Murphys law, tire/wheel advice please

[Labbie]

Hello, I just ordered new tires and I am trying to step up from a load range c to d. So I pull the wheels off because the tires will be in tomorrow and I see the wheel indicates max load 1820 which is what the c range is I was hoping to use the d range. What should I do, just not air it up above 50 psi? Will there be any benefit of the extra load rating? Should I use nitrogen or am I wasting more money? I have a trip next week and really don't want to buy new tires and wheels. Next time I will not learn, and probably make the same mistake again.

Thanks in advance.

[harley]

the 1820 is what the rim will hold ,weight wise. do not see why 10 lbs more will effect anything.

[Papa-T]

Originally Posted by harley

the 1820 is what the rim will hold ,weight wise. do not see why 10 lbs more will effect anything.

I agree. Also don't wast you money on nitrogen.

[Labbie]

Originally Posted by Papa-T

I agree. Also don't wast you money on nitrogen.

Thanks Harley and Papa- T, I knew I could rely on someone for advice and I don't feel too bad now.

[SeanRN]

I've read or seen videos that nitrogen helps keep the tires cooler when traveling.

My neighbor is an airline mechanic. He says the nitrogen just helps prevent rust and the first time you have to add air because you aren't near a nitrogen pump or supplier, you lose the benefit of having the nitrogen to begin with.

[mark5w]

From Edmunds:

"Is Nitrogen Worth It?
The air we breathe is made up of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and a few other elements. To get the desired benefits for tires, nitrogen needs to be at least 93 percent pure, according to nitrogen service equipment providers quoted on Tirerack.com. So we're basically talking about adding an extra 15 percent of nitrogen and getting rid of as much oxygen as possible.
Based on cost, convenience and actual performance benefit, we don't think nitrogen is worth it. A much better use of your money would be to buy a good tire-pressure gauge and check your tires frequently. This is a good idea even if you have a tire-pressure monitoring system in your vehicle. The warning lights aren't required to come on until you have less than 25 percent of the recommended tire pressure. Having the correct tire pressure will get you many of the benefits of using nitrogen and will ensure that your tires last longer."

[Kingfish58]

That's interesting.

You have the same trailer I have. I installed D tires on those rims recently (2150 single, 1870 dual). The tire shop didn't say a thing.

So far so good, only about 200 miles on them.

[Steve7]

I knew there could be max psi ratings on rims, I didn't realize there were weight limits also, but that makes sense. Were there any psi limits on the rims?

[Labbie]

Originally Posted by Steve7

I knew there could be max psi ratings on rims, I didn't realize there were weight limits also, but that makes sense. Were there any psi limits on the rims?

I did not see any max psi ratings on the rims, there appeared to be some other markings but nothing that looked like max psi.

[Dayle1]

I would say you will have no extra benefit from the higher load rating. Load inflation charts from say Maxxis show identical weight capacity with identical psi, so unless you use a higher psi than original you wI'll not increase capacity. Some people even question the validity of the charts. The higher rated tire has more rubber/cords and running at the same psi and carrying the same load , it will run hotter and therefore should suffer worse aging affects than the original tire. So you do need to run a higher psi and you should assume that the wheel rating implies a psi limit as well. Therefore you really need to upgrade the wheels. Otherwise you may have simply moved from the frying pan to the fire.

Finally you don't want to upgrade too far, tires are part of the suspension system, that is why they are not solid rubber. A tire that is too stiff for the actual weight puts greater shock forces on the bearings and other suspension components. You really need actual weight and then inflate tires to no more than 10 to 15 psi above based on inflation chart.

[Vermtown Zinger]

Labbie,
My two cents for what it’s worth, I just did the same thing this spring, went from a load C to load D tire for peace of mind more than anything, knowing how most everything in the rv industry is designed to the minimum, but I also changed the wheels to a 2,150 lbs rated wheel (previous was 1,820 lbs), but my intention is to increase the air pressure to 65 psi (just hoping to eliminate one of the weak links in the suspension system). You may never have any issues but I would not put a load D tire on a 1,820 lbs wheel and increase the air pressure to 65 psi, as an engineer with a little bit of knowledge, there are reasons that these ratings are put on the wheels, it’s not just shooting in the dark, a 2,150 lbs rated wheel is, or should be, designed differently than a 1,820 lbs wheel, otherwise why put a rating on them (maybe so they could just charge more for the 2,150 lbs wheels?)

[travelin texans]

IMHO, I would go with the heavier rated tire & add 5-10 psi just for piece of mind. The rims were obviously rated for weight rather than psi & you're not doing this to increase weight carrying rating. Also the heavier tire will most likely have more sidewall plies which is better on a trailer. I also agree the tires are part of the suspension & on a rv they are usually the weakest part.

[Donjamin]

I just moved from D's to E's on my 2013 CR ST Reserve 32RL 5th wheel. The tires are now 4 years old and from previous experience with our Forest River, didn't want any tire issues. No problems so far with moving up to an E rated tire.

D.

[Labbie]

I liked the new tires, inflated to 60 psi and using my super technical tire temperature device... my hand they seemed to run cooler. Although I don't think I was able to pass a gas station between home and Arkansas.

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