Tongue Weight?

[merlot566jka]

So I want to build an external tire rack onto an M105A2. I need to be able to take 10 9.00x20 wheels with tires with me on a long trip. I think the best places is forward of the box (box will be full and so will the bed), but I dont know much about towing and trailers. I know the deuce can handle the weight on the tongue. I highly doubt I will be able to lift the trailer off of the hitch when the time comes. Is there a clever solution here? Perhaps a balancing act?

Thanks folks.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Let me see if I have this right. You are taking a long deuce trip and towing an M105 trailer, so far? Now you want to take 10 additional mounted 900x20 tires, right? Now the trailer is going to be full and you want to hang all these tires outside the trailer somehow? Do you know what 10 mounted tires weigh? I do, they weigh 1700#. I would consider taking a few extra tires and maybe a sack of tubes and tire tools. I have seen pics of guntrucks in Viet Nam with a row of tires in the back of the bed but their situation was a little more dire if you will.
Oh, a stack of 10 mounted tires will be over 7' tall.

 

[Squirt-Truck]

Tongue weight is listed to be 10% of total trailer weight. You can go to 15% but transportation guidance does not recommend it. Best I recall a 105 has a fully laden weight of about 6000#. That equates to 600# of tongue weight, without adding load to the tongue. This does not sound like a good idea, excess tongue weight can and does make for poor handling characteristics. If you need to carry that much extra stuff, you should consider a larger trailer, BUT be mindful of the 2-1/2 tons rated trailer capacity and brakes, on both ends.

 

[merlot566jka]

yikes. I didnt realize they weighed that much. Throwing them around the yard one by one kind of takes the reality out of 10 of them!

ok so if I load them flat in the trailer, and stack my stuff on top, that would be a better idea? My stuff, is houshold items, tools, air compressor, electronics and some clothes. Probably not more than 1500 lbs. Plus the tires... I am at capacity for the trailer....

 

[doghead]

If you have 70 psi in your tires, you could let all the air out of those spares and that would lighten you up by 700 pounds, right?

 

[steelandcanvas]

You're yankin' our chain, right?

 

[merlot566jka]

hmmm, brilliant! I wish it worked that way!

Maybe I'll fill the tires with helium..or better hydrogen! That should lighten the load.

 

[doghead]

Unfortunately the weight dif between air and helium is so little, you would barely loose a pound, between all 10 tires.


Why do you want to haul so many tires?

 

[Recovry4x4]

All of this begs the question. Why so many spares? Is this prepping for the demise of deuce tires or the de-inventing of compressed air? I admit, I'm riddled.

 

[merlot566jka]

I have a set of M135 singles with 11x20 radials, but I dont want the single style wheels, I want the gas mileage on this trip though. So I am going to take my 9.00x20s off, and keep them for a full set of 10 11.00x20s later. I will mount up the M135 wheels with the 11.00x20 tires for this trip, and when I arrive at my destination I will list them for sale.

I probably wont save a huge amount of fuel, but keeping the rpms as low as possible sounds like a good enough reason to swap to the single wheels.

 

[Bighurt]

I think your nuts....and more so than the rest of us MV freaks.

IMO you don't need 10 spares, and I'd be willing to bet in a given year no one person has gone through 10 tires. If you swap NDT's for radials you'll get far better life out of tires. As for flats etc. tubes are easily replaced. Changing a duece tire will work you over anyways, replacing a tube will just save the hefting of the tire into the trailer.

As for tongue weight DOT recommends 15-20% of the trailer GVW. However I prefer to have a hitch that will handle 25-30% vertical load, gives you that 25% safety margin. Of course your hitch should be rated at 125% the GVWR of the trailer to keep the same safety margin.

If I where you I would carry 1 spare for the truck and one for the trailer. Unless the duece has 10k in the bed, you can run singled in the event you loose more tire do to catastrophe or whatever.

 

[merlot566jka]

The consensus is to ditch the 10 wheels and tires and just stay with singles. Maybe keep a couple for spares…

I think I conveyed the message wrong. I don’t want or need 10 spare tires. ha-ha, that is just out right dumb. I would have more spares than actual tires on the ground!

I have 10 wheels that I want to keep because I am afraid buying new ones will cost more than what it takes to move the ones I already have. They aren’t spares, the tires are pretty old and I feel its way too much effort to dismount them and ditch the rubber off them. They are still useable with plenty of tread; I just don’t think they are a good choice for a 2200 mile trip. I want to keep the 10 wheels so I can upgrade later

The single wheels I have were in the bed of the truck when I bought it. They are radials and in decent shape. Since they are a taller tire, I want to use them on this trip to save wear and tear and fuel mileage. But other than that, I have no desire for the single wheels.

What I want is 10 11.00X20 radial tires for my stock deuce wheels. I don’t have that, nor can I find it at an affordable price. So if I play the waiting game and hang on to my stock deuce wheels, I will be ready when the deal comes around.

At the same time, I don’t want to overload my trailer, damage anything or cost myself more money than its worth. I also don’t want to lose money from throwing away 10 perfectly usable tires.

 

[Bighurt]

I suppose that makes sense.

Just ship them to the new destination.

 

[rosco]

The difference in milage with 9:00 vs 11:00 will not be measureable. Especially if your carying the extra weight of 10 tires/wheels. The Bighurt nailed it. And your going to work a real good half day, changing these things around? If you don't have experience towing trailers, maybe you should just use the time practicing up on your driving skills

 

[merlot566jka]

Do you think there will be a 1 or 2 mpg from the 11x20 tires?

I agree on practice driving. I have a day dedicated to it before we leave.

 

[rosco]

No - I doubt that you will be able to measure a difference in milage. The 11's are taller and are radials, but they take more HP to move them. I'm just being realistic and you have to expend a whole lot of energy to swap them out. Probably your 9:00's will be fine anyway. I wouldn't throw the extras away either, but just load them where they will fit, and go. That 105 just won't care if there are tires on the bottom layer. Your household stuff doesn't weigh a lot. So practice your shifting, don't run her over 55, and watch the fluid levels. Have an air hose/check the pressures before you start, and Always kick your tires when you stop for a break!

Have a good trip

 

[Recovry4x4]

My opinion is that it would be better to tote the 6 radials and use (finish wearing out) 900 tires for the long ride. Use the very best tires as steer tires. If you have tire issues along the way you can always put 2 of the radials on the trailer and have more spares. Lay out 4 tires flat on the trailer bed and toss a sheet of plywood if needed. You could probably find a way to put the other 2 on the trailer tongue.