Are trailer tires thinner than car tires? Lots of nails

[The motor guy]

I keep getting a ton of nails/screws in my trailer tires. The tires are load range E tires just like the truck. For the most part, they're all in the rear two tires. It is a tandem axle. My guess is the front tire kicks up stuff that the rear tire runs over. I don't get any nails in the truck tires. Or atleast not recently (cross fingers), but I get like 5 or 6 in each tire on the trailer. It's a joke at this point. These tires must be thinner than the truck tires or something. Then I only weigh 125lbs, so I can't ever push a tire plug in to fix it myself and always have to pay to have someone do it. I won't do them anymore because I hurt myself years ago becaise I got mad that everyone else just plugs a tire in two seconds like it's nothing and I overdid it and pulled something and it's never been the same since.

 

[JohnnyO]

I read a while ago that trailer tires have stiffer sidewalls than vehicle tires to keep the trailer from swaying.
I don't know if they're thinner but it's likely that the truck tires kick up nails or whatever and then the trailer runs over them.

 

[The motor guy]

I read a while ago that trailer tires have stiffer sidewalls than vehicle tires to keep the trailer from swaying.
I don't know if they're thinner but it's likely that the truck tires kick up nails or whatever and then the trailer runs over them.

I'd think they would be more flexible to make up for not having shock absorbers, but regardless, both are pretty stiff at 80psi with very little sidewall bulging for lack of a better word

 

[4WD]

I keep getting a ton of nails/screws in my trailer tires. The tires are load range E tires just like the truck. For the most part, they're all in the rear two tires. It is a tandem axle. My guess is the front tire kicks up stuff that the rear tire runs over. I don't get any nails in the truck tires. Or atleast not recently (cross fingers), but I get like 5 or 6 in each tire on the trailer. It's a joke at this point. These tires must be thinner than the truck tires or something. Then I only weigh 125lbs, so I can't ever push a tire plug in to fix it myself and always have to pay to have someone do it. I won't do them anymore because I hurt myself years ago becaise I got mad that everyone else just plugs a tire in two seconds like it's nothing and I overdid it and pulled something and it's never been the same since.

I have dead blow hammers in three sizes and have driven in plugs with them - add adhesive to the plug - it lubricates …
(Get a pack of plugs with the proper adhesive)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead-blow_hammer

 

[The motor guy]

I have dead blow hammers in three sizes and have driven in plugs with them - add adhesive to the plug - it lubricates …
(Get a pack of plugs with the proper adhesive)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead-blow_hammer

Not a bad idea! I had several different size dead blow hammers, but a couple of them fell apart and had only been used maybe a couple times. Junk and they were estwing hammers too!

 

[4WD]

Not a bad idea! I had several different size dead blow hammers, but a couple of them fell apart and had only been used maybe a couple times. Junk and they were estwing hammers too!

Think I grabbed them at a Harbor Freight so must have been cheap.
My old compocast was used up - just old.

 

[fantastic]

I'd think they would be more flexible to make up for not having shock absorbers, but regardless, both are pretty stiff at 80psi with very little sidewall bulging for lack of a better word

As @JohnnyO pointed out there are differences in the tires that handle sway & load better. They are not designed for comfort like a passenger vehicle tire.

 

[Jetronic]

I keep getting a ton of nails/screws in my trailer tires. The tires are load range E tires just like the truck. For the most part, they're all in the rear two tires. It is a tandem axle. My guess is the front tire kicks up stuff that the rear tire runs over. I don't get any nails in the truck tires. Or atleast not recently (cross fingers), but I get like 5 or 6 in each tire on the trailer. It's a joke at this point. These tires must be thinner than the truck tires or something. Then I only weigh 125lbs, so I can't ever push a tire plug in to fix it myself and always have to pay to have someone do it. I won't do them anymore because I hurt myself years ago becaise I got mad that everyone else just plugs a tire in two seconds like it's nothing and I overdid it and pulled something and it's never been the same since.

The first axle runs over debris and flips it up, then the second axle hits it point on.

