Tire shop wont install LTs on my trailer
My local tire shop which I have bought several sets of car/truck tires through and does install tires on trailers told me that due to liability reason associated with the lower weight rating on an LT ...
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I have a Tire Rack qualified installer come to my home and install tires. So far, two sets of 16" China Bombs have been replaced on two different 5ers plus a he installed a new set of tires on my last truck with a new set to be installed soon on the current truck. All he wants is his 107 dollars for removal from the axle, demount old, remount new, new metal valves, balance and reinstall. Here and gone in an hour or less.
Unfortunately, tire stores don't know the real life story on tires and the required testing and specs for an LT vs not much for an ST. The ST is rated for about 3400 pounds - and that's with zippo margin. The LT is rated for 3042 but does have something like a 40% margin or somewhere in the real world numbers of 4200# real capacity(my numbers are not 'gospel' but are close). There are those that say that the ST tires are built to squirm on tight turns. Great, but don't those folks understand that an LT on a truck wont do much of that squirm and that for all intent is really a desirable trait. How much of your tow time is spent at some tight angled turn? How much lateral stress do you really want to put on a 'cost improved' RV's suspension by a tire that wont skid a bit rather such as an LT? Then of course, some 'premium' level trailers already have LT tire. What will a tire store do with them? Try to convince the owner he really should put crappy Tow Max tires on his big buck RV.
Then there are the rib tires that Michelin and Bridgestone manufacturer which are all position trailer rated though actually an LT.
The beat goes on. And on. And on
Unfortunately, tire stores don't know the real life story on tires and the required testing and specs for an LT vs not much for an ST. The ST is rated for about 3400 pounds - and that's with zippo margin. The LT is rated for 3042 but does have something like a 40% margin or somewhere in the real world numbers of 4200# real capacity(my numbers are not 'gospel' but are close). There are those that say that the ST tires are built to squirm on tight turns. Great, but don't those folks understand that an LT on a truck wont do much of that squirm and that for all intent is really a desirable trait. How much of your tow time is spent at some tight angled turn? How much lateral stress do you really want to put on a 'cost improved' RV's suspension by a tire that wont skid a bit rather such as an LT? Then of course, some 'premium' level trailers already have LT tire. What will a tire store do with them? Try to convince the owner he really should put crappy Tow Max tires on his big buck RV.
Then there are the rib tires that Michelin and Bridgestone manufacturer which are all position trailer rated though actually an LT.
The beat goes on. And on. And on
