17.5 wheels/tires vs 22.5 wheels/tires

[DCR]

I am looking at a 2003 Great Dane drop deck trailer with 17.5 tires. Can anyone give me any info on 17.5 versus 22.5 tires? Or anything on a Great Dane combo drop deck.

[David]

22.5's give you bigger brakes and are easier to find. 17.5's give you a lower deck and slight weight savings. Other than that not much difference.

[rsb502]

Check your bolt pattern you may be able to bolt up 19.5's, they run truer longer and are easier to find.

[DCR]

Thanks for the help. If I get this I would use it for moving Amish farm equipment and the lower deck height would be an advantage since everything is loaded by hand

[DCR]

My old trailer, 2000 Fontaine with 22.5 tires, which I sold and am now wanting to replace with the above mentioned 2003 Great Dane with 17.5 tires. This was a load of Amish farm machinery and equipment from one family moving to a new community in Ohio.

[761 Brock]

Brakes and drums are a fair amount more expensive ,too. make sure to put GOOD tires underneath it too. A friend of mine has two tri-axles with 17.5's and runs either Michelin High Energy or Good Year's I believe, will have to check when I'm in the yard tomorrow. Reason is when your 22.5 or 24.5 are doing 65, these are doing about 75+! Before buying the drops both new, he had a van with 17.5 with bridgestone and another make, cannot remember, was blowing them left and right till put the Michelins on..

His manac tandem is fairly heavy, weighs in around 15,500 lb 53 ft..

Problaly won't be able to put 19.5 on the trailer as it was designed for the smalller tires so clearence will be a problem for the bigger tires....

Hope thi

Clay

[slpwlker]

Maintain pressure in the tires. and keep a spare on a rim. Most places will not mount or dismount them as they are a super SOB to do. rims are different then the 22.5's as far as mounting the tires go. Also remember speed is an enemy with them. 60 maybe 65 is about flat out as you want to take them for extended periods and Michillin and also I think Continetals are the favorite that last the longest with them.

[rsb502]

Brakes and drums are a fair amount more expensive ,too. make sure to put GOOD tires underneath it too. A friend of mine has two tri-axles with 17.5's and runs either Michelin High Energy or Good Year's I believe, will have to check when I'm in the yard tomorrow. Reason is when your 22.5 or 24.5 are doing 65, these are doing about 75+! Before buying the drops both new, he had a van with 17.5 with bridgestone and another make, cannot remember, was blowing them left and right till put the Michelins on..

His manac tandem is fairly heavy, weighs in around 15,500 lb 53 ft..

Problaly won't be able to put 19.5 on the trailer as it was designed for the smalller tires so clearence will be a problem for the bigger tires....

Hope thi

Clay

Check the tire height of a 225/70r19.5, they'll be really close to a 17.5 heavy tire but run oh so much better. I only thought about it because a local farmer/excavator went from the 15's to 19.5's on his old lowboy and they fit fine since they have a short sidewall. Ford F450/550 comes with 225/70R19.5, most medium duty rollbacks have 245/70R19.5's and most big truck auto racks run 265/75R19.5's they are pretty good for reliability and capacity.

[DCR]

I picked up the Great Dane drop deck and it is now home.

[farmer52]

I picked up the Great Dane drop deck and it is now home.image.jpgimage.jpg

Very nice!!!!

[bts-4120]

what size is the 17.5 i have several lowboys that have them no real issues 235 17.5's are nice and about the size of a 10.00-15 contenial makes a 20 ply 215 17.5 if your going to be hauling heavy. I drag mine faster than 65mph too.