1958 Shasta "Penny"
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1958 Shasta Airflyte 16
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Post by 1958 Shasta "Penny" on Mar 10, 2015 18:55:36 GMT -8
Need to start looking to find new tires for our '58 Shasta Airflyte. This site says 6.70 x 15 but This site says 7.75 x 14 I'm so confused. Would like to get the tires from Costco <---- link to their trailer tires, but not sure which ones to order. And should I get an extra one for the spare? Also, where is the best (and cheapest) place to get wheels, that will fit moon hub caps. Ours is the five bolt. Thank you in advance for your input!
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Mar 10, 2015 19:39:18 GMT -8
You might want to take a look at "Frames, Brakes and Undercarriage" section. Lots of threads in there involving wheels and tires. Your question is one of the biggies.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Mar 10, 2015 19:44:34 GMT -8
Many moons ago, the tire industry converted their sizing over to metric sizing and added much more information on the tire side wall. You will find many sites that will give you the tire spec (height, width, load capacity) to make sure you get tires that will clear your frame, springs, fender wells. You will not find tires marked with the old sizing unless you by tires from Coker, or Diamond Back which is not necessary. Remember, bigger is not always better, because the newer tires are wider (also usually radial) than the old sizes.
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Post by vintagebruce on Mar 11, 2015 6:14:04 GMT -8
It has been mentioned to me in the past, as I think John Palmer is alluding to above, that camper tires should not be radial tires. That it is best to source the proper size 6-ply or 8-ply tire. I look for a more narrow tire so I can change it easier.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Mar 11, 2015 7:23:33 GMT -8
It has been mentioned to me in the past, as I think John Palmer is alluding to above, that camper tires should not be radial tires. That it is best to source the proper size 6-ply or 8-ply tire. I look for a more narrow tire so I can change it easier. Bruce actually I'm all in favor of running radial trailer tires, just as long as they fit, and are also the correct load rating.
The problem is that not all tires of the same "marked size" have the same actual "measured size". This makes it very difficult to compare tire sizes in a forum discussion. You need to mount the tires/wheels and check for any obstructions to make sure nothing will hit or rub on the inside when the suspension travels. Modern radial tires are wider in the cross section, which may cause a fit problem for our old style trailers.
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Post by bigbill on Mar 11, 2015 8:09:27 GMT -8
Need to start looking to find new tires for our '58 Shasta Airflyte. This site says 6.70 x 15 but This site says 7.75 x 14 I'm so confused. Would like to get the tires from Costco <---- link to their trailer tires, but not sure which ones to order. And should I get an extra one for the spare? Also, where is the best (and cheapest) place to get wheels, that will fit moon hub caps. Ours is the five bolt. Thank you in advance for your input! You need to purchase wheels and tires that match and the wheels have to fit your hubs plus be of the right width with the proper back spacing plus fit the hub caps you wish to use. Once you arrive at that amount of information then you can buy the proper size tires to fit your wheels and trailer. As John and others mentioned buying a stronger tire (more ply rating) is a very very good idea. I like to have my tire weight capacity be twice or more the total loaded weight of my trailer. when pricing tires you will discover that there is a relatively small increase in price for tires with a higher ply rating and when you factor in damage a failed tire can cause plus the fun of changing it along side the road they are really cheap. I also like radial tires as they roll easier taking some strain off your tow vehicle. Radial/bais tires have been argued for years but if you check the professsional trucks and trailers that are on the road you will discover radials on most. When radials first came out in trailer tires there was some problems but they have long ago been solved. Once you buy your wheels and tires make sure you keep them properly inflated as low pressure allows more flex which causes heat build up which causes tire failure. Follow mobiltec's advice for more information.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Mar 11, 2015 12:15:03 GMT -8
There really is no easy answer to this question. Especially with trailers like the Shastas. Back in the day, the cars were lower than the SUVs of today. People towed with family cars. Station wagons and coupes. The wheels were more slender in width and so were the tires. Plus they used a smaller profile of tire making the trailer set very low. The dirt roads back then were maintained much better than the asphalt roads of today also. Pot holes really didn't exist due to the lack of pavement.
In order to get the look that you want and the height in profile that you want for today's needs, something has to give. And usually what people do is sacrifice easy removal and installation for that look. But when it comes time to replace the tires, or if you have a flat on the highway, you will start to make up some new cuss words for sure. I have a plan and I am going to try it out on the 59 Shasta. I'd like to know what you all think of this idea.
What about a "quick disconnect shackle"? That way you could drop the tire down quite a bit making the change much easier. Then start to drop the trailer back down on the jack until the spring eye slips into the perch. Slip the quick disconnect busing in there and lock it with a locking ring and away you go...
What cha think?
