone, then the wheel will get very hot. You can also download the service information for the brakes from UFP or ACME. I worked with UFP over the phone when I had an issue with the bearings leaking and they sent the parts and provided excellent technical support.

[G3G4G5]

UPDATE...

Received another spare this week and just took the dolly out for some miles. Drove around the neighborhood with my Civic onboard towed behind my pickup truck. No issues with tires, brakes. Max speed was 45mph. Hubs and rims were always cool.

Was surprised at the amount of skidding and sideloads on dolly tires as truck/dolly made 90 degree turns. Probably similar in most trailers with fixed wheels, just new to me.

I'll reach out to Kenda next to see if they've had any problems with sidewalls and check on warranty.

Chris

[vettenuts]

Now I can see why the tires are cracking between the treads.

Your car is fairly light so it may not be an issue, only miles will tell. Mine is kind of heavy but within the limits of the dolly. That may be why my tires aren't holding up. On my most recent trip, we connected up prior to leaving Hilton Head and there are a couple of 180 degree turns within the facility that are required to get out. Don't think that helped my tires at all

[c92vette]

Update:

We just completed a trip of over 5000 miles. No tire failures with the 12" tires installed. Yes the tires slide sideways in tight turns but the radial sidewall flexes enough to absorb the pressure. I took it real easy when maneuvering through campgrounds and other tight areas. I saw no abnormal heat build up during any operation including hard braking. The dolly tires ran cooler than the MH tires. Altitude did not have any effect on the tires - we traveled across central Colorado at 9k' MSL - as pressures remained constant. The tires did not lose any pressure on the trip but I did increase the pressure from 70 psi to 72 halfway along our journey. I liked the performance at 72 psi cold the best. Pressure rise during operation was 10 -15 psi depending on outside air temperature (OAT). The higher OAT, hotter road, higher pressures. Didn't see much over 90 psi though. All in all the tires and dolly performed quite well. My suggestion is to get the 12" tires and wheels from ACME if you plan on using this dolly over long distances. I expect the 10" tires will work fine for lighter tows over short distances but for RV towing the 12" tires are the way to go with this dolly.

[vettenuts]

Thanks for the update.

How is the tread wear with that mileage? I notice there appears to be less tread scuffing than the original tires.

We are at the last stop of our fall trip and have approximately 2,000 miles on my 12" tires. No issues to date and they seem to run cooler than the 10" tires. The last campground we left had dirt roads and many turns and I could see the dolly slide sideways in the turns with the tires furrowing the dirt as it went through the turn. If these 12" tires work out (which at this point it appears they will) I will likely buy a spare wheel/tire set over the winter from the place where I bought this set and keep them in the basement.this will allow me to install metal valve stems and balance beads.

[c92vette]

One thing I failed to do at the install of the 12" tire was measure the tread depth new. I'm sure it can be found. Measuring after 5k miles the depth is 5/32" which is 3/32" above the wear bar. There is even wear across both tires. I expect to get 10 - 12k miles out of the set.

[vettenuts]

I didn't measure either and it is not on Kenda's web site or literature.