Balance and rotate?

[bryan28]

Ordered a boat recently with a tandem axle trailer. Won't be here until around April but I want to be ready for it. Do you need to balance and rotate trailer tires? If so, how often and what pattern do you use when rotating them? Thanks

 

[MADDOG]

Like tires on your car or tow vehicle, trailer tires that are balanced ensure proper tire wear and reduce vibration.

Single axle boat-trailer tires usually don't need to be rotated. A tandem axle trailer rotation isn't necessary unless you notice increased wear that's occurring faster than normal on one or more tires in comparison with the others on the trailer.

 

[GsRAM]

Md is spot on as usual. I do rotate my tires front to
back on the same side while i have them off for annual inspection, just in case
Maybe one axle is slightly aligned different than the other one. Probably not necessary, but i pull both at the same time so why not.

If your like most, your tires will dry crack long before you ever wear out the tread

 

[Pull Ya]

IMHO Depending on the size of trailer tire, you may very well have a tread separation before any dry rot begins. 13",14" and 15" are the worst with Goodyear Marathons leading the pack. Remember most trailer tires are max speed rated at 65mph. Also if you do a lot of towing I would recommend getting Maxxis trailer tires. I've never had a failure with them and I've pulled lots and lots of miles with boats-single axle, double axle and triple axle also.
Jay

 

[quickster2]

Definitely balance your trailer tires. Beyond the wear to the tires and trailer bearings anything loaded on your trailer will benefit from the smoother ride.