Flat-spot recovery on boat trailer tyre?

[boatiebert]

Continued thanks. Yes, I really blew by not measuring the hub up. I need to read up on PCDs. Is there much standardisation of sizes for 5 studs?

Of what I read re cross versus radial suggested it was an anachronism that's been outdated by development & price reduces of modern radials, and that radials were less likely to squirm sideways now. (no recomendation intended)

I'd guess one'd lose a little more than an 1" when adding a slightly smaller tyre, however, I'm not sure that would create any problems. Prices won't be much different. A second hand set of Landrover wheels & tyres are looking like the best bet if they were to go on exactly.

Yes, Laysula, clearly someone had left some heavy air on top of it ...

 

[JumbleDuck]

There’s a code on the wall of tyres that says how old they are. Recommended life for a trailer tyre is 6 years?
Tyre age and tyre dot code | Help Centre | Blackcircles.com
I took our daughters Pandora trailer tyres in to be looked at a few weeks ago as there was lots of cracking in the side walls. They were eleven years old plus and went for recycling... A new set of four was £170 which was cheap peace of mind when towing a couple of tonnes down the A3.

When I put my Herald back on the road, a couple of years ago, part of the final commissioning process was replacing the five new tyres which I had bought for it at the beginning of the restoration in 2001. They had done about 50 miles (or 0, in the case of the spare) but since tyre lives seem to be a thing now I thought it sensible to comply.

My Hunter 490 is currently supported at the back by an unused Michelin X 2CV tyre which is about 40 years old.

 

[boatiebert]

This is largely for the pornographic value, they're really filthy, but perhaps someone recognises this size by sight. I'd much prefer to be able to buy some replacement wheels with tyres already on them, & do one trip.

The lesson to learn in this is, "always keep your hub caps on". Funnily enough, the other side that had didn't contain the same zoological park as this one that had had the cap left off.

 

[boatiebert]

I'm guessing 5 x 6.5" (165.1mm) which is used by Ifor Williams and others for heavier trailers, eg 1500kg and above?

Would that correlate?

 

[TernVI]

I'm guessing 5 x 6.5" (165.1mm) which is used by Ifor Williams and others for heavier trailers, eg 1500kg and above?

Would that correlate?

Guessing could be expensive.
What Ifor Williams does today may not have mattered very much when vehicles with hubcaps roamed the earth.
It could be 6" pcd or metric.
You may need to measure the big hole in the middle too!

Possibly the best thing is to take off the hub and take that to find wheels that fit.

 

[JumbleDuck]

This is largely for the pornographic value, they're really filthy, but perhaps someone recognises this size by sight. I'd much prefer to be able to buy some replacement wheels with tyres already on them, & do one trip.

The lesson to learn in this is, "always keep your hub caps on". Funnily enough, the other side that had didn't contain the same zoological park as this one that had had the cap left off.

View attachment 115037

View attachment 115038

A pedant writes ... The "hub cap" is the small round cap on the, erm, hub. The big, round, shiny thing is a "nave plate".

That quibbled, these look very like the wheels on my Hunter 490 trailer. If you could measure either the PCD or the centre-to-centre distance between adjacent studs, I'll compare.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I hope you're not seriously considering using this wheel and tyreon the road. It's quite obviously unsuited. Trailer and caravan tyres tend not to wear out by losing tread but perish and cracks appear at the base of the tread and in the walls. They don't last much more than 5 years.

 

[penberth3]

I hope you're not seriously considering using this wheel and tyreon the road. It's quite obviously unsuited. Trailer and caravan tyres tend not to wear out by losing tread but perish and cracks appear at the base of the tread and in the walls. They don't last much more than 5 years.

I don't like to spoil anyone's fun but there's nothing serious about it. The thread is a wind-up.

 

[Jim@sea]

Not mine. Asking for an aquaintance, please. What's the consensus on flat-spot recovery on trailer tyres? This one has been sitting for years, but I'm not sure when it nadir. The other tyre is still holding air, just. This one had gone flat (I turned it around for the photo). No chance ressurecting it with either a foot or even petrol station air. Tubeless. No cracks or perishing at all. Slight problem in that I can't find an identically matching one in the country.

I understand received wisdom is, you pump them up, they vibrate a bit until they get up to heat, then they work themselves out. But I'm not sure. I also don't know how old they are but it looks like near to zero use.

Thanks

View attachment 114969

Take the hub cap off and send a photo of the wheel showing the wheel nuts, some people may recognise the wheel type. Although I would say the wheel and hub cap are from the 1960's It may even have an inner tube.
I recently bought 1998 boat and the trailer tyres are like new as it has been in storage I am going to use them. I cant believe that as they are over 6 years old I have to bin them.

 

[Graham376]

I hope you're not seriously considering using this wheel and tyreon the road. It's quite obviously unsuited. Trailer and caravan tyres tend not to wear out by losing tread but perish and cracks appear at the base of the tread and in the walls. They don't last much more than 5 years.

They don't last because people leave them at road going pressure. Tyres left standing for long periods should have extra pressure. I blow my car tyres up to 40 lbs when we head off to the boat, road use is 28.

