Torsion Axle Tandem Trailer vs Leaf Spring tandem - Page 2 - The Hull Truth

kerno · 09-21-2008, 02:09 AM

Everyone seems to have different experiences with tires. I have had very good luck with Carlisles and have made multiple trips for Florida to Los Angeles on them. My current McClain trailer was delivered with Carlisles and weighs 12,060 with the Venture 34 on it. I have had Marathon failures, but this is my third trailer with Carlisles with zero failures. I tow at high enough speeds and in hot enough weather that any tire that was going to fail would have..

Afishinado: You raise an interesting point abut the pivot links on leaf springs and I will agree that they may distribute the load better on an uneven surface. The downside of the pivot link is the increased suspension travel and the fact that a flat tire is driven downward by the adjacent spring. If you've ever had a situation where a tire has gone flat with leaf springs, it is not uncommon to have the adjacent tire rubbing the inside of the fender. I find the scariest thing about trailing to be the impact the lead tire takes when they hit a pothole or something like a bridge where the edge is higher than the asphalt roadway. The tire and axle has to catapult the entire boat and trailer up over the bump.

tanglediver · 09-21-2008, 02:15 AM

Afishinado, your observation is accurate. The downside of torsion suspension is the loss of load sharing over uneven surfaces. Three torsion axles are sometimes not recommended by their mfr's.

gbLUEFIN · 09-26-2008, 10:19 AM

I have the same trailer,when towing the trailer needs to be level,had the same promble with tires

jenkinsph · 09-28-2008, 02:22 PM

kerno, please post some pics of your trailer so these guys can see what a real trailer looks like.

And if my memory serves me right your leading axle has tires that are higher ply rating to overcome the problem of launching
over rises in the roadway.

FWIW, for a 9000 lb load I would go with two 6000 lb torsion axles with 16" wheels if you have enough clearance for them. The
torsion axles seem to all be available with multiple offset positions to allow you to raise or drop the axles mounting height. If
you can fit the 16" wheels and tires you can use good highway pickup tires, operate well below their capacities and have long
life with no problems.

Steve

Back-in-Black · 10-01-2008, 11:28 PM

Quote:

kerno - 9/21/2008 3:09 AM

Everyone seems to have different experiences with tires. I have had very good luck with Carlisles and have made multiple trips for Florida to Los Angeles on them. My current McClain trailer was delivered with Carlisles and weighs 12,060 with the Venture 34 on it. I have had Marathon failures, but this is my third trailer with Carlisles with zero failures. I tow at high enough speeds and in hot enough weather that any tire that was going to fail would have..

My McClain trailer also came with Carlisle tires. Couldn't get it any other way.... I tried. Towed the boat home from the trailer lot and changed out 6 tires to a brand I've been happy with. Added two more of those tires on the spare mounts. So yeah, I'm a big believer in Carlisles. Bought a new trailer and then 8 new tires to go with it. Didn't have to "replace" the spares as I was able to order the trailer with just the spare mounts. Got the spare rims elsewhere too. But, like you say, everyone has their own experience with tires.

Back-in-Black · 10-16-2008, 01:22 AM

Marathons!

http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=797583

Gotta love it! Seen similar posts on Carlisles too which also echo my own experiences.

kerno · 10-16-2008, 02:02 AM

Well, they sure don't like the Marathons, do they?

I think every brand seems to go through phases where they build good tires that don't fail and then they cheapen 'em a bit to see if they can get away with it.

In response to the request, here's a shot of my Carlisle equipped trailer. It may look strange having the bunks crosswise like a shipping cradle, but the first time you watch the boat land on it you'll be a believer. There's just no way the boat can get crossed up on the trailer. It lands in the center every time.

offshore3144 · 10-16-2008, 09:28 AM

I have seen way to many trailers with tires that are under rated for the load. I dont think many people take the load rating into consideration when purchasing their trailer tires. You have to specifiy the rating you want or you will not get what you need. I dont care what tire you get if it is not the right rating there is a good chance it is going to blow......Mark

Back-in-Black · 10-16-2008, 02:46 PM

Wow, cool setup Kerno. I bet you can load that boat in the dark, while sleeping!