StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Huntindog wrote:09/22/09 09:22pm Link | Print | Notify Moderator
This post is an open letter to the RV.net community whom have been following the ongoing tire discussions.
I have been following these discussions, but until lately I have been staying on the sidelines until the topic took a turn to a more factual basis. I have personally experienced multiple failures with my 5th wheel and ST tires, both D and E load range and would like to understand why this appears to happen more often with ST (special trailer) vs. LT (light truck) tires. (Based on this forum it must be considered anecdotal and not conclusive evidence.)
To resolve this matter I have investigated the current Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) testing standards that ST and LT tires must meet to be certified to be sold in the United States.
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this is pretty good, but its missing one thing. the tread on a St tire is designed to allow it to scuff sideways easier, as in when you a sharp 90 degree or more turn when backing into a site. a LT tire will be designed to grip the road more giving you higher values on the g pad, not that were pushing our trucks for 1 plus gee's but you want that grip when off road and such. I wonder if there is any testing procedure for Interply shifting?
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JIMNLIN
Oklahoma
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Quote: the tread on a St tire is designed to allow it to scuff sideways easier, as in when you a sharp 90 degree or more turn when backing into a site.
ST tires come with all styles of tread designs (AT types....AS types....and rib type tread patterns) so there is no design attempt for easier side scrubbing.
Rubber treading compounds (hard or soft) has much to do with any tires side slip abilities.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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Huntindog wrote:Grit dog wrote:Well I think there’s one mfg making a 15” LT tire that is marginally up there with the heavy duty STs.
This is like one of those bad reccomendations that just doesn’t go away…. On the TT I first made the jump from STs to LTs I went from 15" rims to 16", There are a ton of great LT tires in the 16" wheel size.
So you’re blindly telling someone to upgrade to 16” wheels, that while wholly unnecessary, also may not fit?
Yup U needz LT tires at any cost…..lol.
Cmon man.
On a trailer where he could have 11,000lb + E load ST tire cap or over 12klb load cap with F load 15s and he’s got maybe at most 8klbs on the axles?
Yeah that makes sense….
No it doesn’t.
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aftermath
Washington State
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I think the "scuffing" comment has to do with the design of the sidewalls not the tread. Because of the lateral pressure put on trailer tires as they are moved into parking situations the ST tire has a stronger sidewall than regular tires.
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time2roll
Southern California
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manley wrote:To heck with the GY Endurance. I just had a failure today, on 3-year old Endurances. Tread separation, with damage to the trailer. Tire never lost pressure. Actually looks like a retread that came off. Tires were properly inflated at 80 PSI. ?? Wow. While I would still trust the Endurance over most anything else this is undoubtedly frustrating.
Consider Carlisle Radial Trail ST as the second choice.
https://www.carlislebrandtires.com/our-products/product-detail/radial-trail-hd/
I feel for you. I had a similar separation on the much loved MAXXIS.
My Endurance are going great six years in.
Also consider taking the tire in for warranty replacement. Good for a spare at least.
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ktmrfs
Portland, Oregon
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IMHO the best thing one can do to help avoid blowouts on a TT is to install a TPMS. One a trailer you have NO clue a tire has suffered a puncture and is slowly deflating.... Until you hear the explosion.
Myself and several friends all have TPMS systems, each of us has picked up a nail or similar and suffered a slow loss of pressure which the TPMS system caught BEFORE we had a blowout.
In 100K + miles of towing I've yet to have a tire failure, Others that travel with me have anywhere from 50K+ miles on up with no failures, thanks to a TPMS.
I've run Maxxis, Towmax and now Goodyear endurance tires.
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Huntindog
Phoenix AZ
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aftermath wrote:I think the "scuffing" comment has to do with the design of the sidewalls not the tread. Because of the lateral pressure put on trailer tires as they are moved into parking situations the ST tire has a stronger sidewall than regular tires. Actually the opposite is true. Some claims are that STs have thicker cords, but fewer layers in order to run cooler. The same is stated for the shallower tread depth.There has always been a lot of "marketing" claims for ST tires. That is just some of them. It is not in the test...But anyone that has done a hands on of the two types of tires can tell you that the LT has stronger sidewalls.
If you look carefully at the ST construction claims you will see that they have one thing in common. They all make the tire cheaper to manufacture.
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Huntindog
Phoenix AZ
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Grit dog wrote:Huntindog wrote:Grit dog wrote:Well I think there’s one mfg making a 15” LT tire that is marginally up there with the heavy duty STs.
This is like one of those bad reccomendations that just doesn’t go away…. On the TT I first made the jump from STs to LTs I went from 15" rims to 16", There are a ton of great LT tires in the 16" wheel size.
So you’re blindly telling someone to upgrade to 16” wheels, that while wholly unnecessary, also may not fit?
Yup U needz LT tires at any cost…..lol.
Cmon man.
On a trailer where he could have 11,000lb + E load ST tire cap or over 12klb load cap with F load 15s and he’s got maybe at most 8klbs on the axles?
Yeah that makes sense….
No it doesn’t. Slow your roll. I will not stand for your sarcastic bullying.
I have owned many more sets of ST tires than LT tires. That is because I once believed all of the ST claims, so gave them too many chances.I changed brands, sizes, and LRs.I actually bought my first replacement rims in order to go with a larger size and higher LR ST tire.. That combination lasted about 50 miles. That was the last straw fo me. DW was not happy at all. We had our dogs with us on the way to a trial. It was 110 out and I'm changing a tire. The asphalt was so hot I had to use the trucks floor mats to keep from getting burned. After the ordeal, DW wanted to know what else could be done. I told her that a few people were saying that LT tires were better. She said "Then get them"I told her it would be expensive. We would need 16" 6 lug rims, 6 lug drums and a small lift for clearance.. She said "Do it. We have a 5000 mile round trip to the AKC Brittany National Championships in which 3 of our dogs had qualified to run in. and we need to stop the tire issues." That was in 2006.We have not had a tire issue since.
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JIMNLIN
Oklahoma
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Quote:On the TT I first made the jump from STs to LTs I went from 15" rims to 16", There are a ton of great LT tires in the 16" wheel size.
Good choice for long term.... hi miles running interstates service especially if the trailer has 15" 6 lug 5.2k axles.
As with any upgrade with a larger diameter tire on a trailer, measurements will be needed for proper clearance.
My last two rv trailers and any non rv trailers with 6 lug wheels /5200 lb axles, I put in service, I sold the 15" tires/wheels on CL and went with 16' trailer wheels and LT tires recommended (email or 1-800) by the tire mfg for trailer use.
Most rv trailer owners can get by with a better quality ST tire like the Endurance...Providers...Carlisle HD.
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Thermoguy
Graham, WA
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I'm curious - has anyone seen or heard of any manufacturing testing for ST tires? I have seen tires tests for LT, passenger, performance, etc, But what about ST tires? There are google reviews, that is not what I mean. What manufacturer actually tests ST tires and what standards do they have to meet?
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