LT Tire vs ST Tire
I assumed I wanted ST Tires for my camper and some people are telling me to go with LT Tires. Now I'm confused, and guess I shouldn't assume.
Forum Discussion
dave54 wrote:This "nutshell" is for a really small nut.
Contrary to the earlier post there is no consensus.
They are made differently for different purposes, and choosing one over the other involves trade-offs. Read up on the pluses and minuses of each then decide which is best for you.
In a nutshell:
ST are made to be towed, not be the tower. They have stiffer sidewalls, heavier cords, a different tread design, and different profile. The rubber is chemically different. ST tires reduce trailer sway and have very little rolling resistance. ST tires are designed to be stored and sitting unmoved for extended periods. Because of these factors they have a shorter life. ST tires seldom wear out, they age out. Need to be replaced every 3-4 years regardless of tread condition. ST tires have an upper speed limit, commonly 65 MPH, and are designed to be inflated to max sidewall pressure.
LT tires will last longer and take more road hazard abuse. Because they are made to be on the steering and power axles they have a thinner more flexible sidewall, which may increase trailer sway. They are designed for traction and pulling the vehicle around corners on wet/slippery roads, and brake differently. They grip the road better than ST (more rolling resistance), leading to decreased fuel mileage. LT tires are made to have acceptable handling properties at different inflations, so you can alter inflation to match conditions and load. Sitting unused and not moved for extended periods is hard on LT tires.
So consider the type of use you are going to give the tires, weigh the pros and cons or each, and then decide, realizing that whichever you choose you are giving up something.
Read the testing govt. requirements for each tire type for a real eye opener.... The LTs tires testing is so much tougher as to make this debate laughable.. The ST tire proponents really don't like to bring this up..
There really s no drawback to LTs other than the intial cost. Which can be mitigated or even eliminated by savings over time.
There are several approachs to the swap.
The best is to put on 16" rims. This is the most expensive choice, but opens up the widest selection of tires. LT tire selection gets smaller as the rim size does.. But there ARE some good choices out there.
The MAXXIS ST tire currently enjoys a good reputation. This is a result of a company building to a higher standard than required... Though I commend them for it, I would hesitate to recommend using them. Availability is poor due to their small market share, and distribution network. Post after post on hear of people having to "order" these tires as they are not in stock. Since ANY tire can be a road hazard casulty at any time, it could leave one stranded on the road while a replacement is located. (Of course some of the smaller LT tires share this problem).
My next reason is that there is NOTHING stopping Maxxis from doing what corporations are constantly doing.. Cutting corners in order to increase profitability. These decisions are made all the time in board rooms. It won't be published any where if/when it happens at Maxxis. The tires will just get worse. For all anyone knows, it may well have already happened as they bow to the competitive pressures.
The only real way to "fix" what ails the ST tires is for the govt. to raise the MINIMUM ST tire testing requirements.. Don't hold your breath waiting for this, as too many are making profits off of the present situation.
