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
~DJ~ wrote:
I think running LT's is getting more and more popular.
Saying that it may run into legal conflicts putting LT's on a trailer vs ST's is simply not true. If there were any chance of that manufacturers would not send out brand new trailers equipped with LT tires such as my Springdale Rugged Terrain.
My LT's are Chinese Merits but at least conforms to the higher quality requirements of LT's. They have been rolling over rough Idaho back roads for 4 years with no problems.
One more year and I will replace them with Toyo M55 Commercial Grade LT's. I swung by Les Schwab and asked if they had any problems mounting LT's on a TT. I was informed by the manager that he put LT's on his 34' bunkhouse!!!
JMHO but I see these threads of failed ST's and I think why should I settle for inferior tires when I don't have to??!!
I think the legal issue comes from the fact that tire shops might be require to replace the tires with what the manufacturer provided and if that was LT fine if it was ST then there might be the rub. Sort of like the problem the gent with the Sonata ran into with the speed rating. This might especially happen if one takes the trailer in for tires since the sticker generally lists the tire specifically that the manufacturer put on it as OEM and that is basically a DOT sticker.
My experience is that I ran Marathon ST 14" tires for close to 18 years on two trailers and never had a blow out or any tire related issues and I attribute that mainly from proper speed, inflation and avoiding potholes like crazy. One time I hit a freeway pothole that would had loosened one's teeth and to be safe I automatically replaced both ST tires that hit that pothole since I felt they were compromised. I do the same if I have a flat on one tire and if I think it ran underinflated for any time I would also replace the seemingly good tire on that side since I considered that it had been run severly overloaded at speed for some period of time (1 hour is too long in my book). Now you might not have to take those sort of precautions with LT tires for the most part, but with 14" tires you are for the most part stuck with ST tires.
Larry
