Replacing Tires on Parkliner

[Huck]

I have a 2014 Parkliner and am thinking about replacing the tires. The current tires are HI-RUN (China) ST205/75R14.

Do I just specify I need ST205/75R14 for a trailer? Are there any dimensions that aren't standard? Are tires balanced on a trailer?

Thanks

[Jon in AZ]

Yes. No, but there may be small variations among manufacturers for the same size tire. Sometimes- they should be, but it requires special equipment, so some shops don't bother. You have to ask.

I would look for a reputable brand, not just the cheapest available. Which brands are "reputable" is hotly debated...

[WizWid]

Originally Posted by Huck

Are tires balanced on a trailer?

They should be - they are large masses spinning fast.
You balance your tow vehicle tires right?

[floyd]

I like Carlisle HDs or maybe try the new Goodyear Endurance.
Yes, have them balanced.
You will need the "load range" likely "C" possibly "D".
That too will be on the sidewall.

If you are going to use the same wheels ,no other specs are needed.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by widgetwizard

They should be - they are large masses spinning fast.
You balance your tow vehicle tires right?

OK, In that case do you use lug-centric or hub-centric balancing?

An excerpt from my favorite source of trailer knowledge:

Question:
do I need to balance my camper tires like a car tire if no why not Ive never seen trailer tires with balance weights on them why is that

asked by: Bill K

Expert Reply:
You ask a very good question.

Trailer tires do not have to be dynamically balanced like passenger car tires do since a trailer tire's primary duty is supporting a vertical load. Steering and cornering concerns apply less to trailer tires. Passenger car tires on the other hand benefit from being fully balanced since passengers might otherwise feel the irregularities at higher speeds.

Our trailer wheel/tire combination products are joined by the manufacturer so that the tire's low spot is matched to the wheel's high spot. This matching provides a degree of balancing that is sufficient for trailer use. As an example, the Taskmaster 14-inch wheel with 215/75R14 tire, part # TTWA21514RTM45WS, is given this high/low matching before it is shipped.

You certainly can have your trailer tires fully balanced if you wish, but this is not essential. If you buy new tires for a set of rims, you can have them balanced. If you do balance trailer tires, remember that many trailer wheels are centered by the position of the lug bolts (these wheels are lug-centric) and not by the center bore of the wheel. To get the best tire balance for lug-centric wheels, you should have them balanced by a shop that uses a pin plate adapter. This mimics the way a lug-centric wheel is mounted to a hub and will result in the best balance.

Source: https://www.etrailer.com/question-135668.html

[WizWid]

Originally Posted by gordon2

OK, In that case do you use lug-centric or hub-centric balancing?

An excerpt from my favorite source of trailer knowledge:

Question:
do I need to balance my camper tires like a car tire if no why not Ive never seen trailer tires with balance weights on them why is that

asked by: Bill K

Expert Reply:
You ask a very good question.

Trailer tires do not have to be dynamically balanced like passenger car tires do since a trailer tire's primary duty is supporting a vertical load. Steering and cornering concerns apply less to trailer tires. Passenger car tires on the other hand benefit from being fully balanced since passengers might otherwise feel the irregularities at higher speeds.

Our trailer wheel/tire combination products are joined by the manufacturer so that the tire's low spot is matched to the wheel's high spot. This matching provides a degree of balancing that is sufficient for trailer use. As an example, the Taskmaster 14-inch wheel with 215/75R14 tire, part # TTWA21514RTM45WS, is given this high/low matching before it is shipped.

You certainly can have your trailer tires fully balanced if you wish, but this is not essential. If you buy new tires for a set of rims, you can have them balanced. If you do balance trailer tires, remember that many trailer wheels are centered by the position of the lug bolts (these wheels are lug-centric) and not by the center bore of the wheel. To get the best tire balance for lug-centric wheels, you should have them balanced by a shop that uses a pin plate adapter. This mimics the way a lug-centric wheel is mounted to a hub and will result in the best balance.

Source: https://www.etrailer.com/question-135668.html

lug-centric of course. But if the wheel was stamped centrally - hub centric would work too.

Jim

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by widgetwizard

lug-centric of course. But if the wheel was stamped centrally - hub centric would work too.

Jim

Yes it was a rhetorical question. But will the shop do it that way? Unless you watch them and know the difference you won't know how they did the balancing. I tend to think its not very important anyway as long as they are not wildly out of balance, but I still got mine balanced (in addition to getting upgraded metal valve stems).

[WizWid]

Originally Posted by gordon2

......I tend to think its not very important anyway as long as they are not wildly out of balance.....

Then I must assume you have never ridden in a travel trailer at highway speeds...

[floyd]

Silly question....
I think you can trust a tire shop to balance a trailer tire!

Actually nearly all wheels are are bored with the center hole concentric with the bolt pattern on tapered seat wheels.
So, hub centric balancing will work regardless of center hole size,
Some think that the hub must fit tight to the wheel hole for load reasons.
For those who are concerned, there are insert spacers to supposedly prevent stress on the studs. If the bolt pattern were not concentric with the center hole on a tapered seat wheel with a center hole which fits the hub, the wheel could not be mounted to the hub. They MUST be concentric...rendering the question moot.
If you happen across a wheel with an eccentric center hole or bolt pattern...
get a new wheel!

[Steve L.]

So much for etrailer's expert. Match mounting involves matching the tire high point to the wheel low point, not the other way around. Match mounting accounts for force variation not mass variation. Match mounting has no correlation to balancing. If a matched tire/wheel has lower imbalance it’s a fluke. I may be a bit in the weeds but if he’s going there he ought to get his facts right.

[George Lauver]

Because of a tire rub issue when I purchased my previously owned 2013 PL; I switched out the 205's for the 185R14C LT radial tire. Love them!

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Huck

I have a 2014 Parkliner and am thinking about replacing the tires. The current tires are HI-RUN (China) ST205/75R14.

Do I just specify I need ST205/75R14 for a trailer? Are there any dimensions that aren't standard? Are tires balanced on a trailer?

Thanks

I suggest you search for threads on Parkliner. A few years ago there was a problem with tire rub. It was fixed by replacing the tires.

[Thomasl]

Replaced the chinese tires on my 2014 Parkliner with Goodyear Endurance 205/75R14. Rides and handles 100% better.

[Bill Berry]

Hi Huck,
I received my PL in early 2013. I noticed the tire rubbing issue about the time it became a big issue on this forum. I took this up with Chandler as he was trying to figure out what was going on. It turns out that, as Jon in AZ commented, "that there may be small variations among manufacturers." One of those small variations turns out to be the diameter of the tires. Chandler designed the ParkLiner using a particular brand of tires assuming that all tires of the same "size" would really be the same size. They aren't. That is perfectly understandable to me. Chandler replaced my original tires without charge. He was very helpful and cordial throughout the process as I did not approach the issue in a confrontational manner.

So, what I would do when mounting new tires is to measure the inflated circumference of my old tires and purchase new ones with a similar circumference that also met my other desires related to brand, etc. Hope that this helps.

[Bill Berry]

And, by the way, I did have my PL tires balanced. Cheap & easy. Perhaps, as some say unnecessary, but why not?

[1500]

Yes have them balanced.

When I replaced my trailer tires, I found most shops will not remove the tires from the trailer. I ended up taking the tires off myself and having the shop put the new rubber on.

Keep and eye on the speed and weight ratting of any tire you are looking to put on.