Trailer Wheel Balancing?

[BigBassJC]

I was wondering if any of you have your trailer wheels balanced when getting new tires or if it is not really necessary.

[Bass Cat Boats]

If you had a terribly out of balance tire, it could reduce the amount of vibration on boat parts. Though since we have done substantial testing on shocks, and balancing, we have found no significant benefit in either. They seem to us to be more of a hype for those who tried to start these trends. We have played with both and if you have a wheel or tire that is that bad out of balance, then you can tell it pulling the rig. Then you can address it. There are plenty of opinions by folks who have not researched it. If you have no shimmy or directional sway issues, then you definitely have no real balance problems. BCB

[Jewalston]

Not to disregard the expert advice that has been provided, but balancing the tires will give the tires extended tread life.James

[Anonymous]

No disrespect either but I agree with Jewalston. This is a cheap way to insure that you get all you can from your tires. I have mine balanced and in addition, rotate them twice each year when I am looking at the brakes, bearings, seals, springs, etc. I tow my boat many many miles each year. My first set of Firestones lasted 6 years and still had usable tread. I am sure that this is due for the most part to the quality level of the trailers that Bass Cat produces. I finally replaced them because the sidewalls were showing some cracks.

[Bass Cat Boats]

Here was my experience last May. I drove from MA to FL to pick up my new boat. I had to stop in Tampa before going across to Ft Lauderdale to get my new aluminum bunk trailer. I got on the highway and got up to 65 mph, mind you the trailer is empty, and my truck started shaking like all the tires went flat or the rims were square. I look in the rearview and the trailer is practically jumping around behind the truck. I go down to 60 then eventually 55 mph and get off the highway. I look to see if there is a flat, turns out there is not a single wheel weight on any of the wheels. Luckily there was a tire shop right down the road, got all 4 wheels balanced and got back on the highway and she was as smooth as can be. I had a 1,500 mile tow with a 6,000 lb rig so it was important to get the wheels balanced. The reason most people dont think that it is necessary is when the trailer is loaded up with the boat, the boat takes a lot of the vibration but it is there. For the short money, I will always balance.

[Bass Cat Boats]

BenL, That is our experience and that you can generally tell if they have balance issues.No disrespect is taken from any of you. We know that it can make a difference. Though we too tow thousands of miles a year. Having pulled one particular trailer too many miles across the country, we have not seen and improvement in over 75k miles. That particular test trailer had balanced tires on one side, and non balanced on the other. We have run several of the BASS Pros trailers that way without their knowledge. We just checked them regularly. BCB

[Bass Cat Boats]

Have you guys ever tried filling your trailer tires with Nitrogen? Have nitrogen on my truck tires, thinking about put some on my trailer tires any suggestions. Here is some info about Nitrogen:•&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Better air pressure retention — Nitrogen doesnt seep out through the tire walls like Oxygen can, so tires remain fully inflated longer. •&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Enhanced fuel economy — Nitrogen dissipates heat faster than air, and heat causes rolling resistance. “Maintaining tire pressure can boost fuel economy by as much as 6 percent.” •&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Longer tread life — Filling your tires with pure Nitrogen makes tires run cooler, which will reduce tire failure. It also prevents oxidation, which can cause tread separation and belt failure. Since Nitrogen doesnt carry moisture, it wont cause rust on the inside of rims and valve stems. •&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Slow chemical aging — “Filling a tire with Nitrogen also significantly slows the chemical aging process of the tires rubber components.”ThanksJoe BarreraYour Signature …

[Bass Cat Boats]

We have seen nitrogen used in some racing circles, though we have never tried in our trailer tires. BCB

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