Tires for 2006 3326K

**newtome3326k** · 06-14-2010, 09:18 PM

What would be the best tire to replace my 14's on my 2006 3326K? I realize that we have a dual axel and would it be ok to stick with the 14's? We have a long trip planned and don't want tire trouble. To put 15's on would depend on whether or not it has the lift installed and where would you look to see if that is even possible? Thanks

Wavery · 06-14-2010, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newtome3326k

What would be the best tire to replace my 14's on my 2006 3326K? I realize that we have a dual axel and would it be ok to stick with the 14's? We have a long trip planned and don't want tire trouble. To put 15's on would depend on whether or not it has the lift installed and where would you look to see if that is even possible? Thanks

15's won't hurt but aren't at all necessary. If the 14's are rated @ 1750 each, that would give you 3500# per side or a total of 7000#. No way that you are anywhere close to that.

**Bill** · 06-15-2010, 08:12 AM

I agree with Wayne about tire capacity. But as has been written, tire failures are not necessarily due to overloaded tires. They can also be due to bad valve stems, which release a little puff of air each time the tire goes around. So take a look at your valve stems. Are they made entirely of rubber? If so, push each stem to the side, in several directions, and look for cracks in the rubber. If you find any cracks at all, have the valve stems replaced with metal ones before you leave on your trip. Yes, it will require dismounting, remounting, and rebalancing the tires, which costs a few bucks - but if it saves a problem on the road, it is well worth it.

You can search for "valve stems" to find more info. Look especially for posts by wmtire, our tire guru.

Bill

06-15-2010, 10:37 AM

I went to a Goodyear website and read a pdf file on Marathons. I found the following quote.

• Based on industry standards, if tires with the ST designation are used at speeds between 66 and 75 mph,
it is necessary to increase the cold inflation pressures by 10 psi above the recommended pressure for the load.
o Do not exceed the maximum pressure for the wheel.
o If the maximum pressure for the wheel prohibits the increase of air pressure, then the
maximum speed must be restricted to 65 mph.
o The cold inflation pressure must not exceed 10 psi beyond the inflation specified for the maximum load of the tire

I have thought about my three 14# Marathon blowouts and all occurred at high speeds, high outdoor temperatures and only 50# in the tires.

My question to others is have you tried to put 60# in these Marathons and how did it work out.

06-15-2010, 05:10 PM

I ran 60 PSI in mine, ran them for three years, no problem. I don't tow faster than 65 MPH.

The tires did show signs of over-inflation (center wearing more than edges). There's some debate over whether this means you can inflate over the sidewall indicated max pressure or not - or if this just means that if you only need 40 PSI to support the load, then you can inflate to 50 PSI and gain 10 MPH.

Of course I might just have gotten lucky. Don't know.

**newtome3326k** · 06-16-2010, 04:11 PM

I had the tires balanced and the stems replaced when we bought it from a private seller in 2008 and have not noticed any problems but with them being 4-5 years old don't want to chance it. How can you tell if it is lifted and 15 inches would fit? Thanks again Cyndi

**Bill** · 06-16-2010, 05:27 PM

Cyndi -

The real question is not whether it is lifted - we all (including me) got bogged down in that question for quite a while. The real question is whether or not you have sufficient clearance above the tire, so that the suspension can compress without driving the tire up into the wheel well liner.

This is easy to determine. With the TM open, take off the fender skirt, and measure the amount of clearance between the top of the tire and the wheel well liner above it. Dexter Axle says there should be 3 inches of clearance, to allow complete compression of the suspension. If you have a bit more than 3 inches, you are good to go with the conversion.

I don't know whether Dexter's required clearance was from a fully relaxed state (no weight on the axle and so no compression) or from a loaded but static state. So I assumed it was from loaded - the worst case. In my case, I had almost exactly 3 inches with the old 14 inch tires, so when I installed the 15 inch tires, I had a bit less than three inches. I decided to go ahead with the conversion anyway, since I expect never to encounter a situation in which I will fully compress the suspension. I'm taking a chance, of course, but I'm willing to accept the risk - and drive accordingly.

Bill

**newtome3326k** · 06-16-2010, 09:15 PM

Thanks Bill
I will measure and then go from there. This question has appeared before but will ask anyway. What rim bolt pattern should I look for if there is enough clearance? Thanks again Cyndi

**Bill** · 06-17-2010, 08:31 AM

Cyndi -

You want exactly the same bolt pattern that you have now, of course, and it is apparently the most common one for both 14-inch and 15-inch trailer wheels. It is known as 5 on 4 1/2, meaning 5 holes on a 4 1/2 inch pattern. I seem to recall that the "pattern" seems odd - it is something like 4 1/2 inches from the center(?) of one hole to the center(?) of the second hole away - not the closest hole. Or maybe it was not from the center of the holes but from the edges? Anyway, somewhere in the Tires ... forum is a post by wmtire that explains it. For the moment, I think your best bet is to simply measure the bolt pattern you have now. Given the name of the pattern, and your own measurement, you should be good to go.

Bill

[Edit - see post #4 here http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=6863]

**newtome3326k** · 06-17-2010, 08:52 PM

Thanks again Bill, Will let you know how it turns out. Cyndi