Tire Swap

Me Again wrote:
I see people put LT265/75R16E on GM 6.5" wide rims all the time and that is out of spec. You can really see the side wall roll into the bead.

R250's on a 6" wide rim will be 100 times better than any current ST tire available.

If you have 33" or more center to center on your axles, then get the 235/85R16E's.

Chris

Isn’t it contrary to the tire and rim manufacturers’ recommendations to install tires with a 6 and ½” minimum rim width on a 6” wide rim?

IMO only a vehicle manufacturer can take on such a responsibility.

FastEagle

I see people put LT265/75R16E on GM 6.5" wide rims all the time and that is out of spec. You can really see the side wall roll into the bead.

R250's on a 6" wide rim will be 100 times better than any current ST tire available.

If you have 33" or more center to center on your axles, then get the 235/85R16E's.

Chris

Over pressuring a tire.
Using pressures above max on the Marathons is old old news and gets neaten to death on RV forums. Not a good idea IMO on a ST tire that is a marginal tire to begin with. I would ask your ST tire dealer if he will give you any warranty help on a tire that has been pumped to 10 psi above max sidewall pressures on a heavy trailer.
I've seen my 16" load E tires go to 92-93 psi in the hot summer when running the interstate at max loads on my equipment trailers. If the E tire was 90 psi cold set now it could be 100 PSI
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Trailers unlike a car/truck are very forgiving when it comes to handling issues. One big reason is the axle/axles are close set in the center of the trailer unlike a truck with axles at the corners. All the trailer has to do is follow the tow vehicle.
Sure....at some point a wheel can be too wide or too narrow but not the 245/75 on a 6" trailer wheel.
Now a LT245/75 on a truck with 6" wide wheels is a completely different animal and can create steering/handling issues.

I copied this from the Tire Rack website:

"Special Trailer (ST) Tire Speed Ratings

Industry standards dictate tires with the ST designation are speed rated to 65 MPH (104 km/h) under normal inflation and load conditions.

However Goodyear Marathon and Power King Towmax STR tires featuring the ST size designation may be used at speeds between 66 and 75 mph (106 and 121 km/h) by increasing their cold inflation pressure by 10 psi (69 kPa) above the recommended pressure for the rated maximum load.

Do not exceed the wheel’s maximum rated pressure. If the maximum pressure for the wheel prohibits the increase of air pressure, then maximum speed must be restricted to 65 mph (104 km/h).

The cold inflation pressure must not exceed 10 psi (69 kPa) beyond the inflation specified for the maximum load of the tire.

Increasing the inflation pressure by 10 psi (69 kPa) does not provide any additional load carrying capacity."

Mounting a tire on a rim that is too narrow tends to make the vehicle follow the ruts and grooves in the road. It also makes the vehicle more sensitive to cross winds. Obviously the more narrow the rim, the greater the affect.

Whether it is a problem or not is highly dependent on the roads and the vehicle. There is no single answer that fits all situations.

JIMNLIN wrote:

spud1957 wrote:
Just noticed a problem!!! I have 6" wide rims and the specs for the 245/75 16 Bridgestones require a 6.5" - 8" rim.:h

We have no problems using a 6" wide wheel for a LT245/75-16 E for trailer service. The LT245/75-16 is one of the more popular tires sizes for replacing the ST235/80 16 tires especially for those that can't use the taller LT235/85 tire.

Yeah. I think I'm good. Here are my rims.

My Rims

Update: Just chatted with tire rack and they tell me the 245s don't have enough flex to mount correctly on a 6" rim.

Has anyone actually done it? I could go with 215/85s. A little narrower but they will fit 6" rims.

Used the same size tires on my 5ver to replace the 235/80/R16's. Not problems.

spud1957 wrote:
Just noticed a problem!!! I have 6" wide rims and the specs for the 245/75 16 Bridgestones require a 6.5" - 8" rim.:h

We have no problems using a 6" wide wheel for a LT245/75-16 E for trailer service. The LT245/75-16 is one of the more popular tires sizes for replacing the ST235/80 16 tires especially for those that can't use the taller LT235/85 tire.

How about in 235/85/16? Bridgestone site says they are good to go on 6" rims and I think the same for the RIBs.

Just noticed a problem!!! I have 6" wide rims and the specs for the 245/75 16 Bridgestones require a 6.5" - 8" rim.:h