Is max. tire pressure for steel wheel stamped on wheel? Where?

[DennisT]

From what I've gleaned from other posts/search, the maximum allowable/safe pressure for Keystone provided steel wheels is stamped on each wheel, (so as to not over-pressure the capacity of the wheel itself regardless of any size tire mounted.)

Where is this stamped? Does tire have to be dis-mounted to find the stamp? I want to go from 205x75x15 6 ply to same size 8 ply and that jumps my tire pressure from 50 to 65 pounds. Likely that will be OK, but I'd rather see a stamp.

All my Keystone original TT documentation contains absolutely nothing about wheels.

Thanks,
Dennis

[hankpage]

Yes, the wheels are stamped .... some (most) are stamped inside the rim so tire must be removed .... also some are stamped with max load in lbs. and must be compared with tires' max load. JMHO but I think you will be fine with only a 10 psi increase, Hank

[DennisT]

Thank you. What I might do is pull off the still-new spare and take it in to tire store. They can dis-mount if needed, check wheel and we can go from there.

I'm still on the fence between Maxxis and Schwab's Gladiator. I am still intrigued by the heavy duty appearance of the Gladiator. Schwab locally treats me really well, better than most of their city, high-volume, rush-rush stores. Here he might be able to get me Maxxis, but warns me Schwab doesn't guarantee them as well.

Dennis

[Ron]

Originally Posted by hankpage

Yes, the wheels are stamped .... some (most) are stamped inside the rim so tire must be removed .... also some are stamped with max load in lbs. and must be compared with tires' max load. JMHO but I think you will be fine with only a 10 psi increase, Hank

Hank is correct here, also they can be stamped on the back side of the wheel on one of the spokes or near a wheel hole depending on the design. Most wheels that are supplied to RV manafacturers come from (Tredit Tire), you can look on there web site to see what wheel you have, call them and possible get the info you are looking for....[URL="http://tredittire.com"]

[DennisT]

Ron, that's a pretty interesting website. I studied their wheels, and it quickly became apparent I do not have one of theirs. At least mine does not match their photo.

I'll have the tire store look into my wheel in person.

Dennis

[chuck&gail]

IMHO you need to find the rating. Adding 15 psi doesn't seem like much, but note inflating a LR-D tire to 65 psi on a LR-C rim is a THIRTY PERCENT OVERLOAD. Sounds like more that way.

[CWtheMan]

Rims are required to have a lot of information on them. Air pressure and load rating are not required. In fact, the DOT does not regulate the air pressure or load ratings. The SAE has the task to test and certify rims.

The best information will be found at the individual rim manufacturer. Their information is on each rim along with part numbers/model numbers and size. Give them a call and provide them with the information from your rim for a quick answer.

CW

[DennisT]

I try so hard to be safe and reliable. The gray areas of tires and wheels are beginning to make me wonder why I bought this TT in the first place.

Sorry - that just came out from frustration.

I really want new tires I, "know," (whatever that is...), that give me a little extra strength/safety margin. I do not intend to load the TT any more than normal.

I took the spare to tire dealer this afternoon. Les Schwab. I and they found the shallow stampings on the inside of the wheel. Written as 1820 pounds as load rating. It appears to be a 5" wheel, not having broken it down and measured.

Oddly, the factory, "tire," sticker on my Springdale says it has 205x75x14. But I actually have 15" tires.

At the dealer we found the mfg. date on the tire which was 28th week, 2007. So that confirms my desire for new tires. No maker name that we could find on the wheel, but stampings are shallow. Plain steel wheel, white, 10-hole disk and 5 lugs. Trailer GVWR 7740 lb. 3500# axles; tandem, of course.

Schwab says my wheel should be fine for going up from C rating to D rating, of 2150 at 65 pounds. Now I don't agree with the 2150 when the wheel clearly states the 1820 load rating.

If I don't load the trailer any differently, I wont come to the wheel load rating anyway, so that would be a mute point. What is not clear is if the wheel will withstand 65 pounds air pressure, which, apparently is what I should run with D rated tires stating, "max. pressure, 65#."

If I find that my wheels are inadequate in terms of pressure rating, then to get D rated tires safely, I need new wheels.

Then I get into wheel well clearance problems....?......

And money. I'm retired; this could run me out of business just trying to be safe and find a margin of extra safety.

I'll look again to see if I can find who made these wheels.

Dennis
2009 Springdale 266RL 26'

[diugo]

You've got tire ratings, rim ratings, and axle ratings. The axle rating is the lowest one here, and thus the most important. With 3500lb axles, no wheel should exceed 1750lb. The ST205/75R15C tire is rated 4% higher, 1820lb at 50psi---which matches your rim to a tee.

The real question is, what is the actual load on each wheel? You may be making a mountain out of a molehill if it's nowhere near 1750lb.

On the other hand, if you ARE close, then using LRDs on a rim rated at only 1820lb is not the solution. Shame on Schwab for even suggesting it. If you really want LRDs, you'll have to spring for 65psi rims as well. Make sure the rims fit your 5-lug hubs.

I would weigh the rig before doing anything else.

[Festus2]

Dennis -
From what you have posted so far, it seems to me that you are looking at two options as replacements for your aging tires:

1) Purchase a set of good quality 6 ply tires, such as Maxxis. These sell for around $110 each and have a load range of 1820 lbs which is suitable for your current wheels/rim. By doing this, you eliminate the possibility of having to get a new set of wheels/rims with an 8 ply tire at 65 psi. So, you will be saving some $$ in the process.

2) Purchase a set of good quality 8 ply tires, such as Maxxis. They are slightly more expensive and have a load range of 2150 which may not be suitable for your wheels. You won't know this until you get your unit weighed or until you can verify this with the wheel manufacturer. If it turns out that you need to get new wheels, this will end up costing you more $$$$.

Note that both the Maxxis 6 and 8 ply tires have identical outside diameters and seating width so there shouldn't be any issues with clearances.

I think you should be good with Maxxis 6 ply tires. They would be a big improvement over the originals, are highly recommended and have an excellent reputation. They should provide you with the sense of safety and reliability you are looking for and would be the easiest solution to your problem IMO. Less hassle and less money but you still end up with a quality replacement.

[DennisT]

The last few post had really good suggestions. I appreciate that.

I'm tied up for a few days with obligations. As soon as that passes, I'm taking the trailer into town to the grain elevator and weigh it. After that I will act on one of the posted suggestions.

I've always felt secure with beefy running gear, wheels and tires. Yes, I may be over-reacting. I just look at those skimpy wheels and tires on most TT's, and I begin looking for upgrades.

diugo is right; I'll weigh the trailer.

Dennis