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 > Tires- LT or ST

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StirCrazy

Kamloops, BC, Canada

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Joined: 07/16/2003

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Posted: 09/01/23 06:19pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Huntindog wrote:



There are no downsides to going to 16"rims on a trailer other than up front cost. A single blowout can make that cost look cheap.
It's a free country, one can do whatever they want with their money...I am just pointing out the inconsistencies of your logic.


Well, there could be for some rv's a larger rim side usually = a larger tire (as in taller) which reduces clearance between the top of the tire and the rv floor. So, if it fails you can cause more damage, or it could even rub on bigger bumps. So, to prevent this you have to look at smaller size 16" rubber to keep a close to stock height which normally means lower carrying capacity not defeating the purpose you went to a taller tire for but rather limiting the payback for the expense.

Now some people put a lift on their rv when they go to a bigger rim, this is the best way to do it but still not cheap. and except to tell people about it or wanting extra clearance for off roading there is no reason for it, buy a quality st tire and call it done.


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Huntindog

Phoenix AZ

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Posted: 09/01/23 07:23pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

You need 3" clearance from the top of the tire to the wheelwell. If needed a small lift block can be used. I needed a 1" block on one of the TTs. cheap and easy to do. As far as limiting the payback, you seem to be conceeding that STs do fail more often. This is good. Recognizing a problem is halfway there to a solution. But financial payback is just a small part of it. Not having to deal with a torn up TT, and ruined trips are other forms of payback. How do you put a value on these? And finally IMO, (and the GOVT.testing standards,) there is no such thing as a quality ST tire.
They certainly are tested to lower standards and thats a fact. Not opinion. Another fun fact:It is illegal to put ST tires on automobiles, But perfectly legal to put LTs on trailers.There are reasons for this.(hint; lower testing standards for STs). Take a look at all the choices available for 16" LT tires. Most if not all brands have several price points and quality points to choose from. IE: Good, Better,Best. In ST tires each brand has ONE offering.


* This post was edited 09/02/23 06:37pm by an administrator/moderator *


Huntindog
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StirCrazy

Kamloops, BC, Canada

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Posted: 09/02/23 06:23pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

not agreeing with that at all. in the last 10 years I have had 1 ST failure (factory tire 6 years old) and 1 LT failure on my truck. both road debris issues in construction zones. but what I will concede is that the bottom of the barrel ST tires is what everyone is comparing their LT tires to, no one runs top tier ST tires and wishes they were running LT tires.

here is a good explanation of the differences and why you shouldn't run st on a car and why you shouldnt run lt on trailer

"Trailer Tire requirements differ greatly from automotive tires. Automotive tires must maintain traction during all driving conditions: pulling, stopping, turning, or swerving. Because of this they must have more flexible sidewalls to maintain tread to road contact. Since trailers have no driving torque applied to their axles, the only time trailer tires must have traction is during the application of trailer brakes.
Trailers with heavy loads, high vertical sideloads (like camper trailers), or trailers with inadequate tongue weight can be affected by trailer sway problems. Automotive bias or radial tires with their more flexible sidewalls can accentuate trailer sway problems, whereas the stiffer sidewalls of the ST (special trailer) bias ply tires help to control and reduce sway problems. For this reason it is not recommended that (P) Passenger or (LT) Light Truck tires be used on trailers. Best trailer control will be achieved with (ST) Special Trailer tires."

as for testing it is pretty much identical except for two tests, the P tires have one test that the ST does different, and the ST has a much more extreme full load test so how is that inferior, they are testing for two different things as neither is supposed to be used for the other.

* This post was edited 09/02/23 06:37pm by an administrator/moderator *

Huntindog

Phoenix AZ

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Posted: 09/03/23 05:40pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

You can believe the marketing propaganda if you wish.
I believe in the testing standards.The standards are much tougher for LTs...That is just a fact. It is also WHY it is prfectly legal to use LTs on a trailer....And why it is illegal to use an ST on an automobile....In fact it is so illeagal that it MUST state this on an ST tires sidewall.


* This post was edited 09/04/23 08:13am by an administrator/moderator *

BarneyS

S.E. Lower Michigan

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Posted: 09/04/23 08:16am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Huntindog,
Is that like being dead is just like being SO dead?[emoticon]
Barney


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Not towing now.
Former tow vehicles were 2016 Ram 2500 CTD, 2002 Ford F250, 7.3 PSD, 1997 Ram 2500 5.9 gas engine


Grit dog

Black Diamond, WA

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Posted: 09/04/23 09:32am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Huntindog wrote:

You can believe the marketing propaganda if you wish.
I believe in the testing standards.The standards are much tougher for LTs...That is just a fact. It is also WHY it is prfectly legal to use LTs on a trailer....And why it is illegal to use an ST on an automobile....In fact it is so illeagal that it MUST state this on an ST tires sidewall.


Haha, I thought of you as I was pulling a guys old Travel Trailer this weekend.
It was a grungy old junker and I was being nice, but without even looking at it, I brought a floor jack and lug wrench so a blowout would be an easy repair.
It did blow one tire in the 600miles I pulled it, too fast for the tires. I was semi shocked to see 2004 mfg dates on all of them when I changed that one though! That blowout was the owners fault, not the tire.


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Grit dog

Black Diamond, WA

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Posted: 09/04/23 09:37am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Huntindog wrote:

You need 3" clearance from the top of the tire to the wheelwell. If needed a small lift block can be used. I needed a 1" block on one of the TTs. cheap and easy to do. As far as limiting the payback, you seem to be conceeding that STs do fail more often. This is good. Recognizing a problem is halfway there to a solution. But financial payback is just a small part of it. Not having to deal with a torn up TT, and ruined trips are other forms of payback. How do you put a value on these? And finally IMO, (and the GOVT.testing standards,) there is no such thing as a quality ST tire.
They certainly are tested to lower standards and thats a fact. Not opinion. Another fun fact:It is illegal to put ST tires on automobiles, But perfectly legal to put LTs on trailers.There are reasons for this.(hint; lower testing standards for STs). Take a look at all the choices available for 16" LT tires. Most if not all brands have several price points and quality points to choose from. IE: Good, Better,Best. In ST tires each brand has ONE offering.


PS, not everyone owns a trailer that this is possible on. Not everyone is high miles, nor does everyone keep their trailers for a decade or however long it would be to not just be an upgrade for the “next guy.”
And what’s funny (and I’ve acknowledged this before) is you’re right from an ultimate durability standpoint, not even debatable. What’s funnier though is you cannot seem to acknowledge that doing any less than what you’ve done to bulletproof a past trailer is still ok.
Pride of authorship is the issue I suppose?

mowermech

Billings, MT

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Posted: 09/04/23 04:55pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Huntindog wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

^Bingo. Something lost on the “LT tires only” crowd.
But as I mentioned above, there are a couple 15” LRE tires out there. May have to upsize to a 235.
However there is a virtual plethora of good heavy duty 15” ST tires available. AND not horribly expensive to boot. And universally available.
No sense in trying to reinvent the wheel. Literally or figuratively.
Nothing is "lost"

Changing rim sizes sizes is commonly done in order to run better tires.
For some reason, the anti LT tire crowd insists that one MUST use the factory sizes.

How do you like the 37"s on your TV?


"Factory size tires"?? Interesting. I checked the sticker on the Jayco I just bought because it had LT tires on it and I wondered what the factory called for. Glory be, the factory sticker called for LT tires! If they were good enough for the Jayco factory, they are certainly good enough for me! I think I will leave them on there...


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