 

[Egg_Head]

The first axle runs over debris and flips it up, then the second axle hits it point on.

This plus the possibility the trailer axle/tires are a different width (wider?) than your truck and ride in an area of the road that this junk gets thrown to.

 

[CharlieJ]

Then I only weigh 125lbs, so I can't ever push a tire plug in to fix it myself and always have to pay to have someone do it. I won't do them anymore because I hurt myself years ago becaise I got mad that everyone else just plugs a tire in two seconds like it's nothing and I overdid it and pulled something and it's never been the same since.

I weigh about 135lbs and had the same problem inserting the plug tool. It sounds crazy, but here's what I would do to get the tire plunge tool in the puncture hole: I would drill out the hole puncture, to enlarge it, with a drill bit about the diameter to the plug tool, which allows the tool to slide in easily and complete the repair. I had to do this a handful of times and the plugs lasted the lifetime of the tires.
The tire plug kit I have resembles this type, for reference:

 

[CapriRacer]

Yes, trailer tires are thinner than regular LT tires, but about the same as passenger car tires. That's all due to tread depth.

LT tires use about 13/32nds new for All Season 15/32nds for All Terrain (Please note: There is a lot of variation.) where ST tires are about the same as passenger car tires - 11/32nds.

But I don't think that's the deciding factor WRT more punctures. I think it's that there are 4 tires kicking up debris towards the trailer.

 

[JohnnyO]

The first axle runs over debris and flips it up, then the second axle hits it point on.

Friend of mine owns a tire shop and claims that (in cars) they see far more punctures in the right rear than any other tire. He says there is more junk near the shoulder of the road (makes sense), the right front kicks up nails and such and the right rear hits it in the air and runs over it.

 

[The motor guy]

I weigh about 135lbs and had the same problem inserting the plug tool. It sounds crazy, but here's what I would do to get the tire plunge tool in the puncture hole: I would drill out the hole puncture, to enlarge it, with a drill bit about the diameter to the plug tool, which allows the tool to slide in easily and complete the repair. I had to do this a handful of times and the plugs lasted the lifetime of the tires.
The tire plug kit I have resembles this type, for reference:

That's what the neighbor told me. He also said don't use the plastic handle type because it can break and stab you in the hand. I didn't know you could drillnit out that much, but I'll try

 

[Jetronic]

That's what the neighbor told me. He also said don't use the plastic handle type because it can break and stab you in the hand. I didn't know you could drillnit out that much, but I'll try

Yeah I always drilled out the puncture, it also helpes to put ait in the tyre with the plug not the whole way through, so it doesn't collapse under pressure as that closes the hole. I rarely took a wheel off to do this.
- find the nail and remove it
- drill hole larger
- insert tip of plug tool, this closes the hole fairly good
- put air in tyre
- and as you're putting air in, push the plug through and pull out tool.
- cut excess cord
- inflate to correct pressure

 

[The motor guy]

Yeah I always drilled out the puncture, it also helpes to put ait in the tyre with the plug not the whole way through, so it doesn't collapse under pressure as that closes the hole. I rarely took a wheel off to do this.
- find the nail and remove it
- drill hole larger
- insert tip of plug tool, this closes the hole fairly good
- put air in tyre
- and as you're putting air in, push the plug through and pull out tool.
- cut excess cord
- inflate to correct pressure

I tried it and it worked!

 

[The motor guy]

I have dead blow hammers in three sizes and have driven in plugs with them - add adhesive to the plug - it lubricates …
(Get a pack of plugs with the proper adhesive)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead-blow_hammer

I tried it and it worked! Very little effort exerted

 

[The motor guy]

I tried it and it worked! Very little effort exerted

You saved me a ton of money, not having to pay $15 every time I get a screw in a tire.

 

[CKN]

I have run several sets of Chinese ST205/ 75-14 tires all over the country with no punctures or blow outs- yes some luck is involved.

 

[The motor guy]

When you move the plug insertion tool. Do you just pull straight out? I've seen guys twist it 180 degrees then pull it out. It just seemed like the plug almost pulled back out when I removed the tool