Keeping your trailer tires in excellent condition is vital for their durability. Also, it helps maintain the stability of your tires, which is vital for the trailer’s performance. Therefore, you should avoid cases of tire overheating and burnout because they can significantly impact efficiency.
So, why do trailer tires get hot? Trailer tires get hot frequently due to bearing issues. When the tire has bearing problems, its hub and spindle could get damaged, resulting in friction, which causes raises the temperatures. If you notice any cuts, discoloration, or gouges on spindles or tire bearings, then it needs urgent replacement.
The stability of trailer tires is vital for efficient performance. You can’t get the best out of your trailer if its tires are in a bad state. Issues like tire burnouts should be addressed immediately to prevent total damage.
The main reason why trailer tires frequently get hot is bearing issues. When the bearings are not stable, they result in overheating that increases temperature levels in trailer tires. An overheated trailer tire is dangerous because it could burst at any moment.
Therefore, you should fix it immediately you notice any discoloration, gouges, or cuts on spindles or bearings. Failure to do so increases the risk of tire instability and could result in severe accidents. Apart from bearing issues, there are several other reasons why trailer tires get hot. This section discusses some of these reasons.
Heat build-up is a common cause of trailer tires becoming hot. When the heat within trailer tires builds up, it automatically increases the temperature within the tire. After you start driving your trailer, the temperature within it can rise significantly and make your tires get hot.
Luckily, you can prevent such cases by constantly monitoring the tire pressure. If you are driving the trailer on the wrong PSI level, the tires will get hotter because they are overworking themselves to maintain their traditional performance. This could also damage its physical structure.
Bent wheels are another reason why your trailer tires get hot. Generally, bent wheels are a common problem on trailers. When this happens, the trailer tires sustain significant damage due to rips or tears in their interior.
If the trailer is moving at a fast speed, there is a high risk of the trailer blowing out. Any slight loss of control in such situations could result in catastrophic accidents. Therefore, you should keep your eyes on the road at all times to get things under control. You should also take your trailer for regular checkups to avoid cases of bent wheels.
Furthermore, overloading trailer tires could result in them getting hot. You should be aware of the maximum weight your trailer can handle. Then, put half of that weight to avoid overwhelming it.
Good weight distribution makes a massive difference when it comes to the well-being of your tires. Avoid exposing your tires to excessive weight because it overwhelms them and significantly increases their temperature.
It is also vital to check the load capacity of your individual tires and how it aligns with the trailer load capacity. You should always do so before trying to carry or tow anything. Apart from increasing tire temperature, overloading also wears down your trailer. You are also likely to lose control when driving an overloaded trailer.
As you can see, there are several reasons why trailer tires get hot — heat build-up is the most common cause among older models of trailers. Generally, most trailer tires lose air over time, but the rate of air loss increases drastically if you drive over potholes, hit curbs while parking, or run over sharp objects.
When there is a sudden loss of air while driving, you are likely to lose control of the trailer. Expired tires are some of the other reasons why trailer tires get hot. Therefore, you should avoid these problems at all costs to keep your trailer tires safe.
When excessive weight is distributed over one axle, it is likely to result in a blowout. The explosion of steering axles and tires on a loaded delivery vehicle causes loss of control. This can be very dangerous. Thus, ensure that your trailer tires have sufficient pressure because low pressure can just be as dangerous as high pressure.
When trailer tires have low pressure, they could overheat, resulting in blowouts. Besides, tires with low inflation are hot, and hot tires soften and lose their load-carrying capacity. They also lose their ability to absorb sufficient air pressure.
Remember that the presence of excessive air pressure in your trailer tire can lead to tire bursts. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to prevent tire bursts while traveling. This is crucial, particularly in a hot climate where tire blowouts are rampant.
Heat is the most common yet so avoidable problem with trailer tires. Excessive heat can result in underinflation that pushes up the tire speed. It could also overload the tire with more weight than it was meant.
Therefore, you should always check the tire pressure before starting any journey. This goes a long way in preventing overheating problems. Cases of blowouts are also reduced when you maintain your trailer tires. Always keep the air pressure optimal and insufficient supply.
How Hot Should Trailer Tires Get?
Trailers are often used to transport heavy cargo due to their size. Trailer tires play a vital role in performing these operations, and the heavy cargo makes them get hot occasionally. But how hot should trailer tires get?
Trailer tires can withstand temperatures of about 69°C (156°F). Any temperatures above this figure could put the trailer tires at risk of blowing out. Therefore, as a trailer owner, you should take caution and know the quality of your tires and the level of temperatures they can sustain. This will help you know when to repair or replace your trailer tires. You will also maintain optimal temperatures to avoid burnouts.
When dealing with trailer tires, you should avoid hitting the 167 mark. If the temperature rises to over 200, you should stop and check things out immediately. Some trailer tires come with a TPMS system that alerts you when the temperatures exceed 167°F.