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Post by bigbill on Mar 11, 2015 18:07:08 GMT -8
I think it would be easier and safer to reshape the wheel well openings. The shackle you describe would be fine clear up till someone didn't secure it properly or it rusted tight or ?. The main problem would be the idiot factor.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Mar 11, 2015 18:46:06 GMT -8
I think it would be easier and safer to reshape the wheel well openings. The shackle you describe would be fine clear up till someone didn't secure it properly or it rusted tight or ?. The main problem would be the idiot factor. Oh no Bill. The connection would be the exact same bolt and bushing that connects them now. It would only be done with new springs and there would be a locking ring instead of a cotter key for the castle nut. That would be the only thing quick about it. It would be as strong as they have always been but easily disconnected once pressure is released by raising the trailer.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Mar 11, 2015 20:23:46 GMT -8
Larry your idea would work, but I'm with BigBill on the concern for the idiot factor!
I think you could accomplish the same effect easier/quicker with two small scissors jacks. Place one between the axle and the trailer frame, then the second jack between the axle and the ground. That should give you the extra inch or so that is so critical on a tire change. Safety as always is to use a jack stand under the frame.
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Post by kto17 on Mar 12, 2015 5:36:46 GMT -8
The problem I see with Larry's idea is real life scenario. Flat tire on the side of the interstate. Trailer barely fits the emergency lane. Due to the flat and the slope of the road surface for drainage the trailer is leaning. As soon as you disconnect that shackle it will flex in that direction as the weight transfers to the jack and due to the tire on the other side being stationary and the solid axle across connecting three flat side, the shackle will not line back up.
As John described above, I used the conversion online from the old size tire on my trailer that fit perfect and was easily changed to the radial modern size. When I got my beautiful Diamondback whitewalls I could barely get then on. The ground was barely sloped and it was enough on the low side that it would not fit.
I try to always use the KISS principle: here is my idea and so far it works;
Keep an extra scissor style car jack and jack up the trailer as normal. Then with the scissor jack place it between the frame and axle and jack the axle down for the required clearance for the tire change.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Mar 12, 2015 12:07:30 GMT -8
Larry your idea would work, but I'm with BigBill on the concern for the idiot factor! I think you could accomplish the same effect easier/quicker with two small scissors jacks. Place one between the axle and the trailer frame, then the second jack between the axle and the ground. That should give you the extra inch or so that is so critical on a tire change. Safety as always is to use a jack stand under the frame. Well that's a pretty good idea that I have never heard about before. Thanks for the tip. I got my idea from 4 wheeling. There is a shackle made that actually extends beyond the normal length when the axle droops more. It's like two shackles hinged that fold out as the axle droops. They also have quick disconnect sway bars to allow more droop in the front axle.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Mar 12, 2015 19:34:30 GMT -8
Larry your idea would work, but I'm with BigBill on the concern for the idiot factor! I think you could accomplish the same effect easier/quicker with two small scissors jacks. Place one between the axle and the trailer frame, then the second jack between the axle and the ground. That should give you the extra inch or so that is so critical on a tire change. Safety as always is to use a jack stand under the frame. Well that's a pretty good idea that I have never heard about before. Thanks for the tip. I got my idea from 4 wheeling. There is a shackle made that actually extends beyond the normal length when the axle droops more. It's like two shackles hinged that fold out as the axle droops. They also have quick disconnect sway bars to allow more droop in the front axle. I had a 16' Hobie Cat sail boat many years ago. As you know, it's a catamaran boat. When you tip it over and the sail is filled with water it's very hard for one person to right it. They developed a quick release side guy wire clamp that you could pull a pin and it extended the wire by about a foot and because of the change in leverage, it became very easy to right. Then just sail it into the wind and simply flip the latch back, and you were good to go. It sounds like your off road Four Wheel shackles. I'd bet all these kinds of items are designed in the middle of the night, on a napkin.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Mar 13, 2015 7:10:32 GMT -8
Well that's a pretty good idea that I have never heard about before. Thanks for the tip. I got my idea from 4 wheeling. There is a shackle made that actually extends beyond the normal length when the axle droops more. It's like two shackles hinged that fold out as the axle droops. They also have quick disconnect sway bars to allow more droop in the front axle. I had a 16' Hobie Cat sail boat many years ago. As you know, it's a catamaran boat. When you tip it over and the sail is filled with water it's very hard for one person to right it. They developed a quick release side guy wire clamp that you could pull a pin and it extended the wire by about a foot and because of the change in leverage, it became very easy to right. Then just sail it into the wind and simply flip the latch back, and you were good to go. It sounds like your off road Four Wheel shackles. I'd bet all these kinds of items are designed in the middle of the night, on a napkin. You're probably right John. Say we have a lot more in common than we knew. I used to race Sol Cats in Newport Beach. Raced to Catalina and back many times. So I know exactly what you are talking about. Some cats have a float bubble on the top of the mast to keep it from sinking. Hobie cats were known for pitch poling. My Sol never did that because of the hull design. A droop extending shackle would accomplish the same thing without the quick release bushing and bolt but I thought that might be a little dangerous on a trailer. But extending the droop with a scissors jack sounds like the ticket for sure. I'll have to try that on the 59.
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