What States Allow 385 (15" wide-based tires) to Replace Duals on Spread Axle Trailer

Is anybody here running over the road with 385/65R 22.5 in place of dual tires on their spread axle trailer? I realize the 445/50R 22.5 tires are pretty much accepted by all states; however, I prefer the narrower 385's as they can carry the weight and probably wear better than 445's.

The main states I need to know are the ones who only allow under 650 pounds per inch of tire as stamped by the manufacturer on the sidewall. From what I've been discovering, most states seem to be in the 600 pound range which would only allow me to haul 18,000 pounds on an axle normally able to haul 20,000.

I've read Minnesota only allows 500 pounds per inch which would only give me 15,000 pounds per axle with 385's.

Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania all seem to be states that would allow the full 20,000. Ohio come close with their 650 pound rule which would allow 19,500 pounds.

The 385 tires I've seen are rated for 9,920 pounds which would only carry 19,840 per axle legally; however, that would be close enough for me as I normally never carry over 18,000 pounds per axle on my 10' 1" spread flatbed.

I 'm wondering, is there is a list with all of the state's inch-laws published somewhere? I mainly run east so I wouldn't have to worry about the northwestern states.

Also, is it true that the new inch-laws are strictly enforced?

Any help will be appreciated.

 

I'm not intending to go over the rating of the tires, axles or suspension. Even though 385/65R 22.5 are rated to carry 9,920 pounds each or 19,840 pounds per axle, many states don't allow that much weight on a 15" wide tire. This is why most carriers who use super singles go with the 445/50R 22.5 tires (17.5" wide).

With 20,000 pounds on an axle, 445's exert about 571 pounds per rated inch of tire where 385's exert about 666 pounds per rated inch of tire. As you can see, fully loaded 385's exert close to 100 pounds more per rated inch of tire. In some states, this could be a big problem if their limit is 500 pounds per rated inch of tire. Apparently, even the 445's could be technically overweight in some states.

I read Indiana goes by the width of the wheel (800 pounds per inch of wheel width), not the manufacturers sidewall width rating. Even with this limit, 19,000 pounds per axle would still be legal with 385's.

 

I think everybody is missing the point of my question. I plan on running 385's on my spread axle trailer. Being that I know how to properly load my trailer, I won't need to haul more than 18,000 pounds per axle (I will pass on any highly irregular loads which would load the spread past 36,000 pounds). This is well within the rating of these 385 tires & wheels, my trailer suspension, my trailer, etc. (the 385's I'm looking at are rated at 9,920 pounds a piece).

Here's what I need to know:

WHAT LOWER 48 STATES IN THIS COUNTRY OF THE USA ALLOW LESS THAN 600 POUNDS PER RATED INCH WIDTH OF TIRE???

So far, I know Minnesota and South Dakota only allows 500 pounds per in of tire width which means I could only haul 15,000 pounds per axle in their states with 385's. Also, I believe Montana has a lower limit inch-law. Hopefully, the states I prefer to run in allow 600 pounds or better.

 

Here's what I read about Indiana:

With some exceptions, the maximum legal weights, with load, allowed under the law can be
summarized as follows.
Maximum possible gross weight: 80,000 pounds
Maximum single axle weight: 20,000 pounds
Maximum tandem axle weight: 34,000 pounds
Maximum tri axle weight: 50,000 pounds
Maximum wheel weight: 800 pounds per inch of tire width measured between
the flanges of the rim.

http://www.in.gov/isp/files/size_weight_laws.pdf