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
- I would only like to comment on this often mentioned different testing standards which for the most part is what I think is a red herring in the LT-ST tire debate. IMO comparing ST and LT tires using the testing standards is a classical apple and oranges scenario. The tires are specifically designed for two VERY, VERY different usages so of course the testing standards will be different. ST tires are not used on vehicles where loss of life is prime consideration safety wise. These different testing standards is similar to comparing a bolt from your local HD/Lowes to one that is used in the Space Program or say a Mil-Spec'd bolt. Is one better than the other for our use .... maybe or maybe not. In fact there can be HUGE differences in the testing protocols for Space Program and Mil-Spec'd items where Space Program is for safety and limited use and Mil-Spec'd is more for durability and wide spread enviromental use and maybe overall end cost/maintenance costs. One could argue that the testing standards might be changed to be more stringent for ST tires, but will that actually buy us an any better tire for our use ... Nobody can say it would.
If you can use LT tires w/o incurring any additional costs and it makes you feel good then I say FINE, but don't expect that will solve all potential problems or avoid them if you were to still use ST tires. ONE FACT is that LT tires have less wt. rating for the same size and profile ST tires.
As mentioned by one other poster is that getting a tire with a higher reserve capacity whether it's and LT or ST tire has no downsides unless you go wildly overboard.
Final one other thing that I think you will find FACTUAL is that the world of RV.NET is a very small segment of the overall RV community and folks here posting are what can best be called "enthusiasts" so strong opinions on ANY SUBJECT will be plentiful so be careful how much time you spend on the RV.NET "SALT LICK" since too much of a good thing can have the opposite effect.
BTW I have run ST tires for the last almost 40 years approaching 150K miles towing with what I consider "GREAT SUCCESS" and have no plans to change.
Larry - Hunting Dog brings up good point. ST and LT tires are rated at different standards.
ST tires are not rated to carry passengers therefore the standards they are designed to meet are in minimal. In the end the quality,reliability and uniformity of ST tires is minimal.
While a few have found ST tire adequate, Many including myself have solved their tires woes by simply upgrading to an LT tire. 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.- Please do a search for trailer tires .
This has been discussed repeatedly and WW3 durn near breaks out each time .
In my experience :
The weight rating is posted on the sidewall of every ST and LT tire .
You can improve your odds significantly by going to a tire that has a higher weight rating in pounds payload as shown on the tire sidewall .
Go to a reference site like tire rack dot com
search trailer tires
all of the information you need is on those charts.
the sidewall weight rating is quantifiable and is more important than brand .
if you have 14 inch wheels the choice is limited but also very clear .
Kumho 857 LRD in a 205R14 size has a 2271 # rating . 99 mph.
That is the highest rating anybody on this forum has come up with in a 14 .
The most common 14 inch ST tires are an 1820 # rating IIRC , 65 mph.
on tire rack you can buy and have delivered in a few days .
LT standards are tougher than ST standards .
in a 15 inch tire with an LT rating you have to do your homework and research different sizes rather than the common 205 /75r15 ST and 225 /75r15 ST .
some sizes to try are 215 / 70R15 load range D
example:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=Vanco+2&partnum=17R5V2&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&tab=Specs
i ordered continentals this spring ( made in Czech Republic ) and received them in 3 days .
ST tires mostly come from china and other asian countries.
there are also some 235 /70R15 tires and other sizes if you have the room to fit them .
at the very least if staying with ST tires go to a load range D ( or E ) in the same size you have now or upgrade to a larger ST225 if you have ST205 now .
the only good reviews that Maxxis has gotten are from posters on this particular forum .
No poster has supplied any evidence that " Maxxis tires have gotten good reviews " , other than their opinion .
in 3 different tire tests by consumer reports Maxxis passenger car tires have not placed any higher than the Lowest 25 % of the ratings .
maxxis tires come from asia just like most other ST tires .
16 inch wheels with zero offset tend to be 6 bolt rather than the 5 bolt zero offset wheels found on trailers . - I noticed you have a travel trailer. Most have 15 inch wheels and LT tires are 16 inch. Unless you invest in 16 inch wheels you will be limited to ST. There is not a ST tire made in the US however Maxxis gets very good reviews.
- 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.
My preference is Good Year LT 235/80R16 "G" rated tire. Or buy the highest rated tire that will fit on your RV. - All kinds of opinions and user experiences with ST and LT tires. Some good, some bad.
All I can say is that between my neighbor and I we have logged around 250K (yes 1/4 million) miles towing trailers with ST tires. Between the two of us we have had two nail flats that we caught before the tire went flat and caused any tire damage. And we each get about 30K miles/set of tires. I run Maxxis, neighbor runs whatever Les Schwab has.
We each put enough miles/year on tires that the wear out rather than "age out".
Neither of us has switched to LT since we couldn't find a 15" 225/75 LRE LT tire. And we both need the carrying capacity of a LRE with 15" rims. - Which is better ST or LT?
Which is better Ram, Ford, Chevy or Tundra? Everybody has an opinion and everybody thinks theirs is right. - 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. D and A plus 6 wrote:
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.
What size tire do you have? What is the trailer GVWR?
