u.s towing regulations?

uchi · August 15, 2012

with the tune im running in it it actually gets better gas mileage with 93 than it does with 87. ran multiple tanks of each octane when i first had the tune put in and figured it all out then. hell even the 93 from the u.s is cheaper than the 87 from here by a big margin so why not if the truck likes it. it made the best power on e85 but the mileage on that stuff was absolute crap

Diesail · August 15, 2012

with the tune im running in it it actually gets better gas mileage with 93 than it does with 87. ran multiple tanks of each octane when i first had the tune put in and figured it all out then. hell even the 93 from the u.s is cheaper than the 87 from here by a big margin so why not if the truck likes it. it made the best power on e85 but the mileage on that stuff was absolute crap

Ahh, the tune. I guess I do sorta remember you saying that you had a tune before. One more note for you. Make sure you are running your trailer tires at max inflation and that you have a decent spare. Trailer tires aren't know for being the best tires in the world and an under inflated tire is the biggest cause of failure. Although it sounds like you will be far from tire capacity given the trailer you describe and the load you will give it. So your worries on that front should be minimal, but it is still a good idea to keep them at max PSI.

uchi · August 16, 2012

good to know thanks for the tip, ill have the trailer here the day before we leave so ill go over it all make sure everything is on the up and up and that everything works before we start off.

CKNSLS · August 16, 2012

gotcha thanks, i think 60 is about as fast as we plan on going. is there a weight limit before needing a weight distributing hitch for a half ton truck?

60 MPH? Please stay off the interstates or you will get killed. With our posted speed limits of 80 MPH & a few 85 MPH roads now, you will be ran over and killed at 60 MPH, if you don't get shot first. Flow of traffic is 90-100 MPH on most Texas rural interstates, just a little over posted speed limit.

If that box trailer has ST trailer tires they are rated at 65mph maximum speed. If it has LT tires on it you have a little more leeway. But nobody has any business towing a trailer over 60 mph. IMHO In California where I used to live the maximum was 55mph. One false move by some idiot in front of you and you are jackknifed no matter how good of a driver YOU THINK YOU ARE.

When it's over 90 degrees outside and people tow faster than 65mph the tires blow out. They can't take the heat or the speed. You can google all this info. I have been towing many years.

BTW, I do see a slight "squat" on the rear end of that truck This means that weight is being taken off the front axle. He needs a WD hitch.

uchi · August 17, 2012

thanks, i wasnt planning on really going over 60 just for the fact that the truck seems really thirsty going any faster/ its a lot of weight to move and im in no rush. we have three full days out there which should be plenty.

uchi · August 17, 2012

do you guys have pics of youre wd setups? primarily how they look attached to the trailer arms. my buddy sent me a pic of his setup and it only has chains at the end of the arms, i didnt see any kind of plate that went over it.

Diesail · August 17, 2012

If you truely have tires only rated for 60 MPH, change them out now. There is no reason you should not be able to tow safely up to the speed limit if the weather is sunny & clear. Some states have lower speed limits to reflect the reduced driving skills of the average driver. In Texas, 18 wheelers have no trouble driving safely at the 80-85 MPH speed limits all day & all night long. Some people are brain washed by Ralph Nader that speed kills.

Google ST tires. They are all rated at 60 MPH. There is no such thing as a "trailer" tire rated for a higher speed. Many have resorted to using LT tires for this reason but depending on the size of the tire you might not find an LT tire with a proper load range. Find me a 205/75R14 tire rated for 1750 pounds other than an ST. if you find me one that is rated above 60 I will buy it.

music · August 18, 2012

Google ST tires. They are all rated at 60 MPH. There is no such thing as a "trailer" tire rated for a higher speed. Many have resorted to using LT tires for this reason but depending on the size of the tire you might not find an LT tire with a proper load range. Find me a 205/75R14 tire rated for 1750 pounds other than an ST. if you find me one that is rated above 60 I will buy it.

ST tires are rated to 65 mph, but the point is the same... don't tow a trailer too fast. There's lots of reasons to stay under 65 when towing, and none for going faster. I sometimes find myself faster on the interstate going downhill, but not on purpose.

Diesail · August 18, 2012

I stand corrected, not sure where I got 60 in my brain when responding, but as you can see once it got there it stayed. And for what it is worth, goodyear has put out a bulletin about running them 10psi over to allow for speeds to 75. I have been running mine like this for about 5 years with only one failure do to a tread seperation. I do most of my towing on I95 on the east coast. Speed limits are 65 - 70 and I tow right at the speed limit.

Goodyear tire service bulletin

music · August 18, 2012

I stand corrected, not sure where I got 60 in my brain when responding, but as you can see once it got there it stayed. And for what it is worth, goodyear has put out a bulletin about running them 10psi over to allow for speeds to 75. I have been running mine like this for about 5 years with only one failure do to a tread seperation. I do most of my towing on I95 on the east coast. Speed limits are 65 - 70 and I tow right at the speed limit.

