Trailer Tires

mabynack wrote:



OH BOY, THIS IS FUN!
I have watched a rear tire in a tight turn. That's why I am hesitant to put a light truck tire on my fifth wheel. Truck tires are designed to bite in when you're going around a curve. Trailer tires are designed to slip so they don't dig in on tight turns.

This is from another RV Forum:

LT tire tread is designed to provide optimum traction under power and turning performance in all weather conditions. As such, the tread design provides for high friction in side loading to provide "grip" while turning. It also has an aggressive tread for high friction when used as a drive tire. It also has channels for water to squirt out the sides to keep the drive and steering wheels from hydroplaning. These channels also provide high friction when the tire is twisted in hard turns.More BS from an uninformed academic! Michelin for one makes the XPS Rib which is designed as an all position tire suitable for both trucks and trailers

ST tires have a unique tread design. Nothing unique! They have a highway tread design just like a lot of other tires.There are only ribs and channels that follow the rotation of the tire. There are no (or few) side to side grooves and the tread itself is very "non-aggressive" to provide a minimum rolling friction for better tire life and fuel economy.

In the past, the higher tire loading in high end campers was not being served by the tire industry so to provide the load carrying capacity required they put LT tires on at the factory. Today, there are more choices available and for a given load factor better performance will come from an ST tire. More BS! 16 inch ST tires were available in 2005 with a load rating exceeding the 3042 number my LT tires had. My Manufacturer choose to install a better tire for their customers.

Under similar driving conditions, the ST tire will provide better gas mileage and longer tire life. Absolutely no proof of this sort of misstatement! During sharp turns the ST tire will crab sideways much more easily than an LT tire. This will reduce uneven wear and "scrubbing" of the tread.Due to the extremely soft sidewalls no doubt.

ST tires also have a much higher emulsion content in the rubber since most ST tires don't get a lot of use. LT tires are run at highways speeds more often and the emulsion can lubricate the rubber more easily when the tires get hot at highway speeds. The higher content in the ST tire rubber prevents/delays dry rot in tires that don't get much use. HUMMM Can this be true? St tires usually don't last more than two or three years before catastrophic failures. LT tires can last 6 or 7 years without any signs of failures.

Paraphrased from a 2 hour conversation with
Walter C. Cannon
Executive Director
RV Safety & Education Foundation