Is it time to replace the tires on your Great Dane trailer, or can they be repaired? When the tires on your trailer become damaged, it’s often hard to tell if they’re salvageable. What should you look for when inspecting your tires for signs of life?
Common Signs of Damaged Tires
Routine and frequent visual inspections of your tires are among the most important fleet trailer maintenance tasks you can do to ensure a timely, safe trip. Watch for tires with shallow tread that has worn down to indicators or “wear bars.” Regularly check your tires punctures from nails, cracks, bulges, splits, a “choppy” appearance, and low pressure, which often indicates hidden damage. Tires that are compromised will also showcase uneven wear, typically from neglected or improper alignment.
How to Tell How Much Tire Trouble You’re In
If the tires on your Great Dane trailer aren’t looking so great, a quick trip to your local trailer repair shop is recommended. Though it can be tempting to carry on with your delivery, give your wheels a rest. Regardless of the level of damage to your tires, driving on compromised tires is dangerous. Tires damaged from roadways incidents, such as running over objects in the road, pose a substantial risk for blowouts.
The Repair Versus Replacement Conundrum
The seasoned pros at Ainsworth trailer repair have seen some pretty terrible tires. We’re experts on when replacement is necessary for your safety, helping you avoid the need for costly mobile trailer repairs. As with other damaged items, there are sure signs of the need for tire replacement.
- Low tread depth.
Any tires with a tread depth of less than 1.66mm are too worn for repair. Worn tires are unsafe, offering minimal traction. They cannot channel water and snow. Replacing worn tires now helps you avoid citations and “out of service” violations. - Deep, wide, or high punctures.
Holes and splits greater than a quarter of an inch, damage near preexisting repairs, destruction deep enough to expose steel belts, and damage to the sidewall cannot be repaired or patched. - Sidewall damage from underinflation/leaks.
We frequently see vehicles limped in for tire repair on underinflated tires, which generates a lot of heat. This is a fast way to destroy tires. In this situation, it’s best to throw on a spare to avoid replacement.
Skip the Plug – Schedule Fast, Permanent Repairs Now
We’ve seen an assortment of DIY solutions in our semi trailer repair shop. We know they’re tempting, but we urge you to skip the plug. We can get you in and out of our trailer repair fast lanes in minutes – not hours or days. Unlike our lasting repairs, plugs are a quick fix and, unfortunately, often cause extensive internal damage to tires that is impossible to repair. A quick internet search will show you stop leak sprays are even worse.
Fix a flat on your Great Dane trailer without delay. From repair to a wide range of in-stock replacement tires, we’ve got you covered. Get back on your way fast with the help of Ainsworth Trailer Repair today.
