Tire Thoughts
A couple of weeks ago I posted regarding questions on the BFG commercial T/A tire and got some good remarks pro and con. I do NOT want to re-hash the quality of the T/A tire but, like several brands,...
Forum Discussion
tsetsaf wrote:
Yes the weight placed on the tire can impact usage quality. This is the reason some folks have zero issues with st tires while others can't keep them from blowing up.
Easy answer -as above- *Absolutely*!!
Note: In the answer "...*can* impact usage quality".
ST tires have a bad reputation due to failures on trailers which were equipped with them (STs), as they met the desired weight capacity specs for the trailer ...as it left the factory.
Had an interesting reply about that with a Jayco factory rep when I asked him about wheel well clearance when changing from ST to LT tires on my 5th. (from Marathon Balloons to XPS Ribs)
Caveat: I had switched over to LT tires on TTs many, many years previously due to the (obvious - at least to me) advantages.
To me - it has always been a "no brainer".
Towed a 24' TT from border to border - and lots of "in-between" in the USA with never a flat or a failure.
Broke a spring once - but never a tire failure.
Anyway, the factory rep and self chatted about clearance - then I asked him "out of the blue".....
"Why doesn't Jayco equip their 5th wheels with LT tires from the factory?"
Simple answer: Bean counters.
The factory gets (and selects) bids for tires based on the trailer weight when it leaves the factory.
Did he agree the LTs were a better choice?
Emphatic - "YES".
No, I never asked him his name and/or badge number..:W
And - yes...*MY* bad!..:S
Had I realized the 5th I ordered would be equipped with tires that were marginal at best - I would have worked "something" out with the dealer for an upgrade.
And....it didn't take long to figure out the GY ST LRD Marathons weren't up to the job.
"We" parted company before their second birthday, and *before* they (or me) were "FORD" - as the warning signs were there - ripples and bulges, excessive "squish".
BTW - besides checking specs and capacities, etc. - make a simple "non-scientific" comparison between *any* ST tire and *any* LT tire:
Lift each. Try to compress each (push down on it).
The difference is night and day.
Your ST tire mileage may vary.
(But - the clock is always ticking).:W
~