 

[Caraway]

I don't like to spoil anyone's fun but there's nothing serious about it. The thread is a wind-up.

Bertie does seem to have cracked on with posting since joining 10 days ago.
There is also a strange thread on the Liveaboard forum on the cost of living on a boat.

 

[boatiebert]

Definitely no inner tube. It's got a broad rim tape that appear to be recent, as in it's not perished. Ditto, the valves are tubeless & in good condition. Unfortunately, those are the only photos I have above. The boat's 60s, & trailer the original one so, yes, the wheels are going to be 60s. A 23mm socket barely goes on the nuts.

Funny but I can't remember discussing the cost of living aboard. Cost of living in Cornwall for de-homed locals, may be though.

I don't like to spoil anyone's fun but there's nothing serious about it. The thread is a wind-up.

It's not actually. It's a very serious, save me "6 hours travel & at least £30 by recognising this wheel" thread now. No, the owner wanted me to just take it to a tyre shop to pump it up.

I could pick up some decent Land Rover wheels with tyres second hand cheaper than one new tyre. Certainly cheaper than blasting & painting & putting new tyres these. Which I agree now needs to happen to be used on the road.

I've now found the DOT mark and it dates it to 2007 or 14 years old. I've also read the current advice given to caravan & trailer owners, which is "6 years" with a "should never be used when more than seven years old" from the Caravan Club. Although it does not seem to be a law, but just a recommendation.

It's a shame, because they've hardly been used but I don't could even be used for a yard trailer with that "limp" on the port side.

And, of course, the ultimate truth is that probably the same thing will happen, e.g. they get replaced, used once, then sat for the next 7 years until the next tyres are too old.

If they're Land Rover ones, they could be used once & sold on.

 

[TernVI]

...
I recently bought 1998 boat and the trailer tyres are like new as it has been in storage I am going to use them. I cant believe that as they are over 6 years old I have to bin them.

I find that small boat trailer tyres are often dodgy after about ten years, the rubber starts to craze. I seem to buy and sell sailing dinghies a fair bit so often have more than one trailer, plus I have a box trailer for the dump. So I keep one decent pair of wheels and tyres and swap them around whatever trailer. It tend to sell them with a boat after a few years and buy a new pair. I'm also about to dump a barely worn motorbike tyre that's 14 years old, you can tell the compound is not what it was. I would trust it with any damp surface!
I think crossply van and trailer tyres are made to work hard and have a short life rather than be stored for years on end. They perhaps use different compounds and fibres for runaround car tyres which might not wear out in 10 years? I've also just junked a pair of pushbike tyres which were crumbling after maybe 6 years? They were cheap from SriLanka like a lot of trailer tyres.

 

[boatiebert]

Say something about these Westlakes, no cracks at all, anywhere, after 14 years. Had it not been left to deform, I would have risked it.

 

[boatiebert]

Guessing could be expensive ... It could be 6" pcd or metric.

You get the prize. You were right. It is a 6" PCD. To be honest, I didn't know it existed as a standard but it appears that it is also pretty much an obsolete one.

Watford hubs were bought out by Indespension some time ago. I am told 'whoever' stopped making the wheels may be 10 years ago, & hence the hubs too. Only a few replacement Watford hubs exist, coming from the USA, but even they don't measure up to the old sizes.

Therefore, no cheap trades with the likes of Land Rover wheels & tyres, unless I replaced the axles ... which I might need to do if I can find replacement parts anyway.

Can the hubs be machined to go up from a 6" PCD (152mm) to a 6.5" PCD (165mm). is that a done thing?

Damn ... B.O.A.T = "borrow another thousand"

 

[penberth3]

Can the hubs be machined to go up from a 6" PCD (152mm) to a 6.5" PCD (165mm). is that a done thing?

You're not giving up are you. I'm sure you'll get a few bites.

 

[JumbleDuck]

You get the prize. You were right. It is a 6" PCD. To be honest, I didn't know it existed as a standard but it appears that it is also pretty much an obsolete one.

Watford hubs were bought out by Indespension some time ago. I am told 'whoever' stopped making the wheels may be 10 years ago, & hence the hubs too.

6" PCD wheels are listed at 14" Trailer Wheel 5.5J x 14 H2 5 stud 6" 152.4mm PCD ET39 - Mefro 43554 101, although "Temporarily out of stock". Might be worth asking them how temporarily.

 

[boatiebert]

You're not giving up are you. I'm sure you'll get a few bites.

No, it's a custom designed trailer specific to the boat. Worst case scenario, it's getting close to the cost of buying a second hand flat bed car trailer.

 

[davidej]

I had to get new wire wheels for my MGTF (1955 version) in about 2005, I thought i ought to get new tyres to put on them as the old ones still had the tyres that were on it when I bought it in 1986.

It was kept in the open but wit a lean to roof so not much direct sunlight,

 

[Caraway]

Simple. Take the hubs off. Find available wheels that will fit over the centre and have the flange re-drilled to suit the new wheels.
Put in new studs. Job done

A hub like this has loads of space for new stud holes. The old studs just knock out (or whizz them off with a cutting disc).