ST vs LT tires.
What is it about this subject that causes threads to close sooooo quickly? The last lasted 8 hours!!! before it was closed. So let's try this again, but folks - let's keep it civil. No name ...
Forum Discussion
Last weekend, I took one of my ST tires to Discount Tire because it experienced a pretty major cut due to a road hazard. While there, I discussed the ST/LT dilemma with one of the more senior employees to get his perspective. I'll paraphase some of his comments:
1. Trailer manufacturers use ST tires because they are cheaper to produce and purchase. When you're selling hundreds or thousands of trailers a year, you can significantly increase your profit margin by using the lowest cost products you can.
2. The tire store deals with several unhappy customers every week who have premature failures of their ST tires. It has gotten so bad, that they have actually been working with one manufacturer to produce a ST tire just for their stores that has better reliability. But he said they don't have enough feedback yet to see if it's working.
3. In his experience, he's seen no evidence that there are "special" treatments, chemicals, additives what-so-ever used in ST tires that are not also used in LT tires.
4. He has personally examined sidewalls of both ST tires and LT tires, and he said that he has not seen any special reinforcement in ST tires that is not already in LT tires.
5. He reiterated that a person pulling a trailer with ST tires must maintain 65 mph maximum for safety purposes. He said even if you have to pass, don't exceed 70 mph for even a short period of time.
I asked him if he had a trailer, and if so, what kind of tires were on it. His response was "yes, a horse trailer, and I retrofitted it with LTs".
1. Trailer manufacturers use ST tires because they are cheaper to produce and purchase. When you're selling hundreds or thousands of trailers a year, you can significantly increase your profit margin by using the lowest cost products you can.
2. The tire store deals with several unhappy customers every week who have premature failures of their ST tires. It has gotten so bad, that they have actually been working with one manufacturer to produce a ST tire just for their stores that has better reliability. But he said they don't have enough feedback yet to see if it's working.
3. In his experience, he's seen no evidence that there are "special" treatments, chemicals, additives what-so-ever used in ST tires that are not also used in LT tires.
4. He has personally examined sidewalls of both ST tires and LT tires, and he said that he has not seen any special reinforcement in ST tires that is not already in LT tires.
5. He reiterated that a person pulling a trailer with ST tires must maintain 65 mph maximum for safety purposes. He said even if you have to pass, don't exceed 70 mph for even a short period of time.
I asked him if he had a trailer, and if so, what kind of tires were on it. His response was "yes, a horse trailer, and I retrofitted it with LTs".
