On Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:29:30 -0800, Bruce L. Bergman
wrote:

On Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:55:58 GMT, (dan) wrote:

What's that Lassie? You say that stryped fell down the old
rec.crafts.metalworking mine and will die if we don't mount a rescue
by Wed, 4 Feb 2009 05:37:06 -0800 (PST):

I have a trailer with 215/70/15 inch tires. Two of the tires
constantly goes flat over a period of about a week. I went to tractor
supply and bought a 14/15 passanger radial tire tube yesterday.

Someone has to ask: How old are the tires, and what kind of shape
are they in? If they are 15 years old and weather checked all to
heck, time to go get new tires and save the best old one for a spare.

Because putting a tube in it masks the fact that it's dry-rotting
away and ready to blow. Trust me, that's not fun to deal with,
especially if you are pushing the load limits of the tow vehicle.

Remember: If you go for passenger car or LT (Light Truck) tires
instead of the ST (Special Trailer) tires, you have to add 25% extra
load, usually bumping up two notches on the Load Rating scale from a B
to a D or E. That usually removes the financial advantage of using
passenger or LT tires.

And they will rot out faster - ST tires have extra oxidation
inhibitors in the rubber because trailers sit unused for long periods.

Is there a good way I can take this tire off at home and install the
tube and tire without a professional tire changer? I have done it on
the small 4.80 wheels, but nothing this big.

Ir is this impossible and I am asking for trouble?

Quite possible. I did it on a 13in tire without any special tools.
Pull the guts out of the valve stem. I used a long length of 2x4 to
pound the bead off the rim.

Just don't get too vigorous - you don't want to bend or break the
steel wires in the core of the bead, and you don't want to damage the
sidewall of the tire either.

There are several hand bead breakers for motorcycles and ATV's that
you can use. Or just the stomp on one side trick...

After you get the bead seated, deflate the tube to empty one last
time before replacing the core and filling for good, so if the tube is
twisted it can untwist.

And mark the tire so you can re-install it in the same position on the
rim if it is balanced.

Don't worry about the balance too much - the tube is most likely
molded uneven, so it will change the balance point. If you can see or
feel it hopping go get it balanced, otherwise don't bother.

-- Bruce --
ANd if you are planning on putting passenger tires on a trailer, take
the rims in and DO NOT tell them they are going on a trailer. Don't
know about where you are, but no tire shop up here will install P
rated (or even LT) tires on a trailer _NO WAY.

And just a word of advice - don't waste your money putting P rated
tires on a trailer anyway. Can make an otherwise well behaved trailer
into a towing nightmare - while ST tires can do the exact opposite.