JJBIRISH wrote:

Carlisle and GY in 205x75x14, and Kuhmo 205x14 are Chinese leaving 2 to choose from…

Maxxis 205x75xR14 in a load range C made in Thailand or the Kuhmo 195z14 in load range D made in Korea… the price should be a wash between the two, and both are rated high enough for a 6500 pound GVW…
(the 205 Maxxis and the 195 Kuhmo are about the same diameter)

While the LR D would be nice my choice would still be the Maxxis…

Lowsuv wrote:


The Kumho is clearly a superior tire.
a Kumho 857 in a 205 R 14D has a load rating of 2271 pounds. It has a diameter of 27 inches and weighs 29 pounds. It has a Q speed rating which is 99 mph.
The Maxxis 215/75 R14 tire has a load rating of 1870 pounds and is a 26.7 inch diameter. It has a 65 mph speed rating.
check this :
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Radial+857
and this :
http://www.maxxis.com/Industrial/Trailer/M8008-ST-Radial.aspx
The Kumho has a safety margin of 21 % over the Maxxis.
The time to make the switch to safer tires is when you are replacing them.
Why would someone choose the the inferior tire ?

Lowsuv wrote:


The Kumho is clearly a superior tire.
a Kumho 857 in a 205 R 14D has a load rating of 2271 pounds. It has a diameter of 27 inches and weighs 29 pounds. It has a Q speed rating which is 99 mph.
The Maxxis 215/75 R14 tire has a load rating of 1870 pounds and is a 26.7 inch diameter. It has a 65 mph speed rating.
check this :
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Radial+857
and this :
http://www.maxxis.com/Industrial/Trailer/M8008-ST-Radial.aspx
The Kumho has a safety margin of 21 % over the Maxxis.
The time to make the switch to safer tires is when you are replacing them.
Why would someone choose the the inferior tire ?

JJBIRISH wrote:



I guess we will just have disagree… but I don’t agree the Kuhmo is clearly a better tire…

What is clear is 2 different brands of tires with the same ratings can be very different tires in quality… weight can be a indicator but it can be a misleading indicator just as easily… would it mean better or just more of a lower grade of materials to achieve the same end???

I have spent a lot of time researching the tire issues for trailers and the branded sidewall ratings are just that, ratings…
I have been very clear and vocal about the shortcomings of the ST tire and have made that very clear in the past… I have read the testing procedures and compared them to a equivalent LT tires more rigorous requirements…

The Kuhmo is a Euro metric size and rated tire that I have not read their testing and rating procedures to make a comparison to… I only know they have to meet the DOT requirements to be imported for sale in the US…
BTW The comparision between the Maxxis and the Kuhmo would be between the 205x75xR14 and the 195x14 Kuhmo…

I do believe that the Maxxis far exceeds the required ratings in their construction at least in the higher load ranges that I use… I have also read more negative reviews about the Kuhmo than I have the Maxxis… that doesn’t mean they are not as good or better than Maxxis because neither you or I know their market share…

Still because of my own research I spent my money on Maxxis for my RV trailer…

The 205 Kuhmo is made mostly in china and maybe some in Viet Nam…
I am suspect of any tire and most other things made there, even when made by a American company operating there… I am not permitted to go there without being deleted in this forum, so I will respect that here…

Just to be clear, I never said the Kuhmo wasn’t a good tire choice…

Lowsuv wrote:

The data supports the following conclusions:
An LT tire is held to a higher standard than an ST Tire.
I have posted paragraphs about this fact previously.
There are very few LT rated tires available in the identical size as the popular ST tires that these travel trailers come with.
When comparing one ST tire with another ST tire the data supports that the tire with a higher load rating weight has more of a safety margin than the lower weight rating tire.
When reviewing the data within a single brand at the same size an E rated tire always weighs more than a D rated tire weighs more than a C rated tire. This data supports the theory that a heavier tire in the same size has more and/or bigger cords and more rubber , which in turn leads to higher capacity.
Maxxis and Kumho are each asian made tires. No flag waving argument.
The science indicates that a 2271 pound rating Kumho is a better tire than an 1870 pound rating Maxxis.
The cost of installed new tires is high and only a few percent higher to get a 21% improvement in reserve capacity by using one of the very few D rated 14 inch tires available, the Kumho 857 205R14 D.
If Maxxis offered an 2271 pound rated tire that would be OK. They do offer that in their LT tire lineup but that is not the ST rated tire being discussed here.
The bottom line is that a higher load rating offers more safety.