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My trailer has very old tyres on it which last season showed cracking on the side walls this year they have definitely had it so all 4 need replacing, it's a twin axle 2t max load indespension that I got second hand for a bargain, I bought a spare last year online and got a direct replacement, 5.00 x 10 8 ply deli tyre. My question is I have spottted 4 ply tyres that are around £30 where as the 8 ply start at about £40, now having to replace all 4 will cost almost as much as the trailer did. Can anyone advise me do I need to get 8 ply, is it possible to change just the tyre rather than the whole wheel, is it ok to just put in an inner tube when the tyres have degraded this far. My first thoughts are to go like for like but money is tight at the moment and I really don't know what I can get away with. Any help?

Tyres have a load rating, use this rather than the number of plies.  You must replace with tyres that can carry the max permissable load of your trailer, otherwise you will compromise safety.  Here is a data sheet.  Any damage to tyre side wall is a bad sign.  You could suffer a blow out.  Do not put tubes in tyres designed to be tubeless.  This again can result in a blow out.  Replacing all 4 tyres with the correct ones is a fraction of the cost of the funerals of those who will plough into the mess your trailer will leave if a tyre blows at 60mph on a motorway.  As for changing the tyre verses the whole wheel, a whole new wheel can actually be just as cheap.  You really only need do this if the rims are damaged either by having been curbed or badly corroded.

Steve.

Tyres should be replaced every 5 to 7 years irrispective of wear as they degrade in sunlight.  I would strongly advise you to fit the 8 ply tyres as you could fall foul of the law by havng tyres which are not capable of taking the plated weight.

Regards Bob.