Tires; revisited; yet again

I have always had cheap ST Chinese junk and never had a blowout but never trusted them, mainly be the way they rode and looked marginal at best for the load they were carrying. On my last fiver I upgraded from Ds to Es and went with Maxxis. They are a far superior tire in my opinion and didn't have a problem for 2 years up until I traded for my current fiver. I will say that a move from D to E is a wise choice as long as your wheels are rated for 80psi.
When I bought my new fiver last year, I had them put a set of Firestone Transforce LTs before I signed the papers. I didn't want the Road Riders junk ST Es that came with it. I have only had them for a year, but will say that I made a good choice. They look and ride like a real tire and I have the upmost confidence in them.
Everyone has tire opinions, just do what you are comfortable with.

st tires are only rated at 65 mph. Do I need to say more?

hammer21661 wrote:
st tires are only rated at 65 mph. Do I need to say more?

yes, based on actual load and load rating.

from goodyear

Thank you for contacting our web site. You don't "derate" an LT tire when
using on a trailer application. You do "derate" a Pmetric tire if you use
it on a trailer or on a truck. Reason is an LT tire is designed to operate
at max load 100% of it's life. A Pmetric is designed to operate at max
load only part of its life. Rule of thumb is to "derate" a Pmetric in this
type of application by 10%.

If you've had good luck with the Marathons on your trailer, I would
continue to use them.

Jennifer - Consumer Relations





Inflation

Always inflate trailer tires to the maximum inflation indicated on the sidewall.
Check inflation when the tires are cool and have not been exposed to the sun.
If the tires are hot to the touch from operation, add three psi to the max inflation.
Underinflation is the number one cause of trailer tire failure.

Load Carrying Capacity

All tires must be identical in size for the tires to properly manage the weight of the trailer.
The combined capacity of the tires must equal or exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of the axle.
The combined capacity of all of the tires should exceed the loaded trailer weight by 20 percent.
If the actual weight is not available, use the trailer GVW. If a tire fails on a tandem axle trailer, you should replace both tires on that side. The remaining tire is likely to have been subjected to excessive loading.
If the tires are replaced with tires of larger diameter, the tongue height may need to be adjusted to maintain proper weight distribution.

Time

Time and the elements weaken a trailer tire.
In approximately three years, roughly one-third of the tire's strength is gone.
Three to five years is the projected life of a normal trailer tire.
It is suggested that trailer tires be replaced after three to four years of service regardless of tread depth or tire appearance.

Mileage

Trailer tires are not designed to wear out.
The life of a trailer tire is limited by time and duty cycles.
The mileage expectation of a trailer tire is 5,000 to 12,000 miles.

Why Use An "ST" Tire

"ST" tires feature materials and construction to meet the higher load requirements and demands of trailering.
The polyester cords are bigger than they would be for a comparable "P" or "LT" tire.
The steel cords have a larger diameter and greater tensile strength to meet the additional load requirements.
"ST" tire rubber compounds contain more chemicals to resist weather and ozone cracking.

hope it helps and there are many toyhauler guys that run lt tires to the dunes and back and overload the******out of those units too w/o issue however I know one guy that switched and because they weren't st tires the ins denied the claim and he was out $80k plus the atty fees! his toyhauler burned to the ground with his sand rail and two quads inside. the tire slapped the others and floor and it lit. just something to think about, you know how they like loop holes.

I have seen at least a dozen ST tires blow on toyhaulers. No thanks. LT tires is what me and most of my buddies have switched to and the issues went away. No one I know has gone the other way. So I can't give any real world experience there.

The real problem is when a tire blows its not just the tire it can do a lot of damage along with it! Would anyone even consider running a st tire on a car or truck? I don't think I would run a Chinese tire on my quad but then again I like to buy American which sadly is getting hard. I've had 3 Chinese tires blow two were on a parked utility trailer last summer they blew 3 days apart.

WOW... kinda eye opening huh

Michelin letter with phone number:

"We do not recommend using passenger/light truck tires on trailers that specify ST tires. If the trailer manufacturer calls for ST tires, it is important to replace with ST tires in order to maintain the load requirement.

We are sorry, but we do not make anything that would be comparable to an "ST" rated tire.

We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Michelin."

If we can assist you further, please call us at 1-800-642-4354 (toll free) between 8:00AM and 8:00PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday or between 8:30AM and 4:30PM Eastern Time on Saturday.

Sincerely,

Sherry
Consumer Care Department
Certified Michelin Product Expert

FastEagle wrote:
Michelin letter with phone number:

"We do not recommend using passenger/light truck tires on trailers that specify ST tires. If the trailer manufacturer calls for ST tires, it is important to replace with ST tires in order to maintain the load requirement.

We are sorry, but we do not make anything that would be comparable to an "ST" rated tire.

We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Michelin."

If we can assist you further, please call us at 1-800-642-4354 (toll free) between 8:00AM and 8:00PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday or between 8:30AM and 4:30PM Eastern Time on Saturday.

Sincerely,

Sherry
Consumer Care Department
Certified Michelin Product Expert

If that letter scares you, go with GY G614 G rated. But don't stick with an ST tire and feel good about it.

ST Tires. 5 months old. $1,400 in damage. Never again.

IMO this thread so far is tops for the most personnel opinion misinfo posted about a LT tire vs ST tire and what Michelin says so far on the ST vs LT tire debate.

Michelin does not make a ST tire. They never did. What they do make is a commercial grade all steel ply carcass tire in a 16" LT E at 3042 lbs capacity that is recommended for commercial trailer service and also recommended for using on a RV trailer.

Michelin responce

Posted: 12/14/12 12:14am Link | Quote | Print | Notify Moderator
I sent an email to Michelin for a response regarding using Michelin XPS ribs on my 5th wheel. Here is the question and their response:

Thank you for your email. We welcome the opportunity to serve you.

Due to recent high email volume and some technical issues that we have experienced, please accept our apology for the delay in this response. Your interest in Michelin is certainly appreciated.


In regards to the email you sent stating:
I have a 2006 Montana 5th wheel Trailer that has two 6,000 lb Dexter axles and 4 deluxe aluminum Rims each rated at 3,042 lbs. I would like to install your Michelin XPS® Rib™ LT235/85 R16/E's on this 5th wheel. Will the tires be fully waranteed in this application?

Answer..---------------------------------------------------------------------
We appreciate your request for information regarding the Michelin XPS Rib. The XPS Rib, size LT235/85R16/E, part number 13080 would be a good fitment for your 5th wheel. The tire carries 3042Lbs at 80-psi max pressure. For best pressure recommendation, run at maximum pressure until you can weigh your axles either call or reply to this email for a pressure recommendation.
It is a good application, so there are no warranty issues. Your tires are covered under applicable warranty.
We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Michelin.

It is our goal to ensure that your issue has been resolved or your question answered to your satisfaction. If we can assist you further, please respond to this email or call us at 1-800-642-4354 (toll free) between 8:00AM and 8:00PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday or between 8:30AM and 4:30PM Eastern Time on Saturday.

Sincerely,

Diana
Consumer Care Department
Certified Michelin Product Expert

PS: It's important that you get all the safety-related materials that come with the purchase of new Michelin passenger and light truck tires. If you did not receive a warranty book, you can download one at www.michelin.com/warranty/. If you did not register your tires, please take a moment to do so at www.michelin.com. Registering your tires is easy and takes just a minute.