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Old 08-25-2014, 01:43 PM   #1
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Tires

I had a tire wear on the out side edge, door side, of a 17b. Not much sign of wear on the other tire. The trailer is a 2008. Someone suggested that when you change one tire you should do both. They are the Good Year tires that the trailer came with. Should I change both? The new trailers have a different brand, they are less expensive. Good Year, same as spare or new brand? Should trailers or do trailers ever need an alignment?
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Old 08-25-2014, 02:25 PM   #2
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Remenber to balance the new tires.

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Old 08-25-2014, 02:27 PM   #3
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Should trailers or do trailers ever need an alignment?
I don't know if anyone routinely checks alignment on trailers, but it makes sense when troubleshooting a problem (such as abnormal tire wear). There's no alignment adjustment possible with the Torflex suspension used on all Escapes (other than the 5.0TA), so if alignment is significantly wrong it probably indicates damage requiring repair.
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Old 08-25-2014, 03:00 PM   #4
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Based on the age of the tires, 6+ years they should both be replaced. No reason to ride on a tire that old. I have mixed thougths on changing the spare. The big thing to remember is, if you do not change the spare with a new tire at this time, you can only use it as a spare. If you have cause to use it, the first and only thing to do is to drive to a location to where you can purchase a new one or repair the original. You cannot use an old spare like that to complete a journey.

Think of it as one of those mini spares, I believe if you own one the owners manual will state not to drive over 45 miles per hour and no more than 50 miles.

Why I do not like skipping the spare replacement is you need to remember that it is out of date.
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Old 08-25-2014, 03:59 PM   #5
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My thoughts exactly, Paul. We will probably replace at four or five years including the spare.
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Old 08-25-2014, 04:30 PM   #6
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I like to have all new tires when mine are replaced, including the spare. Since my trailer spare uses the same wheel as my trailer, I can rotate the spare in with the other tires (once a year) to help balance out the overall wear. However, tires will still likely have to be replaced due to age before due to wear. If I ever get a flat, I can put the spare on, get the flat fixed, and not have to put the repaired tire back on the trailer (a bit less work).
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Old 08-25-2014, 04:45 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Groma View Post
I had a tire wear on the out side edge, door side, of a 17b. Not much sign of wear on the other tire. The trailer is a 2008. Someone suggested that when you change one tire you should do both. They are the Good Year tires that the trailer came with. Should I change both? The new trailers have a different brand, they are less expensive. Good Year, same as spare or new brand? Should trailers or do trailers ever need an alignment?
Thanks
You could have a bent spindle. It doesn't take much to bend them -- one good jolt from a deep pothole would do it.
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Old 08-25-2014, 04:53 PM   #8
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If a spare has been covered its whole life, so that it is not exposed to UV and has no load on it, shouldn't it last much longer than the others?
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Old 08-25-2014, 05:08 PM   #9
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If a spare has been covered its whole life, so that it is not exposed to UV and has no load on it, shouldn't it last much longer than the others?
You'd think so, but the problem here isn't wear, it's dry rot. Tires outgas. As the rubber ages it loses volatile oils through the outer layers. The flexing motion of using the tire tends to keep the oils evenly distributed -- so outgassing isn't a problem. But if it's a spare and doesn't flex because it's never mounted and used, the outgassing will be more severe. This will dry the outer layers of the tire to the point that it begins to crack. That's dry rot.
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Old 08-25-2014, 05:27 PM   #10
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Then it would seem that spares need to be replaced even more frequently than the tires in use?
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Old 08-25-2014, 05:31 PM   #11
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Then it would seem that spares need to be replaced even more frequently than the tires in use?
No, it's just that if you never mount and use it, it might not be in good shape when you need it. One thing that can help is 303 Protectant. I swear by it, and it does seem to help alleviate dry rot. I apply it to my spares about twice a year.

On my sportscar I have two sets of wheels and tires -- one for the track and one for the street. When I store the other four, I bag them with large heavy duty trash bags and suck as much of the air out of the bags as possible. That seems to help too.
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Old 08-25-2014, 05:41 PM   #12
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Robert,
Thanks for an excellent explanation of unused tires. I was not aware of this as an issue. Eric, perhaps the differences are not measureable and in the interest of safety the blanket statement is made. "Replace tires every six years" is a common measurement but it is interesting there are not any standards. There are just too many variables.
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Old 08-25-2014, 05:47 PM   #13
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Robert - you answered my next question as I was going to ask about using something like 303 on the spare. Mine came all wrapped in black plastic under the cover and I have kept that plastic on since then. So theoretically, my 4 year old spare should be good for 2 more years? Somehow it just doesn't seem fair that spares need replacing that often! LOL

I'm thinking that since my trailer tires will always need to be replaced by age long before I wear out the tread, that it makes little sense to put the spare in rotation with the other 2. Since I am now using my smaller original Marathon spare as my spare, I might consider replacing it with one of the inexpensive brands in 2 years. If I ever need it, I would just consider it to be very temporary anyway. I found that when I had that Marathon detonate, that traveling any distance at all with no spare back there made me very nervous, so I would be replacing any damaged tire ASAP anyway.
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Old 08-25-2014, 07:05 PM   #14
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Robert - you answered my next question as I was going to ask about using something like 303 on the spare. Mine came all wrapped in black plastic under the cover and I have kept that plastic on since then. So theoretically, my 4 year old spare should be good for 2 more years? Somehow it just doesn't seem fair that spares need replacing that often! LOL

I'm thinking that since my trailer tires will always need to be replaced by age long before I wear out the tread, that it makes little sense to put the spare in rotation with the other 2. Since I am now using my smaller original Marathon spare as my spare, I might consider replacing it with one of the inexpensive brands in 2 years. If I ever need it, I would just consider it to be very temporary anyway. I found that when I had that Marathon detonate, that traveling any distance at all with no spare back there made me very nervous, so I would be replacing any damaged tire ASAP anyway.
I think your plan is sound. I would still check the spare for signs of cracking/dry rot, particularly if it has never been run for many years. That's one thing many folks don't realize -- that the manufacturer recommends replacing the tire every six years regardless of wear -- precisely because the rubber cracks and turns brittle. If you don't run the spare regularly, then a lower cost spare makes sense. Something to get you to the next tire shop anyway.
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Old 08-25-2014, 07:22 PM   #15
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I bag them with large heavy duty trash bags and suck as much of the air out of the bags as possible. That seems to help too.
Is that after applying the 303? Right after?
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Old 08-25-2014, 07:24 PM   #16
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Is that after applying the 303? Right after?
Yeah, 303 then bag. I try not to use alot, and let it "soak in" and wipe off the excess first. Works well.
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Old 08-25-2014, 07:36 PM   #17
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Just woke up after a long nap.
What I meant was do you suck the air out of the bag immediately after applying the 303?
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Old 08-25-2014, 07:45 PM   #18
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Just woke up after a long nap.
What I meant was do you suck the air out of the bag immediately after applying the 303?
I never really sweated the timing of it. As long as they have protectant on them and they're sealed from the air, they store well.
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Old 08-27-2014, 08:53 AM   #19
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Good article, worth a read: Don't Let Road Gators Bite -- The Allstate Blog
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Old 08-27-2014, 10:08 AM   #20
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One of my pet peeves -- truckers not maintaining their rigs and leaving their "gators" all over the road. I-35 (the NAFTA road) is filled with them.
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