Goodyear tire service bulletin

Glad you posted that, as I had read the same for commercial LT tires, and have usually run a few psi over on my trailer tires when running near their rating.

CKNSLS · August 19, 2012

"In Texas, 18 wheelers have no trouble driving safely at the 80-85 MPH speed limits all day & all night long. Some people are brain washed by Ralph Nader that speed kills."

Texas towing laws-

Trailers meeting the dimensions, the weight and safety restrictions that require a Texas CDL are limited to a maximum towing speed of 70 mph. In areas where posted truck speeds are less than 70 mph, especially posted night time speed limits, which are often 60 to 65 mph, the driver should drive the posted limit and not the 70 mph maximum.

Greater speed limit restrictions don't exist, regardless of trailer and load w

Read more: Trailer Towing Rules in Texas | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6325491_trailer-towing-rules-texas.html#ixzz23xp5ZoRe

Semis weigh how much? And take how long to stop in an emergency? And how many trucks use retread tires that you see laying all over the highway when warm temps hit? Yes, I want them next to me and my family doing 85 mph. That's insanity.

MikeNH · August 19, 2012

If you truely have tires only rated for 60 MPH, change them out now. There is no reason you should not be able to tow safely up to the speed limit if the weather is sunny & clear. Some states have lower speed limits to reflect the reduced driving skills of the average driver. In Texas, 18 wheelers have no trouble driving safely at the 80-85 MPH speed limits all day & all night long. Some people are brain washed by Ralph Nader that speed kills.

No one cares what you do in Texas. Never mind that most big hauling firms govern their rigs to 65 or so. Trust me, I have no issue setting the cruise in my truck to 80 or so when traffic allows but you're just spewing ignorance, as you always do. OP, don't listen to anything he has to say about towing.

"In Texas, 18 wheelers have no trouble driving safely at the 80-85 MPH speed limits all day & all night long. Some people are brain washed by Ralph Nader that speed kills."

Texas towing laws-

Trailers meeting the dimensions, the weight and safety restrictions that require a Texas CDL are limited to a maximum towing speed of 70 mph. In areas where posted truck speeds are less than 70 mph, especially posted night time speed limits, which are often 60 to 65 mph, the driver should drive the posted limit and not the 70 mph maximum.

Greater speed limit restrictions don't exist, regardless of trailer and load w

Read more: Trailer Towing Rules in Texas | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/...l#ixzz23xp5ZoRe

Semis weigh how much? And take how long to stop in an emergency? And how many trucks use retread tires that you see laying all over the highway when warm temps hit? Yes, I want them next to me and my family doing 85 mph. That's insanity.

I've been to Texas dozens of times on business, the trucks there aren't doing 80-85. He's full of shit.

Coolmaker · August 20, 2012

I am 67 yrs old, I drove my truck for many years and YES, we did run 80-85 in Texas, especially in west Texas. Most company trucks are limited to 72 mph. However, I don't think the OP should pull that trailer more than about 70-75, and that is with the tires aired properly, and the wheel bearings greased and adjusted.

CKNSLS · August 20, 2012

I am 67 yrs old, I drove my truck for many years and YES, we did run 80-85 in Texas, especially in west Texas. Most company trucks are limited to 72 mph. However, I don't think the OP should pull that trailer more than about 70-75, and that is with the tires aired properly, and the wheel bearings greased and adjusted.

Well I just moved from Southern California after 50 years. Respectfully, running that fast in a semi is foolish and reckless. In California they won't let you run that fast. If Texas wants to "look the other way" I guess it's their business. Thankfully, most states don't tolerate those type of speeds by semis. And that's a good thing.

Coolmaker · August 20, 2012

I am 67 yrs old, I drove my truck for many years and YES, we did run 80-85 in Texas, especially in west Texas. Most company trucks are limited to 72 mph. However, I don't think the OP should pull that trailer more than about 70-75, and that is with the tires aired properly, and the wheel bearings greased and adjusted.

Well I just moved from Southern California after 50 years. Respectfully, running that fast in a semi is foolish and reckless. In California they won't let you run that fast. If Texas wants to "look the other way" I guess it's their business. Thankfully, most states don't tolerate those type of speeds by semis. And that's a good thing.

In West Texas, all you see is road and rabbits for many, many miles at a time. 85 is no worse than 70 for that matter, there is not much to stop for.

Guess, you have never been on I-95 over here on the east coast either. If you only run 70 out here on 95, you will get run over rather quickly. I was out there on it last week for a bit testing my 6.2 and logging the computer, and had to run 85 to keep up with the traffic. Guess ya'll better not come over here... LOL