This makes it easy for you to monitor the progress. If you contact your tire manufacturer to inquire about trailer tire temperatures, they might have a specific temperature figure for your trailer since the 167 mark is just an average.
How To Avoid Trailer Tire Bursts
Tire bursts are usually scary. It is even worse for trailers since they are at a greater risk of rolling over and causing massive damage. Therefore, trailer owners need to ensure that their tires are in excellent condition to drive on and operate under ideal conditions. But how can you prevent trailer tires from getting overheated? There are several ways you can do so.
The common method is by driving at moderate speeds. By driving at moderate speeds, you ensure that your trailer tires never go past 156°F. No matter the speed at which your trailer is moving, the friction created between the highway and trailer tires must generate some heat.
However, when you drive at high temperatures, the atoms that make up your trailer tires start moving faster; this results in increased energy that causes high temperatures. You should think of the temperature difference between rubbing your hands rapidly and rubbing them slowly as a simple illustration of this effect.
Therefore, no matter your trailer’s speed limit or how good the road is, you shouldn’t drive your trailer about 65 KPH. Besides, the conditions in the summer make it incredibly difficult for trailer tires to sustain hit.
In the heat, in summer, temperatures can rise as high as 90°F, increasing the chances of overheating. Therefore, in such conditions, you should keep your trailer speed limit at 55 KPH. This ensures that the excessive heat produced through friction is mitigated.
Another way to prevent trailer tires from overheating is by keeping your tires pressured. Under-inflated tires are one of the common reasons that influence tire blowouts. You should know how much your trailer tire requires and frequently check that level to ensure it is kept at the correct settings.
If the trailer tires are underinflated, don’t attempt driving before filling them first. If the pressure keeps dropping, you should ascertain the cause and have it fixed right away. Cases of leaks should be handled by professionals to ensure they are patched appropriately.
It is also a good idea to make use of tire covers. Just like UV rays will cause significant damage to a person’s skin, they can also make your trailer tires age at a fast rate. This will result in cracks that will affect the stability and integrity of your trailer tires.
Therefore, it is vital to keep your trailer in a garage or covered area to ensure that the sun rays don’t affect its tires. This will help make it durable and long-lasting.
Checking your trailer’s weight is also important. Generally, trailer tires have a maximum of weight they can handle, and any weight about the set limit can cause devastating damage. Trailer weight can fluctuate based on the amount of cargo loaded or the number of passengers present. Therefore, you shouldn’t assume that the weight is always consistent. This will help keep the trailer tires in optimum conditions.
Do Trailer Tires Need To Be Balanced?
Many trailer owners wonder if it is necessary to balance tires. To some, this feels like an unnecessary expense that could be prevented altogether. Therefore, it is crucial to know the answer to this question for better handling.
Trailer tires don’t have to be balanced. While you can choose to balance them, it is not compulsory. Since the primary duty of trailer tires is supporting vertical loads rather than gripping the vehicle through sharp turns, they don’t have to be balanced like passenger car tires.
Steering problems are less of a concern on trailer tires than they are on car tires. In passenger vehicles, balanced tires are mandatory because they prevent the passengers inside from feeling the pumps or other road irregularities when driving at higher speeds.
As much as some trailer cargo requires smooth rides, trailers transport equipment, and cargo rather than humans. So, the standard for the ride quality is not a major concern. You might be interested in balancing your trailer tires, but how difficult is it?
Many trailer owners struggle to keep their trailer tires balanced due to throwing weights. In simpler terms, the tire balancing weights will end up coming off the trailer wheels. This can happen due to several reasons.
Generally, when towing an unladen trailer, it is not common for weights to be thrown off. This is that the trailer may bounce too much without load and result in instability. Triple-axe or tandem trailers tend to throw weights when making sharp or tight turns.
Another reason that makes it difficult to balance trailer tires is that most automotive service centers are not equipped with the ideal wheel balancing machine. Besides, most trailer wheels have a centric design, meaning they are centered on the hub — keeping them balanced in such conditions is not easy.
If you want to get the best out of a wheel balancing session, ensure you use a computerized system that can detect where imbalances are. You should also avoid using the trailer on tough terrains that can cause tires to move out of position.
Therefore, if you don’t have the ability to balance your trailer tires, it is not mandatory. However, you must keep them in good at all times. For instance, you shouldn’t overload the trailer with heavy cargo beyond the set limit. You should also avoid driving at high speed to avoid wearing it down.
Wrap Up
If you use trailers regularly, you will notice that their tires get hot regularly. While this is a normal occurrence, the temperatures should exceed a certain level. There are several reasons why trailer tires get hot. For example, overloading can increase tire temperatures. Bearing issues are also one of the main reasons why trailer tires get hot.
Trailer tires can sustain temperatures of up to 157°F. Any figure higher than that can cause tire bursts and overheat. Luckily, there are several ways you can prevent trailer tires from overheating. For instance, you should regularly check the tire pressure to ensure it is in optimal condition. You should also avoid overloading the trailer as it can impact tire temperatures.
