Quote: Don, I don't know where Dave gets his info from but the price difference between an ST and LT disappears real quick when you have to repair the damage done when a tire slings off its casing. This does not include the safety issue of being parked with your family and loved ones on the shoulder of an interstate at 95 degrees in the summer with truck traffic blowing by you at 75 MPH plus while trying to change a tire on a rocking trailer.
I’m running 16” rims as that is what was stock on my TT.
Ok your last paragraph tells me why you have had so many problems with ST tires. No ST tire is speed rated above 65 MPH. So if your running 75 MPH + then that is why your blowing your tires out. I have some where around 20K+ on my tires (on TT) and have never had a blow out or a flat tire. I also rotate the tires on my TT every spring and run them at 70 PSI and they are E rated by the way.
As far as where Dave gets his information from, he has 20 + years in the tire industry and attends seminars by the tire manufactures. Now I’m sure given the choice he would make more money selling me LT tires then ST tires. And like I said everyone knows how Ford all but killed Firestone because they recommended a lower air pressure then Firestone recommended. That is why I go by what the tire manufacture says and not what the auto manufacture puts on the door tag.
Don
On a side note just because you haven’t had a problem does not make it right.
Anther good reason to get LT tires. If you can’t go the speed limit with ST tires then you are limited.
Ben
2006 Weekend Warrior LE3305, Billet Edition
2005' KFX 80 (Kid 1 or 2)
(RZR Wanted for wife & other kid)
(still deciding on what I want)
06' F350 4X4 Tow Boss to pull it...Nuff Said
Reese Signature Series 18K Hitch
Ride Rite Air-Bags
Quote: Don, I don't know where Dave gets his info from but the price difference between an ST and LT disappears real quick when you have to repair the damage done when a tire slings off its casing. This does not include the safety issue of being parked with your family and loved ones on the shoulder of an interstate at 95 degrees in the summer with truck traffic blowing by you at 75 MPH plus while trying to change a tire on a rocking trailer.
I’m running 16” rims as that is what was stock on my TT.
Ok your last paragraph tells me why you have had so many problems with ST tires. No ST tire is speed rated above 65 MPH. So if your running 75 MPH + then that is why your blowing your tires out. I have some where around 20K+ on my tires (on TT) and have never had a blow out or a flat tire. I also rotate the tires on my TT every spring and run them at 70 PSI and they are E rated by the way.
As far as where Dave gets his information from, he has 20 + years in the tire industry and attends seminars by the tire manufactures. Now I’m sure given the choice he would make more money selling me LT tires then ST tires. And like I said everyone knows how Ford all but killed Firestone because they recommended a lower air pressure then Firestone recommended. That is why I go by what the tire manufacture says and not what the auto manufacture puts on the door tag.
Don
On a side note just because you haven’t had a problem does not make it right.
straight from goodyear info sheet...
Based on industry standards, if tires with the ST designation are used at speeds between 66 and 75 mph, it is necessary to increase the cold inflation pressures by 10 psi above the recommended pressure for the load.
Do not exceed max inflation for the wheel though..
The cold inflation pressure must not exceed 10 psi beyond the inflation specified for the
maximum load of the tire.
But for me 65 is fine. but there are situations where you can exceed 65mph..
Don, it appears I did not word it clearly the first time.
I am not "running 75 MPH down the road" on an ST tire. I am setting on the shoulder 8' off the right lane with truck traffic going by me at 75 MPH while I am changing a flat tire. Also, I always try to tow trailers between 62 and 65 MPH regardless of the tires on it.
Also, I am well aware of the Explorer issue. We had a new 1998 that came with Firestone tires that I ran at 32 PSI for the first 30K with no problems. Ford then decided I need a set of LTX's to replace the Firestones so I said ok. I ran them and the second set, which I had to buy, at 32 PSI. Got 40 to 45K out of each set w/o any problems. No body I know ever ran 38# in a 15" tire on an Explorer. I tried it briefly and went back to 32# PSI, the rough roads in NC would have shaken the SUV apart at that pressure on a 15" tire.
I have had experience with ST tires on other then just RV's. As you know, they are used on a lot of small equipment, landscaping, horse and enclosed trailers also. Once you get to know folks that pull these types of trailers and get to talking to them about their tire issues I always have gotten an ear full. I know a lot of tire problems are brought on by the user but not everyone overloads the tire, underinflates it and drives over 65 MPH while towing.
I will try my best never to have anything to do with any more ST tires.
BTW, Dave is not the only on in the tire business with 20+ years experience dealing with LT and ST tires. Anyway, sounds like you have had good track record with your 16" E rated ST tires. At least you have 16" ones and not 15" tires. I hope you continue to experience this success going forward with your tires.
LEC, sorry, yes you did say going by you @ 75 MPH and not you were going 75 MPH. No I have not had any problems with any of the ST tires and I have had 14”, 15” and 16” without any tire problems. This does not mean that there is not a problem be it perceived or real, just that I have not experienced any.
BTW Dave did say yes you can run LT tires on your trailer, just he didn’t see any reason to do it. He has not seen any wide spread tire failures involving ST tires, or he would have sold me a set of new tires. The Owner and I are good friends and he runs ST’s on all of their trailers. He just donated a rim and tire (ST) for the Perrysburg HS band trailer I tow. So I would think if there was a problem with them Jim would be running LT’s on his trailer and would swap me into a set also.
With all that said if you feel more comfortable running LT’s then by all means go for it.
Don
Discount Tire happily sold me LT tires for my trailer and the manager there said that he used them on his horse trailers and sold many of them to others for the same purpose. The sidewalls on the LT tires (I also went up in wheel size from 15” to 16” so I could run LTs) are visibly stiffer than the tires they replaced. They do not roll over excessively even in near jack knife turns and on those occasions when I’ve had to run over some hard edges, like low curbs, they don’t collapse the way the STs did. The trailer, always very stable, is now even more so, even in tricky mountain towing. ST tire may be theoretically superior because they were designed specifically for trailer use, but much depends on how well they are manufactured and I am not confident, based on my own experience that what we are getting is all that wholesome. They are also not easy to find, which is decidedly not the case with good quality LT tires.
my old Goodyear truck tire dealer switched me to LT tires after many many ruined Marathon ST tires. That was in the '80s when I ran a few commercial trailers on the road to make a living.
holy cow just doing a search on ST/Marathon/Carlisle/chineese made tires will show many folks had their share of ST related tire problems especially on our bigger/heavier trailers and interstate speeds. Lightweight 22-24' trailers may get by with just a ST tire.
There are better tires for heavy trailers as many folks have found out the hard way.
JIM
'03 2500 Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs
'97 Park Avanue 28' with two slides
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