Road Rider ST Travel Trailer Tires

~DJ~ wrote:
Not all LT tires are rated the same. Mine are speed rated Q which = 99 mph. :)

I just looked and the Revos I have on the burb are "R" or 106 mph. Good info, thanks!

Bamaman1 wrote:
If keeping 14" tires, the Kumho 857 is probably the best ST tire available. They're very popular with marine trailer owners, and available online @ TireRack.com and other discounters.

It's just a shame that the trailer world doesn't get better quality tires engineered for trailers--instead of the low price, low quality tires coming from unknown companies in the Far East. Blame RV manufacturers for choosing price over reasonable quality.

Actually the Kumho 857 isn't a ST tire but a all position tire that can be used on a truck/van/suv/trailer.

Kumho says this ;

SPECIAL FEATURES
For commercial light truck, transporter, van and trailer.

Deep zigzag grooves for increased mileage.

Straight center groove and sipes on four ribs to improve ride and noise.

BurbMan wrote:
LT tires are speed limited to 75 mph vs the ST limit of 65 mph.

Not all LT tires are rated the same. Mine are speed rated Q which = 99 mph. :)

Thanks BurbMan and ~DJ~. Scrub force was my main concern about running LT's. I've never had a blowout with ST's but they just don't seem to wear well on any of the TT I've owned. I will be checking out the axle rating before I swap, which isn't going to happen for awhile. The tires on it now are still in very good condition. I was just planning ahead for when I do decide to change tires.

I didn't know that the manufacturer only use axles rated at 90% but it doesn't surprise me, however it does bother me alittle.

Keith Haw wrote:
I don't know what the axle weight on my TT is, and it's still at CW getting work done so I can't check. But, it does have an GVWR of 8500 lbs IIRC. So 5000 lb axles sound about right. And it does have 6 hole 16" wheels. But we got it used less than a year ago so not sure if they are original or not.

You probably need to physically check your axle ratings. Most TT's only use enough axle rating to meet 90% of the GVWR. They figure the tongue carries 10%.

The Kuhmo Radial 857 205/75r/14's are on national backorder for probably the next 8-10 weeks. I have heard that the other 14" sizes are available.

Keith, the LT vs ST has grown to proportions of the gas vs. diesel debate. Tire companies tell you that the ST designation means the tire is specially designed to handle scrub forces, carry more weight than the same sized LT tire, has more UV resistance built in, etc. One side of the debate says this is correct and that these are the reasons that LT tires should not be used on trailers.

Proponents of using LT tires will tell you that an LT tire weighs more than the same size ST tire and is therefore built better. The only thing special about the ST designation is that these tires are so cheap that they are not fit for use on any vehicle that carries passengers. LT tires are speed limited to 75 mph vs the ST limit of 65 mph.

I ran ST tires for years with no problems until I had a blowout 2 years ago. A friend here on the forum was trading in his TT for a 5er and had a set of fairly new LT tires and rims that he was willing to part with on the cheap, so that's what I have on my TT now. The downside for me was that I had to raise the TT suspension about 2" to give me the vertical clearance I needed to go from 15" to 16" rims. The upside is that these are E-rated and have more than enough capacity for me. I also like to run at 70 mph with the TT so LT is better suited to me than ST.

Many of the seasoned guys here on the forum that have been trailering for years, both recreational and commercial equipment, say that LT tires are the way to go for reliable performance. The pro-ST guys offer a mainly academic argument. If you do switch from ST to LT do your homework and be sure that you get the right size and weight rating for your TT. A trip to the scales is probably the first step.

Do a search here on the TT forum for LT vs ST and happy reading!

I don't know what the axle weight on my TT is, and it's still at CW getting work done so I can't check. But, it does have an GVWR of 8500 lbs IIRC. So 5000 lb axles sound about right. And it does have 6 hole 16" wheels. But we got it used less than a year ago so not sure if they are original or not.

I got my 16 in white spoke rims locally for $ 48.00 each , sold my 15 inch for $50.00 all 4 . Usually , but not always , the 6 lug axels are 5000 lb each for a total of 10K lbs .

Thanks for the replies. I was just wondering about the sidewall, and scrub created on a TT. But like I said, I have to believe LT's would be better made. My TT has a gross of around 8500 lbs so already have the 16" 6 hole rims.